XY Duo, the flute and percussion ensemble comprised of UNO School of Music faculty members Dr. Christine Beard and Dr. Hannah Weaver, has been selected as one of five recipients of the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Collaboration Science Fellowship Funding for the 2026–2027 academic year. Their project, Forging Collaboration: Interdisciplinary Team Dynamics in Wrought Iron by Andrea Reinkemeyer, will investigate the collaborative processes involved in preparing and recording Wrought Iron (2012) for flute and percussion. Throughout the project, Beard and Weaver will document their experiences during the learning, rehearsal, recording, and post-production stages while also examining interactions with the recording engineer to better understand interdisciplinary artistic collaboration.

As part of the fellowship, the duo will participate in the Center for Collaboration Science Symposium on November 6, 2026, and present their findings at UNO in spring 2027. The project will culminate in a professional recording of Wrought Iron, which will appear on FNMC Presents, Volume 2, an upcoming compilation album from the Flute New Music Consortium featuring contemporary repertoire, new music recordings, and interviews with composers and performers. XY Duo was selected for the album through a competitive national audition process.

Founded in 2020, XY Duo has performed throughout the United States and internationally, with appearances at the Scheherazade Music Festival, the National Composers Orchestra recital series, the FNMC New Music Festival, and the Peruvian International Flute Festival. More information about XY Duo can be found at XY Duo Facebook page, or visit christiebeard.net or hanahweaverpercussion.com.