Composer Mara Gibson is originally from Charlottesville, VA, graduated from Bennington College, and completed her Ph.D. at SUNY Buffalo. She has received grants and honors from the American Composer’s Forum, the Banff Center, Louisiana Division of the Arts, ArtsKC, Meet the Composer, the Kansas Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, the International Bass Society, ASCAP, and the John Hendrick Memorial Commission, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, the MacDowell Colony and Yale University.  Internationally renowned ensembles and soloists have performed her music throughout the United States, Canada, South America, Asia, and Europe. Dr. Gibson teaches at the UMKC Conservatory as Associate Professor; she is founder of the UMKC Composition Workshop and co-director/founder of ArtSounds and coordinates undergraduate composition.  She released her first compilation CD ArtIfacts this past May.  Her second CD is scheduled to release in November 2017 through PARMA Recordings.