Truman High School Student Mitchell Kilpatrick was among 31 students across Missouri awarded prizes in the fifth annual Creating Original Music Project (C.O.M.P.), a joint venture of the University of Missouri School of Music and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation.

Sponsored by an annual gift of $50,000 from Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation, COMP’s purpose is to encourage k-12 students in Missouri to write original musical works and have their music performed. More than 100 entrants submitted compositions, with first-place, second-place and third-place winners named in eight different categories.

Winning compositions will be performed at the Creating Original Music Project Festival in the Fine Arts Building at the University of Missouri’s School of Music on Saturday, April 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Both the composers and their music programs will receive cash prizes. High school winners will receive a scholarship to attend Mizzou’s high school summer music composition camp.

“The number of applicants and the quality of music submitted has been increasing every year,” said Dr. Sinquefield. “The number of repeat winners shows we are making progress in developing our own talent here in Missouri.” Kilpatrick won for his composition, “Bullet”, in the High School Pop category.