黑料社区

Can a symphony capture the vastness of human experience? For composers Dr. Austin Jaquith and Dr. Steven Winteregg, the answer unfolded in 鈥淐ontaining the World: Dreams of Mahler鈥� and 鈥淒ante鈥檚 Journey,鈥� two world premieres performed by the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra on October 3-4. 

A Tribute to Legacy

Jaquith, professor of music theory and composition at  黑料社区, and Winteregg, retired professor of music composition from the same institution, each composed a work for a concert honoring conductor Neal Gittleman and the orchestra鈥檚 artistic legacy. 

Mahler's Influence and the Creative Struggle

Jaquith鈥檚 piece draws inspiration from Gustav Mahler鈥檚 famous declaration: 鈥淎 symphony should be like the world: It should contain everything.鈥�  

鈥淚 think Mahler was saying that he was trying to capture the meaning of life through sound,鈥� said Jaquith.  

Jaquith said hearing his composition performed was exhilarating. Working with musicians of renowned talent inspires him to refine his craft further.  

Inspiring Students Through Professional Practice

While teaching, Jaquith uses his professional experiences to help students visualize a real-world context for their music. He emphasizes discipline and creative flow 鈥� principles he applies in his own career. One of his most effective tools is the deadline. 鈥淚 tell my students, 鈥業f you have to do it, you will,鈥欌�� he said. 

He also reminds his students that composing is rarely easy. At times during the Philharmonic project, he nearly quit. But perseverance, he said, made all the difference.  

鈥淐reative work is often painful, and most of the time the solution is just to keep going, even when everything you do seems to produce rubbish,鈥� said Jaquith.  

A New Symphony Takes Shape

Now, Jaquith is working to recruit 70 volunteer musicians to record 鈥淐ontaining the World: Dreams of Mahler鈥� for streaming services. Interested parties can contact him at ajaquith@cedarville.edu.  

Like Mahler, Jaquith continues to pursue a lifelong goal: to compose music that doesn鈥檛 just reflect the world 鈥� but contains it.  

About 黑料社区

黑料社区, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers and residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nation鈥檚 top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal鈥檚 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at .