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Composers Chen-Hui Jen, Wang Jie, and Hannah Lash to Receive Commissions in Third Year of League of American Orchestras’ and EarShot’s Women Composers Readings and Commissions Program
Three composers — Chen-Hui Jen, Wang Jie, and Hannah Lash — will each receive orchestral commissions of $15,000 as part of the League of American Orchestras’ 2016 Women Composers Readings and Commissions program, which is administered by the American Composers Orchestra and EarShot and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Partner orchestras to premiere the works will be announced at a later date.
This latest round marks an expansion: for the first time since the program was launched in 2014, three commissions will be awarded, rather than two. Additionally, the program has been renewed for 2017 and will continue in its current expanded form, with three additional composers being awarded commissions next year. All women who have participated in EarShot Readings this year as well as in the past are considered for these commissions.
Jesse Rosen, the League’s president and CEO, said, “In just three years, this program’s impact has been deeply felt by women composers, orchestras that program their works, and the general public, who have fantastic opportunities to discover these talented artists and their music as a result. We are grateful to the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation for helping us raise the profile of women composers in the United States.”
“In the three years of the initiative the Toulmin Foundation’s support of women composers has already made a substantial impact on the field. By leveraging the EarShot network, we are providing needed exposure and development opportunities to some incredibly talented and deserving composers, and with this year’s round, we will see a total of seven commissions, and premieres with multiple orchestras around the country” said Michael Geller, president of American Composers Orchestra.
The Women Composers Readings and Commissions program is embedded in EarShot, an initiative of American Composers Orchestra in collaboration with American Composers Forum, League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA, which is the nation’s first ongoing, systematic program for identifying emerging orchestral composers.
The recipients of the 2015 Women Composers Readings and Commissions were composers Andreia Pinto-Correia and Xi Wang, who were both awarded $15,000 and an orchestral commission. Andreia Pinto-Correia is working on her commission to be premiered by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and Xi Wang is working on a piece for the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra; both works will premiere in a future season.