EarShot, an initiative of American Composers Orchestra (ACO) in partnership with American Composers Forum,League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA, is the nation’s first ongoing program for identifying and promoting the most promising orchestral composers on the national stage. ACO’s artistic and administrative staff collaborates with participating orchestras, assisting with planning, program design, and execution. EarShot residencies include mentorship from the most accomplished orchestral composers in the country, orchestra readings, and musician and conductor feedback sessions. The program is customized to each host orchestra’s aesthetic, demographic, community, and educational interests.
The Sarasota Orchestra EarShot participant composers will work closely with mentor composers Robert Beaser, Laura Karpman, and Chinary Ung. There will be professional development panels including the mentor composers and guests William J. Lackey of American Composers Forum, Stephen Miles of New College of Florida, and select staff from the Sarasota Orchestra administrative team.
SELECTED COMPOSERS
Krists Auznieks
Currently pursuing doctorate at Yale School of Music with Aaron Jay Kernis and David Lang, Krists Auznieks’ (b.1992) most recent recognitions include Jacob Druckman Prize from Aspen Music Festival, Latvian National Grand Music Award for the best new work of the year, The Woods Chandler Memorial Prize from Yale, fellowships from Aspen Music Festival, NEXT Festival of Emerging Artists (NYC), Bennington Chamber Music Conference, and Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, winning works at The Chicago Ensemble’s Discover America XI and Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra competitions. His quintet “Piano” was featured in The New York Times among the week’s best classical music moments. His opera NeoArctic, co-written with British techno producer Andy Stott, won Danish Reumert Prize and will have its US premiere at The Kennedy Center in 2019.
About Crossing
The title of Auznieks’ work envisages a “crossing” into another state of mind, suggested and catalyzed by rhetorical and musical devices. “I hope Crossing can become a leap from the familiar physical world and how memory operates in it,” says Auznieks, “to some other imaginary, utopian, idealistic world.” The work centers on motivic transformations that function as an analogy to Proustian notions of memory. “The same motifs are heard, re-heard, and misheard,” Auznieks points out. As Feldman once observed, “The whole lesson of Proust is not to look for experiences in the object, but within ourselves.” Auznieks aims for this work to similarly elicit a parallel experience within the listener.
Krists Auznieks’ Full Bio
The music of Krists Auznieks has been performed at The Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), The Royal Danish Theatre, Beijing National Arts Centre, Shanghai City Theatre, Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw, The Southbank Center (London), Théâtre Maisonneauve (Montreal), The Kitchen (NYC), National Sawdust (NYC), Chassé Theater (The Netherlands), Cultuurcentrum Hasselt (Belgium), Théâtre De Nîmes (France) and featured in Gaudeamus Muziekweek (Holland), Aspen Music Festival, American Music Festival (Albany, NY), MATA 2017 (NYC), Arctic Arts Festival (Norway), UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers in Finland, European Capital of Culture Aarhus 2017 Festival (Denmark), and Chelsea Music Festival (NYC). He has worked with Sandbox Percussion (NYC), David Kweksilber Big Band (Holland), Antico Moderno (Boston), Yale Philharmonia, Orkest de Ereprijs (Holland), pianists Robert Fleitz and David Fung, and guitarist Jiji. Recent works include Crossing for orchestra, commissioned by Aspen Music Festival and Robert Spano, premiered by Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra and Patrick Summers, as well as works for Capella Amsterdam, Latvian Radio Choir, Albany Symphony musicians (NY), Yale Percussion Group, and two massive concert-length works for Contemporaneous (NYC) and Sinfonietta Riga (Latvia).
Nicky Sohn
From ballet to opera to Korean traditional-orchestra, the wide-ranging talent of composer Nicky Sohn (b. 1992) is sought after across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Characterized by her jazz-inspired, rhythmically driven themes, Sohn’s work has received praise from international press for being “dynamic and full of vitality” (The Korea Defense Daily), having “colorful orchestration” (NewsBrite), and for its “elegant wonder” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), among many others. As a result, Sohn has enjoyed commissions from the world’s preeminent performing arts institutions, including sold-out performances at the Stuttgart Ballet in Germany, The National Orchestra of Korea, and the New York Choreographic Institute at New York City Ballet.
About Bird Up
Bird Up encapsulates the composer’s perspective on the erratic nature of New York City, as seen through the lens of the bizarre and chaotic humor in the Eric Andre Show. Throughout several years of living in the absurd and unpredictable environment that is New York, the composer found that his skits were a clever match to the everyday unpredictability of the city. The skit that inspires this piece reflects the extreme end of the chaos that New Yorkers often encounter with a humorous twist, Eric Andre dresses up as a bird and confronts strangers on the street. The composer develops the piece around direct inspiration from the show, the primary motivic material of the piece is derived from the opening chords of the tv show. Incorporating this motive in several modes, the piece gradually transforms, reflecting the humor of the ever changing yet constantly absurd reality of the show and New York City.
Nicky Sohn’s Full Bio
In 2019, Sohn will attend the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy as Gerald Fischer Fellow, where she will work with Grammy-winning soprano Jessica Rivera. Other projects include commissions from the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra as the sole winner of the Jacob Druckman Prize, as well as the Chelsea Music Festival. Festival appearances include the Aspen Music Festival and School, Les Ecoles d’Art Américaines de Fontainebleau, Ars Nova with Unsuk Chin and the Seoul Philharmonic, and the Summer Festival of the Moscow Conservatory of Music, among others. Residencies have included the Avalon Music Consort in Sweden, Washington Square Winds in New York City, and Project: 音 Sound 음 in Korea. Nicky Sohn currently shares her time between Berlin, New York City, and her hometown of Seoul, and holds a Master of Music Diploma from The Juilliard School. Her early years are marked by a voracious eagerness to learn. Already a student of piano at the age of two, she began seriously studying composition at the age of seven. At fourteen, Sohn completed her high school diploma, and would go on to receive both a Bachelor of Music degree and a Diploma of Piano Performance from the Mannes College of Music. She is grateful to her pedagogues, which include Robert Beaser, Chris Theofanidis, Derek Bermel, and Richard Danielpour.
Sam Wu
The music of Sam Wu (b. 1995) deals with the beauty in blurred boundaries. From Shanghai, China, Wu attends The Juilliard School for his M.M., after receiving an A.B., with honors, from Harvard University. His teachers include Tan Dun, Robert Beaser, Chaya Czernowin, Richard Beaudoin, and Derek Bermel. Wu also has been featured on the National Geographic Channel, Business Insider, Harvard Crimson, Yale Daily, Asahi Shimbun, People’s Daily, China Daily USA, SinoVision, CCTV, and ICS, among others.
About Wind Map
Wind Mapwas composed with inspiration from a graphic visualization of global wind patterns. Wu notes, “Massive amounts of weather data are fed into a supercomputer that then produces a live (or pseudo-live) ‘wind map.’ The swirls and swoops are color-coded: areas of blue and green are relatively calm, while red and purple usually imply devastating conditions in a tropical system. There is something particularly poetic about seeing our atmosphere on such a macro scale; the same colors that are converted from numerical data also suggest Van Gogh-esque brushstrokes. The confluence of the empirical and the aesthetic in the ‘wind map’ has proved wildly inspiring for the composition of this piece.”
Sam Wu’s Full Bio
Winner of Harvard’s Robert Levin, Francis Boott, Bach Society, Wister Prizes, Artist Development Fellowship, Oklahoma City University’s Project21 Prize (Second Place), and the Interlochen Fine Arts Award. Sam was also a finalist for the Cortona Prize and ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. Wu’s music has been performed across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. His collaborators include the Melbourne, China National, Shenzhen, Xi’an, Suzhou Symphonies, Shanghai, Moscow, Boston Youth Philharmonics, National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Shanghai International Arts Festival, Sydney University Confucius Institute, Asia Society, members of the Parker and Ansonia Quartets, Princeton Pianists’ Ensemble, Radcliffe Choral Society, Harvard Ballet Company, and pipa master Wu Man.
Kitty Xiao
KittyXiao (b. 1989) is an Australian composer, pianist, and collaborative artist based in Rochester, New York. She is currently completing a Master of Music (Composition) at the Eastman School of Music as a graduate award recipient, studying composition with Robert Morris and piano with Tony Caramia. Xiao is founder, composer and pianist of Nimbus Trio and released her first album Novum in 2016 as a represented artist of Move Records label. In 2017 Kitty formed the Six Piano Collective and is Artistic Director of the Six Piano Project. The same year she launched a new concert series NoiseSense.
About Ink and Wash
Ink and Wash is influenced by Chinese calligraphy, in particular the work of contemporary Chinese, New York based artist Gu Wenda. His works, Negative and Positive Characters and TranquilityComes from Meditation, liberate themselves from traditional technical and aesthetic structures. For me, the works confront repression and the power of the human spirit. These ideas are expressed sonically in various strokes and lines of light and shade, attack and decay, from singular gestures to the mass.
Kitty Xiao’s Full Bio
Commissions include Arts Centre Melbourne’s 5x5x5, Plexus, Elysium Dance, Brighton Fashion Week London, Six Piano Project, Nimbus Trio, Tilde New Music Festival, Gamelan DanAnda, the Augmented Trumpet, Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra, Panoramic Voices, Australian Art Orchestra CMI, Clan Analogue; her work being featured on their recent album Coordinates and Australian short/feature films. Her works have been part of the Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne Festival, Mapping Melbourne Festival, performed at Deakin Edge, Melbourne Recital Centre, Elder Hall University of Adelaide, broadcast on 3MBS, 4MBS, ABC Classic FM, PBS, KUTX 98.9 (U.S). She has performed in the UK, US and Europe as a soloist, with Kirolian Piano Trio, Trinity Laban’s new music ensemble, her work recorded at Cacophony Records by Grammy award winner Erik Wofford and her music performed at Kilbourn Hall, The Museum of Human Achievement, The Blanton Museum of Art. Kitty was resident composer of 2017 Tilde New Music Academy, 2016 Keep Composer’s Weird in Austin, and 2016 Australian Art Orchestra CMI. Xiao holds a Master of Music (Performance) from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London as a full recipient of the Alfred Kitchin Scholarship, Master of Teaching (Music Education) from The University of Melbourne, Bachelor of Music from The University of Melbourne and was a scholarship recipient at Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School.
Participants Composers and Works: Brian Raphael Nabors, Rise Marian L. Harrison Stephens, Out of Kilter Anthony Tidd, Sa & Alatangana Kerwin Young, American Caravan
Reading Sessions Open to the Public:
Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at 1:30pm Saturday, March 9, 2019 at 11am Fisher Music Center 3711 Woodward Avenue | Detroit, MI
EarShot, an initiative of American Composers Orchestra (ACO) in partnership with American Composers Forum,League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA, is the nation’s first ongoing program for identifying and promoting the most promising orchestral composers on the national stage. ACO’s artistic and administrative staff collaborates with participating orchestras, assisting with planning, program design, and execution. EarShot residencies include mentorship from the most accomplished orchestral composers in the country, orchestra readings, and musician and conductor feedback sessions. The program is customized to each host orchestra’s aesthetic, demographic, community, and educational interests.
This year, the Detroit EarShot participant composers will work closely with mentor composers Gabriela Lena Frank, Derek Bermel, and DSO’s Classical Roots composer-in-residence (TBD), as well as conductor André Raphel, guest teaching artist Jessie Montgomery,and ACO’s Education Director, Kevin James.
The Professional Development component of this residency will be focused on education and community engagement. Participant composers will receive hands-on training and will collaborate with DSO’s Teaching Artists, Jessie Montgomery, and Kevin James to present composition basics to students in local public schools.
SELECTED COMPOSERS
Brian Raphael Nabors
Brian Raphael Nabors (b. 1991) is a composer of emotionally enriching music that tells exciting narratives with its vibrant themes and colorful harmonic language. With an eclectic musical palate and crafty compositional technique to match, Nabors’ music draws from combinations of Jazz/R&B with the modern flair of contemporary music. This interesting blend of sound worlds is one that continues to craft his unique musical voice.
About Rise
Of his work, Nabors says, “Rise for orchestra is an adaptation of the first movement of my Concerto for Hammond Organ and Orchestra. The musical elements of the piece in its original form symbolize the eclectic beauty of American lifestyle through music and culture. The work embodies the sense of freedom that the nation continually strives to further embody. This idea is represented through the restless nature of the music. While composing the work, I became quite fond of the synergy between the solo Hammond Organ and orchestra and found that it would double nicely as a small concerto for orchestra. My goal is for the listener to be taken on a journey of restless sounds and lavish tunes, while depicting our innate longing for the freedom to just simply be.”
Brian Raphael Nabors’ Full Bio
Nabors has been commissioned by institutions such as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as well as performed at many events across the US, including the Texas Music Educators Association Conference (TMEA), the Midwest Composers Symposium, and the International Double Reed Society Conference (IDRS). He has received awards from the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), Alabama Music Teachers Association (AMTA), the Birmingham Music Club, and has been performed by artists such as the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Zodiac Trio, Unheard-of//Ensemble, and the Contemporary Directions Ensemble at the University of Michigan. He has also received instruction in masterclasses with composers such as Lowell Liebermann, William Bolcom, and pianist Jon Nakamatsu. Most recently, he was selected to compete as a finalist in the Rapido! National Composition Contest Take Five with judges Robert Spano, Jennifer Higdon, and Michael Gandolfi in January 2019.
Nabors is currently completing doctoral studies at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati where he studies with Norman Dinerstein Professor of Composition Scholar, Douglas Knehans. He obtained the Master of Music degree in Composition also from CCM, studying with Miguel A. Roig-Francolí. Prior to graduate studies, he obtained a Bachelor of Music Theory & Composition degree from the School of the Arts at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, where he studied composition with Sarana Chou and piano with Kathryn Fouse.
Marian L. Harrison Stephens
Marian L. H. Stephens (b. 1974) is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. In August 2007, she became the first African American to receive the Doctorate of Music degree in Music Composition from Indiana University (Bloomington) Jacobs School of Music. She also holds the Certificate of Visiting Student from the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, Sweden, for studies completed in music composition during the 2004 – 2005 academic year.Dr. Stephens is the Founding Artistic Director of MLH Music Studio, which she established in 2010. She is the lead instructor to students ages 4 to adult. She resides in Atlanta with her husband, Don, daughters, Nia Sanaa (age 4) and Ava Naima (age 2), mother, M. Loretta Fowlkes Harrison, and Skip, the dog.
About Out of Kilter
There are approximately thirteen miles between the Bankhead Courts housing project development, (a fenced-in, self-sustaining dwelling that includes its own elementary school, public library and convenience store) and the High Museum of Art (a multi-million-dollar complex located in the center of Atlanta’s extremely affluent arts district). Three miles from Bankhead Courts, and eleven miles from the High Museum of Art, is the Historic Collier Heights Community where I spent a privileged childhood that included many trips to the High.
Despite the short distance between my neighborhood and Bankhead Courts, I never considered life so out of kilter in such close proximity between the two communities until the year 2000. That year I received a CLiCC grant from the Atlanta Chapter of the American Composers Forum to implement my program, Project MAP (music, art, poetry), into Bankhead Courts Elementary. I soon realized that lack of opportunity, coupled with a constant bombardment of real-life negative images was the main catalyst for many of the problems facing the Bankhead Courts community. Chase Campbell’s images from his children’s book, Riding the Sphinx and Other Adventures at the Museum, was the inspiration for OUT OF KILTER: sounding scenes from Black America. Each image is paired with a major section of music, delineated by subtitles, which I created. These subtitles allude to each picture, as I see them, and also to the mood of the music.
Anthony Tidd
A Philly transplant, and the child of Trinidadian parents, Anthony Tidd (b. 1972) was born and raised in London, England. Over the next eighteen years, he attended the Newham Academy of Music (London), Guild Hall (London), Thurrock College of Music (Grays), and Goldsmiths University (London), and studied with jazz alto saxophonist and McArthur genius, Steve Coleman. As an international touring bassist, Tidd has had the pleasure of working with a number of celebrated names, including Greg Osby, Ravi Coltrane, Vijay Iyer, Kindred, Wayne Krantz, Talib Kweli, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Meshell N’degiocelo, Common, Jill Scott, De La Soul, David Byrne, Gangstaar, Frank Ocean and many others.
About Sa & Atalangana
This piece is dedicated to my Aunt, Ruth Harper, who passed away in 2018 after a long fight with cancer. It celebrates the life cycle, from birth, coming of age, maturity, and of course death, as an inevitable part of this. I tried to use a limited number of themes, which grow slowly throughout, emulating biological growth. The piece also features material which was derived from my jazz improvisational approach, based on my own extensive experience in this area.
Anthony Tidd’s Full Bio
As an accomplished composer/band leader Anthony released his critically acclaimed album, Quite Sane – The Child of Troubled Times in 2002, and has written and recorded works for small ensembles, big bands, and full orchestra. As a Grammy Award winner, Tidd has also recorded and produced a number of records for multiplatinum artists such as, The Roots, Macy Gray, Zap Mama, Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas, Fergie, Pink, Jill Scott, and Ursula Rucker, as well as composing scores for major film and television projects, most recently including Jay Z’s Paramount/BET docuseries, Rest in Power – The Trayvon Martin Story.
As an educator, and long-standing member of the M-BASE collective, Anthony has taught and presented masterclasses at a number of prestigious institutions including NYU, Temple, The New School, U-Chicago, UC-San Diego, UCLA, BANFF, Berklee, New England Conservatory, Engelsholm, The Pavarotti Music Centre, The Lincoln Center, Durban University, Paris Conservatory, The London South Bank, The Royal College of Music, and many others. He is also a master lecturer at the University of the Arts in Philly.
Tidd is the creator/director of the Creative Music Program, Jazz Camp of Philadelphia, as well as curator of Meet the Masters, and popular Philly concert series Sittin’ In, all at the prestigious Kimmel Center, where he currently serves as the Jazz Artistic Advisor. Tidd now divides his time between all of the above, as well saving some time to compose, and educate the next generation of musical talent.
Kerwin Young
Kerwin Young (b. 1970) is a prolific American composer of symphonies, opera, ballet suites, orchestral fantasies, concerti, and works for Chinese and other non-western instruments, introducing fresh repertoire, new rhythms, and unconventional instrumentation to the classical music canon. A member of Public Enemy and their infamous production team, the Bomb Squad (1987-2018), Young and the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Young is an iconic recording producer who has produced Ice Cube, Mobb Deep, Busta Rhymes, Bobby Brown, Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim, Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle, and others. He has arranged and collaborated with artists as Bootsy Collins, Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, Roy Haynes, Reginald R. Robinson, George Clinton, and the James Brown Band. In 2017, Young served as a U.S. Cultural Ambassador for Hip-Hop in Egypt, teaching music composition, production, media scoring, and business.
About American Caravan
Inspired by current events taking place in the Americas, American Caravan highlights the trek of a people wanting something better; against all odds and harsh conditions, optimism looms above. This work continues in the manner of my previous work, Season of Autocracy, which also highlights the current times in which I am living.
American Caravan is written in B minor, using an octatonic scale from my personalized Palette of Intervallic Relations; a unique component to my system of Geometric Khemistry. There are modulations to neighboring keys (C# minor, E major, F# minor, and G# minor). My greatest wish is that American Caravan will be enjoyed by concert goers and music lovers everywhere, and that it will join other great works among orchestral concert programming.
Kerwin Young’s Full Bio
As a media composer, Young composed for the 1994 debut season of New York Undercover. His first assignment as a film composer was Tar, the 1997 directorial debut of Goetz Grossman. Since 2014, Kerwin is the composer for the KCPT weekly news series Ruckus. Since the late 1989, Young has also composed and produced original songs for feature motion pictures as Do The Right Thing (1989), Green Card (1990), Sister Act 2 (1992), Streetfighter (1994), Dirty Grandpa (2016), and American Crime Story: The People Vs O.J. Simpson (2016).
Kerwin Young studied music composition at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance with Chen Yi, Zhou Long, and Jazz Messenger legend, Bobby Watson. He holds both a BM (2012) and an MM (2015) from UMKC. His works have been performed by Music From China, Kansas City Symphony, Chicago Modern Orchestra Project, University City Symphony, Jeffrey Kail (Principal Contrabass – KC Symphony), Jeff Nelsen (French Horn – Canadian Brass), Tami Lee Hughes, and others.
2018 Charlotte Symphony Readings
Thursday March 1, 2018 – Davidson College Duke Family Performance Hall
EarShot (the National Orchestral Composition Discovery Network) and the Charlotte Symphony present the readings of new works by three emerging composers, at Davidson College’s Duke Family Performance Hall (207 Faculty Drive) led by Charlotte Symphony Assistant Conductor Christopher James Lees. The New Music Readings will be the culmination of a series of private readings, feedback sessions, and work with mentor composers Trevor Weston, Wang Jie, and Robert Beaser. The selected composers, chosen from an international candidate pool, are Niloufar Iravani (Fantasy), Jihyun Kim (At Dawn), and Felipe Nieto (Artesania Sonora). On this co-presentation and partnership, Charlotte Symphony President and CEO Mary A. Deissler remarks, “Living composers, and the work they create, are integral to a vibrant culture. The CSO is committed to presenting programs and artists that reflect the diversity of our community.”
Founded in 1932, the Charlotte Symphony is a longstanding nonprofit organization committed to delivering exceptional musical experiences that connect and strengthen the Charlotte community. Led by internationally renowned Music Director Christopher Warren-Green, the Symphony upholds the highest artistic integrity and takes bold steps to engage the community through music that enriches the human spirit. We employ professional full-time orchestra musicians, support two youth orchestras and a volunteer chorus, and offer significant educational programming aimed at improving underserved sections of our community. The Charlotte Symphony is integral to the Charlotte area, serving its community through music that connects and inspires.
The Charlotte Symphony is a member of EarShot, the national orchestral composition discovery network. EarShot is a program of American Composers Orchestra in partnership with American Composers Forum, the League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA; made possible with the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Francis Goelet Charitable Lead Trusts, Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, and The Aaron Copland Fund for Music. Additional funding for women composers is provided by the League of American Orchestras with support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
2018 Fort Wayne Philharmonic Readings
February 7, 2018 – First Wayne Street United Methodist Church
EarShot (the National Orchestral Composition Discovery Network) and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic present an evening of readings of new works by three emerging composers, at First Wayne Street United Methodist Church (300 East Wayne Street), led by Fort Wayne Philharmonic Music Director Andrew Constantine. The New Music Readings will be the culmination of a series of private readings, feedback sessions, and work with mentor composers Melinda Wagner, Chen Yi, and Alex Minceck. The selected composers, chosen from a national candidate pool, are Nathan Kelly (Redwood), Sohwa Lee (Palindrome), and Robert Rankin (Nijinsky Dances).
In its 74th season, The Fort Wayne Philharmonic’s mission is to inspire and foster a lifelong love of symphonic music through performance and education. Music Director Andrew Constantine leads the Fort Wayne Philharmonic in Masterworks, Pops, Chamber Orchestra, Family, Freimann chamber music series, and special concerts and initiatives. The Philharmonic’s community engagement, professional development, and education programs are influential throughout northeastern Indiana and, together with its many and varied performances, place the organization at the center of the region’s cultural life. All programming is made possible by the support of community individuals, businesses, corporations, and foundations. The Philharmonic is a member of the League of American Orchestras and a funded member of Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, the Indiana Arts Commission, and National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit www.fwphil.org.
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic is a member of EarShot, the national orchestral composition discovery network. EarShot is a program of American Composers Orchestra in partnership with American Composers Forum, the League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA; made possible with the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Francis Goelet Charitable Lead Trusts, Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, and The Aaron Copland Fund for Music. Additional funding for women composers is provided by the League of American Orchestras with support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS EarShot: Grand Rapids Symphony
September 25-30, 2018 (Grand Rapids, MI)
Application Receipt Deadline: June 11, 2018, 5:00pm EST Composer Notification: July 16, 2018
Program
American Composers Orchestra seeks to identify and celebrate emerging American composers through its Underwood New Music Readings and EarShot program.
Each program provides:
Your piece rehearsed and performed by a professional orchestra
Mentor composers throughout the residency to guide the process and offer feedback
Professional development seminars and networking opportunities
National exposure supported by ACO partners New Music USA, American Composers Forum and the League of American Orchestras
Travel and accommodations
We encourage composers of all backgrounds to apply and are interested in supporting voices underrepresented in the orchestral repertoire today. Selected women composers are eligible for a $15,000 Women Composer Commission with an orchestra through a joint initiative of the League of American Orchestras and the American Composers Orchestra with support from the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
This program is for composers who have had fewer than 2 pieces performed by a professional orchestra.
Applicant must be either a U.S. citizen or non-citizen lawfully and permanently residing, or studying full-time, in the United States.
We seek composers of all backgrounds, especially those whose gender identity, race, ethnicity, and/or background has been historically or currently underrepresented in professional orchestral programming.
There are no age restrictions; applicants should be composers at the early stages of their professional careers.
Composers selected to participate in prior ACO EarShot, Underwood, or Whittaker New Music Reading Sessions are ineligible.
Past applicants not previously selected are welcome to re-apply with a new and complete application, including score and all required background information.
Application Instructions
Each composer may submit only one composition for consideration. Works that have been previously submitted to ACO for consideration may not be resubmitted.
Works may not have been performed or read by a professional orchestra
Only works completed after January 1, 2015 will be considered.
Compositions must be less than 15 minutes in length. A portion or movement from a longer work may also be considered.
Refer to the instrumentation listed on the application form. If your piece does not match the listed instrumentation, if selected you will be asked to re-orchestrate.
Compositions may not include soloists, electronics, MIDI, digital technology, and/or sound reinforcement.
Do not submit recordings.
The quality of the score submitted is the primary evaluation criterion. It is therefore in the applicant’s best interest that the score be clear, accurate, and the best representation of the composer’s work. The additional background and educational information is for eligibility and documentation purposes; these materials are not considered in the general review of scores.
Incomplete, illegible, or late applications will not be considered.
Please note: composers selected are responsible for delivering timely professional-quality score and parts.
Applicants must submit an electronic submission form, the orchestral score in PDF clearly labeled with the title and composers name on cover page, and current resume. There is no application fee.
For application questions, please contact Greg Evans, Director of Operations, at 212.977.8495 ext 202; or greg@americancomposers.org.
American Composers Orchestra Announces 2017-2018 Season: Dreamscapes Derek Bermel, Artistic Director & George Manahan, Music Director
40th Birthday Concert & Gala
November 7, 2017 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall
Music by ACO Co-Founder Francis Thorne, Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington,
George Gershwin, Paola Prestini, and Elizabeth Ogonek
Two Performances at Carnegie Hall December 8, 2017 and April 6, 2018 at Zankel Hall
Music by Philip Glass, Pauchi Sasaki, Bryce Dessner, Ethan Iverson, Clarice Assad,
Steve Lehman, TJ Anderson, and Hitomi Oba
Fellow Travelers by Gregory Spears at the PROTOTYPE Festival
January 12-14, 2018 at Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
co-presented with PROTOTYPE Festival and John Jay College of Criminal Justice
The 27th Annual Underwood New Music Readings on June 21 & 22, 2018
ACO’s annual roundup of the country’s brightest young and emerging composers at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music
American Composers Orchestra (ACO) announces its complete 2017-2018 season, Dreamscapes, under the leadership of Artistic Director Derek Bermel, Music Director George Manahan, and President Edward Yim, featuring ten world, U.S., and New York premieres by a diverse set of composers. ACO continues its concerts at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall (December 8, 2017 and April 6, 2018) while expanding its presence in New York to include performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center (November 7, 2017) and as part of the 2018 PROTOTYPE Festival (January 12-14, 2018). ACO continues to take its commitment to fostering new work beyond the stage in its annual Underwood New Music Readings (June 21 and 22, 2018) for emerging composers, now in its 27th year, and through EarShot, the National Orchestra Composition Discovery Network, which brings the Readings experience to orchestras across the country.
In 2017-2018, ACO celebrates 40 years as the only orchestra in the world wholly dedicated to the creation, performance, preservation, and promotion of music by American composers. To date, ACO has performed music by 800 American composers, including 350 world premieres and newly commissioned works. This season explores the overarching theme of dreams as an inspiration for both music itself and community created through music – celebrating ACO co-founder Francis Thorne’s dream of an orchestra to champion the American composer; iconic composer Philip Glass’ dream for the next generation; and the American dream of inclusiveness reflected in the infinite ways American orchestral music illustrates geographic, stylistic, gender, and racial diversity.
“I am particularly excited by the breadth and depth of American music that ACO will explore – classic American works by Gershwin, Ellington, and Bernstein, music by modern masters like Philip Glass and T.J. Anderson, and compositions by a wide range of young composers fluent in styles ranging from contemporary jazz to indy-rock to samba to performance art and opera,” said ACO Artistic Director Derek Bermel. “Featuring four world and U.S. premieres and six New York premieres, as well as our annual readings of emerging compositional voices, ACO’s season offers a vital and eclectic mix that is quintessentially American.”
“In my first full season with ACO, the upcoming year fills me with excitement and hope for what this organization can contribute to the musical landscape,” said ACO President Edward Yim. “In addition to concerts with our wonderful and long-time collaborators at Carnegie Hall, we are particularly happy to work for the first time with the visionary team at the PROTOTYPE Festival and to celebrate our 40th anniversary with a tribute to American composers and those who support them at our fall gala.”
In addition to performances by the orchestra in New York, throughout the 2017-2018 season, ACO will partner with other orchestras in EarShot, a nationwide network that takes the ACO New Music Readings experience across the country, designed as an opportunity for emerging composers to develop their works with a professional orchestra. To date, over fifty composers have been selected for New Music Readings with orchestras. EarShot partnerships have included the New York Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Berkeley Symphony, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Pioneer Valley Symphony (MA), New York Youth Symphony, and the San Diego Symphony. EarShot is a partnership among American Composers Orchestra, League of American Orchestras, American Composers Forum, and New Music USA.
The deadline for composers interested in applying to both the Underwood New Music Readings and the EarShot Readings is October 16, 2017. Application guidelines and information are available at www.americancomposers.org/composers/calls-for-submissions.
ACO also continues its thriving education program, Music Factory, which since 1999 has brought composers into New York City’s public schools, reaching over 3,000 students every year. Music Factory is a hands-on and minds-on creativity-based initiative, designed to maximize learning and develop a diversity of transferable skills among children from fourth grade through high school through in-school and after-school programs with partner schools and community organizations. During the 2017-2018 school year, Music Factory will partner with a dozen schools and community organizations throughout Harlem, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. ACO’s Compose Yourself program provides in-depth study, including group lessons and readings, for promising high school composers. Compose Yourself students compiled an impressive list of honors in national young composers’ competitions in 2017, and all the program’s graduates have gained seats in conservatory composition departments.
ACO launches its Commissioning Club with the 2017-2018 season, through which members invest in the lifespan of a commission: from the composer’s first kernel of artistic inspiration to the realization of the music as a printed score, the early rehearsals and through the premiere performance. Members of the Commissioning Club support all expenses in the commission process including fees paid to the composer, printing and engraving costs, as well as rehearsal and production costs related to the concert premiere. Throughout the season, members are invited to exclusive preview events with the composer to learn about the composer’s vision, hear excerpts of the work in-progress, and experience a full orchestral rehearsal of the piece before its premiere. In its inaugural season, ACO’s Commission Club will support Ethan Iverson as he creates a new piano concerto, which he will perform with ACO on April 6, 2018 at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall. For more information about ACO’s Commissioning Club, contact Lyndsay Werking at Lyndsay@americancomposers.org, or 212.977.8495 x204.
Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra Readings and Competition
September 23, 2016 – Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts
EarShotIndianapolis Chamber Orchestra Composers Competition is designed as an opportunity for emerging composers to develop their works with a professional orchestra. The selected composers for these readings are chosen from a national candidate pool. Each is represented by a new orchestral work to be work-shopped and read by the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra in a free, public concert on September 23, 2016 at 7pm.
The Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, led by Music Director Matthew Kraemer, will rehearse and read each composers’ works, allowing the composers the chance to hear their concepts realized, while audiences will have a window into the creative process. The composers will receive feedback and mentoring from principal ICO musicians, and mentor composers Melinda Wagner, Michael Schelle, and ACO’s Artistic Director Laureate Robert Beaser. ICO’s Composer in Residence, James Aikman will also be in attendance to offer feedback and lead one of the workshops. Following the competition proceedings, one winning composer and work will be selected to be performed by the ICO as part of the Indiana State University’s 50th Anniversary Contemporary Music Festival on Thursday, October 27, 2016 in Terre Haute, IN.
The Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra is a member of EarShot, the national orchestral composition discovery network, a partnership with the League of American Orchestras, New Music USA, and American Composers Forum, made possible with the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music and with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support of women composers provided by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI Readings
September 21, 2016 – Kleinhans Music Hall
The JCOI Readings by the Buffalo Philharmonicwill take place at Kleinhans Music Hall, with mentor composers Nicole Mitchell (University of California, Irvine), Anthony Cheung(University of Chicago), and Anthony Davis, conducted by Buffalo Philharmonic Associate Conductor Stefan Sanders. The JCOI Buffalo participants are:
The Buffalo Philharmonic is a member of EarShot, the national orchestral composition discovery network, a partnership with the League of American Orchestras, New Music USA, and American Composers Forum, made possible with the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music and with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support of women composers provided by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
The Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute is a program of American Composers Orchestra in partnership with the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University and the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. The program is made possible by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s Continuing Innovation Program, and the Herb Alpert Foundation, with additional funding provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Fromm Music Foundation and with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Applicants must be either a U.S. citizen or non-citizen lawfully and permanently residing or studying full-time in the United States.
There are no age restrictions however, applicants should be composers at the early stages of their professional careers.
Only works that will not have been performed or read by a professional orchestra prior to the reading date (September 23, 2016) are eligible.
Each composer may submit only one composition for consideration.
Only works completed after December 31, 2011, will be considered.
Compositions must be no more than 15 minutes in length. A portion or movement from a longer work is also eligible
Emerging American composers who have applied previously for an EarShot or Under Construction Reading are eligible and must submit a new and complete application, including score and all required background information.
Instrumentation should not exceed the ICO’s standard symphonic complement: 2 flutes; 2 oboes; 2 clarinets; 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone, timpani + 2 percussion, piano/celeste, harp and strings: 6.4.4.3.2. (The following doubles are permitted: piccolo, English horn, and E-flat and bass clarinet) Works with instrumentation that exceed the above limitation will be considered only with advance approval.
Compositions may not include soloists, electronics, MIDI, digital technology, and/or sound reinforcement.
Do not submit recordings.
The quality of the score submitted is the primary evaluation criterion. It is therefore in the applicant’s best interest that the score be clear, accurate, and the best representation of the composer’s work. The additional background and educational information is for eligibility and documentation purposes; these materials are not considered in the general review of scores.
Incomplete, illegible, or late applications will not be considered.
If Selected
Composers will be notified in writing.
Composers must attend reading sessions, feedback meetings and professional development workshops in Indianapolis, IN on September 22-24, 2016.
Composers must provide professional, legible orchestral parts and scores prepared according to guidelines established by the Major Orchestral Librarians Association. Materials for the first reading session must be delivered no later than 5:00 PM, August 15, 2016.
Composers agree to submit photos and sound clips for web use and a short biography for media purposes to participate in blogging and social media to be videotaped/recorded for archival and promotional purposes and to have their music recorded for archival and study purposes.
How to Apply
Before submitting an application, carefully review the eligibility & submission guidelines above. A complete submission must include the following:
You will be asked to upload the following information here:
A pdf of the score clearly labeled with the composer’s name and title of the work on the cover page.
A current resume including educational background, major teachers, awards, and professional affiliations.
A list of works, including title, year composed, instrumentation, duration, and performance history.
One letter of recommendation from an established composer or other music professional attesting to the applicant’s accomplishments and potential as an orchestral composer. The recommendation must be on letterhead and must include a signature. Recommendations may be scanned and uploaded, or mailed under separate cover to EarShot – Attn: Indianapolis EarShot, American Composers Orchestra, 244 West 54th Street, Suite 805, New York, NY 10019-5515.
There is no application fee.
The application process must be completed by 5:00 pm (EDT), June 17, 2016. Late submissions will not be considered.
EarShot Naples Philharmonic to take place May 25-26, 2016
Artis–Naples’ Hayes Hall
The JCOI Readings by the Naples Philharmonicwill take place at Artis-Naples Hayes Hall, with mentor composers Vincent Mendoza (composer/arranger), James Newton (JCOI Director; University of California, Los Angeles), and Derek Bermel (Artistic Director, ACO), conducted by Naples Philharmonic Assistant Conductor Yaniv Segal.
These composers were selected from a field of 34 nationwide based on their excellent musicianship, originality, and potential for future growth in orchestral composition. Each of the 34 participated in JCOI’s first phase, a summer intensive last August at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, where they studied new scores and compositional techniques, as well as best practices in orchestration, notation, score preparation, and contemporary performance. Over the course of the last year, sixteen of these composers have been writing new works, taking what they learned in the first phase and putting it into practice. Their pieces will be played and rehearsed, and refined through a series of workshops and critical feedback sessions with the orchestra players, conductors, and mentor composers.
The EarShot Naples Philharmonic New Music Readings are the first of three such Readings programs taking place around the country through EarShot, the National Orchestral Composition Discovery Network. In addition to the four composers in tonight’s Reading, a dozen composers will have their music workshopped and performed by American Composers Orchestra this June and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in September.
JCOI is a new development in the jazz field. While many jazz composers seek to write for the symphony orchestra, opportunities for hands-on experience are few. JCOI provides new resources for both jazz and classical music, promoting the emergence of composers trained in both jazz and new orchestral techniques. The program broadens the scope of jazz education and presents opportunities for career development—and what’s more, audiences are presented with exciting new models for musical exchange. The Readings represent not only the culmination of the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute, but also a glimpse into a future of new possibilities—a future where “jazz” composers embrace the “symphony” orchestra, and the orchestra embraces them.
The Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute is made possible by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s Continuing Innovation Program, with additional funding provided by The Herb Alpert Foundation and the Fromm Music Foundation. EarShot is a partnership of American Composers Orchestra in cooperation with American Composers Forum, the League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA. EarShot is made possible with the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and The Aaron Copland Fund for Music. Additional support comes from the League of American Orchestras with a grant from the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
THIS OPPORTUNITY IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE THE TEXT BELOW IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY:
EarShot: China – U.S. Composers Project Emerging Composers Competition
May 31 – June 3, 2016
Beijing Concert Hall, Beijing China
Eos Repertoire Orchestra
Yong Yan Hu, conductor
Submission Deadline:
Thursday, March 31, 2016 at 11:59pm (U.S. Eastern Daylight Time)
Friday, April 1, 2016 at 11:59am (Beijing Time)
The Beijing Modern Music Festival, American Composers Orchestra, and EarShot announce the first China – U.S. Composers Project Emerging Composers Competition. The Competition will be held at Beijing Concert Hall, May 31 – June 3, 2016 with Eos Repertoire Orchestra, Yong Yan Hu, conductor.
The Competition is open to composers who are Chinese citizens residing anywhere in the world, and composers of Chinese-American descent who are U.S. citizens or non-citizens lawfully and permanently residing or studying full-time in the United States. Up to six composers will be selected. Applicants must apply online.
The Competition includes four days of intensive readings, rehearsals and workshop sessions, and culminates in a free public performance of the selected works. Feedback will be provided by the conductor and principal musicians from the orchestra, as well as a distinguished panel of mentor-composers including Xiaogang Ye, Sola Liu, John Corigliano, Robert Beaser (ACO Artistic Director Laureate & Chair of Composition at The Juilliard School) and Chen Yi (ACO Artistic Advisor & Distinguished Professor of Composition, University of Missouri-Kansas City). Danbu Chen (Director of YCP Beijing Modern Program), Xia Guan (Director, China National Symphony Orchestra), Liguang Wang (President, China Conservatory) will also be present as contributors.
One composer will be selected for the Competition Grand Prize, an honor that includes the U.S. premiere performance of the winning piece by American Composers Orchestra in New York City as part of a major festival of Chinese and Chinese-American composers music. The selected composer will be invited to New York as part of a delegation of composers participating in the festival.
All composers selected to participate in the Competition are responsible for delivering professional-quality score and parts. Composers will receive a recording of their work for archival and study purposes. Travel and accommodations will be provided.
The Competition coincides with the China-US People-to-People Exchange (CPE), and is part of the China-U.S. Composers Project, a multi-year initiative to develop mutual understanding and international friendships. The Project includes a series of Readings and Composer Competitions for emerging composers in China and the U.S. to introduce talented young composers from both countries and promote their work and careers; A major festival in New York City that brings together delegations of Chinese and American composers for performances and professional exchange; and concerts by American Composers Orchestra at the Beijing Modern Music Festival to introduce American composers to Chinese audiences.
About EOS Repertoire Orchestra
China’s Orchestra Academy at the Central Conservatory of Music, EOS Repertoire Orchestra was established in 2006. Its members have primarily been instructors and graduate students from the Orchestra Academy, musicians from professional orchestras in China and overseas and selected graduate students from the Orchestral Instruments Department of the Central Conservatory of Music. The EOS Repertoire Orchestra has performed ten seasons at the Beijing Concert Hall and four-six annual weekend concerts at Beijing’s National Centre of the Performing Arts. EOS has performed more than 70 works, including all the Mahler symphonies, film soundtracks, Peking Opera excerpts, rock music, multimedia concerts, and many compositions by contemporary composers.
About Beijing Modern Music Festival
The Beijing Modern Music Festival (BMMF) is regarded as the most influential modern musical event in China, and one of the most important modern music festivals in the world. BMMF is committed to disseminating modern music, promoting an international artistic and cultural communication as well as building a platform for young musicians. The Festival has organized over 400 concerts, nearly 100 lectures and master classes, and published a large number of academic books, scores, audio and video discs. Initiated by artistic director Mr. Xiaogang Ye, BMMF reinforces the bonds between art and society through music while retain its academic originality. Beijing Modern Music Festival is supported and sponsored by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture of the China.
About American Composers Orchestra & EarShot
American Composers Orchestra is the only orchestra in the world dedicated to the creation, performance, preservation, and promulgation of music by American composers. ACO also promotes exchange between the U.S. and other musical cultures. To date, ACO has performed music by 700 American composers, including over 300 world premieres and newly commissioned works. EarShot is a program of the American Composers Orchestra in collaboration with the American Composers Forum, League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA. EarShot helps orchestras around the U.S. and the world to identify and support promising composers in the early stages of their careers. EarShot has produced dozens of Readings and Competitions, providing career-building exposure for over 100 composers.
Readings, Workshops & Performances by Three Orchestras in 2016
16 jazz artists from around the country have been selected to participate in the third Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute (JCOI) Readings in 2016. Three orchestras — the Naples Philharmonic (May 25 & 26), American Composers Orchestra (June 15 & 16), and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (September 20 & 21) — will workshop, rehearse, and give public readings of new works for symphony orchestra, providing audiences the opportunity to hear exciting new works by a diverse array of composers that break down stylistic barriers and update the orchestral repertory.
“the potential to shift the course of concert music”
– National Public Radio
The 2016 JCOI Readings are the culmination of a process that began in August 2015, when 36 jazz composers of all ages were selected from a national pool of applicants to attend the weeklong JCOI Intensive, a series of workshops and seminars devoted to orchestral composition held at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. After completing the Intensive, sixteen composers were given the opportunity to put what they learned into practice by composing a new symphonic work. The composers, working in jazz, improvised, and creative music, were chosen based on their excellent musicianship, originality, and potential for future growth in orchestral composition. While many jazz composers seek to write for the symphony orchestra, opportunities for hands-on experience are few. JCOI aims to provide new resources for both jazz and classical music, promoting the emergence of composers trained in both jazz and new orchestral techniques. James Newton directs the Institute.
Listen online here Read the Wall Street Journal feature here
Read Howard Mandel’s Essay and Interview “Jazz and the Future of the Symphony Orchestra” here
The composers selected for the JCOI Readings are:
Amina Figarova (b. 1965), an Azerbaijan-born, New York-based pianist and composer who studied classical piano performance at the Baku Conservatory as well as jazz performance at the Rotterdam Conservatory, Netherlands, and attended the Thelonious Monk Institute’s summer jazz colony in Aspen;
Jonathan Finlayson (b. 1982), a New York-based, disciple of the saxophonist/composer Steve Coleman who has performed alongside notables including Mary Halvorson, Henry Threadgill, Von Freeman, Jason Moran, Dafnis Prieto and Vijay Iyer;
Brian Friedland (b. 1982), a Boston-based whose music is rooted in jazz piano traditions but also shows his love of genres ranging from Balkan Folk to classical minimalism
Gene Knific (b. 1992) a pianist, composer, and arranger based in Kalamazoo, Michigan who has performed all over the world including at The St. Petersburg Conservatory, Copenhagen Opera House, Montmartre Jazzhus, Amelia Island Jazz Festival, Mozambique International Festival of Music, and more and has won seven Down Beat Music Awards for his performances and compositions
Ethan Helm (b. 1990), a New York-based saxophonist and composer, who co-leads the jazz quintet Cowboys & Frenchmen and whose latest quartet album, The Spoon, was released last summer
Robin Holcomb (b. 1954), a Seattle-based composer and singer/songwriter recording for Nonesuch, Songlines, and Tzadik, whose music draws on both her childhood in Georgia and her stints working among avant-garde musicians in New York and California
Yvette Jackson (b. 1973), a composer, sound designer and installation artist focused on radio opera and narrative soundscape composition from La Solla, California who holds degrees from Columbia University and the Colburn School for the Performing Arts
Sonia Jacobsen (b. 1967), a much-awarded composer, jazz saxophonist, and founding director of the New York Symphonic Jazz Orchestra who grew up splitting her time between Australia and Denmark and is now based in Chapin, South Carolina
John La Barbera (b. 1945) who is a renowned composer/arranger working in the jazz world for over four decades whose music has been performed by Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Mel Torme’, Chaka Khan, Harry James, Bill Watrous, Phil Woods, and many more
Guy Mintus (b. 1991), Israeli-born, New York-based jazz pianist and composer, who focuses on music as a gateway to cross-cultural understanding and has collaborated with master musicians from Turkey, Greece, Iran, Morocco, Azerbaijan, Cuba, India and Mali
Ben Morris (b. 1993) who graduated from the University of Miami, who is currently pursuing his masters’ at Rice University and has won the ASCAP Morton Gould Award, two Klezmer Company Orchestra Composers’ Prizes, and three Festival Miami Composers’ Awards
Dawn Norfleet (b. 1965) a jazz flutist, vocalist, and composer residing in Los Angeles, who is on the faculty at the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County and the Colburn School of Performing Arts
Hitomi Oba (b. 1984), a Los Angeles-based saxophonist and composer, who holds an MA from UCLA in Music Composition and whose second jazz album, Negai, released on the Japanese label M&I received a prestigious Swing Journal 42nd Annual Jazz Disc Award
Nathan Smith (b. 1983), a Brooklyn-based performer and composer who leads the Nathan Parker Smith Large Ensemble which performs throughout New York City
Emilio Solla (b. 1962), a Buenos Aires-born, Brooklyn-based artist, who has recorded more than 40 albums performing with Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo O’Farrill, Cristina Pato, Billy Hart, Ryan Keberle and many more, and whose latest album, Second Half (2014), was nominated for a 2015 Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album
Anthony Tidd (b. 1972) who was born in London but is based in Philadelphia, and has performed with Steve Coleman, The Roots, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Wayne Krantz, Meshell Ndegeocello, Common, Jill Scott, and many more and has produced albums by such well-known artists such as The Roots, Macy Grey, Zap Mama, The Black Eyed Peas, and more.
The Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute is a program of American Composers Orchestra in partnership with the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University and the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. The program is made possible by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s Continuing Innovation Program, and the Herb Alpert Foundation, with additional funding provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Fromm Music Foundation and with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Buffalo Philharmonic and Naples Philharmonic are members of EarShot, the national orchestral composition discovery network, a partnership with the League of American Orchestras, New Music USA, and American Composers Forum, made possible with the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music and with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support of women composers provided by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
Applicants must be either a U.S. citizen or non-citizen lawfully and permanently residing or studying full-time in the United States.
There are no age restrictions however, applicants should be composers at the early stages of their professional careers.
Only works that will not have been performed or read by a professional orchestra prior to the reading date (October 29, 2015) are eligible.
Each composer may submit only one composition for consideration.
Only works completed after December 31, 2010, will be considered.
Compositions must be no more than 15 minutes in length. A portion or movement from a longer work is also eligible
Emerging American composers who have applied previously for an EarShot or Under Construction Reading are eligible and must submit a new and complete application, including score and all required background information.
Instrumentation should not exceed the CSO’s standard symphonic complement: 2 flutes; 2 oboes; 2 clarinets; 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, timpani + 2 percussion, piano/celeste, and strings: 8, 7, 6, 5, 3. (The following doubles are permitted: piccolo, English horn, and bass trombone) Works with instrumentation that exceed the above limitation will be considered only with advance approval.
Compositions may not include soloists, electronics, MIDI, digital technology, and/or sound reinforcement.
Do not submit recordings.
The quality of the score submitted is the primary evaluation criterion. It is therefore in the applicant’s best interest that the score be clear, accurate, and the best representation of the composer’s work. The additional background and educational information is for eligibility and documentation purposes; these materials are not considered in the general review of scores.
Incomplete, illegible, or late applications will not be considered.
If Selected
Composers will be notified in writing.
Composers must attend reading sessions, feedback meetings and professional development workshops in Columbus, OH on October 27-29, 2015.
Composers must provide professional, legible orchestral parts and scores prepared according to guidelines established by the Major Orchestral Librarians Association. Materials for the first reading session must be delivered no later than 5:00 PM, September 18, 2015.
Composers agree to submit photos and sound clips for web use and a short biography for media purposes to participate in blogging and social media to be videotaped/recorded for archival and promotional purposes and to have their music recorded for archival and study purposes.
How to Apply
Before submitting an application, carefully review the eligibility & submission guidelines above. A complete submission must include the following:
A completed online submission form.
You will be asked to upload the following information here:
A pdf of the score clearly labeled with the composer’s name and title of the work on the cover page.
A current resume including educational background, major teachers, awards, and professional affiliations.
A list of works, including title, year composed, instrumentation, duration, and performance history.
One letter of recommendation from an established composer or other music professional attesting to the applicant’s accomplishments and potential as an orchestral composer. The recommendation must be on letterhead and must include a signature. Recommendations may be scanned and uploaded, or mailed under separate cover to EarShot – Attn: Columbus Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, 244 West 54th Street, Suite 805, New York, NY 10019-5515.
There is no application fee.
The application process must be completed by 5:00 pm (EST), August 1, 2015. Late submissions will not be considered.
EarShot, the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra (BSO), and Music Director Joan Carneiro, will present the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra EarShot Under Construction New Music Readings at Osher Studios (2055 Center Street, Berkeley , CA, 94704).
On Wednesday, February 11 at 7pm, the public will have the opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at the process of bringing brand new orchestral works to life, as music by the four selected composers is read by the BPO under the baton of associate conductor, Joana Carneiro. The composers to be read are: Ryan Carter. Emily Cooley, Michael Laurel and Natalie Williams.
The Program:
Ryan Carter: The Clock Behind Me Emily Cooley: Green Go To Me
Michael Laurello: Promises Natalie Williams: Les Chants du Maldoror
READINGS: Composers will have their music rehearsed, performed, and professionally recorded for archival use. In-depth sessions with the conductor, mentor-composers, and musicians from Buffalo Philharmonic will provide guidance and feedback. Between the sessions, composers will have the opportunity to edit and adjust their works based on critical feedback. Readings include commentary and feedback from principal BPO musicians, Maestra Carneiro, and mentor composers Kenneth Ueno and Derek Bermel.
photo: Peter Gannushkin
EarShot is made possible with the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music and with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding provided by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
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