New Music USA Announces Six Composers and US Orchestras Selected for its Amplifying Voices Program
24+ Orchestras will Perform New Works During the 2021-22 Season
Selected as a Sphinx Venture Fund Recipient for 2020
Co-Commissioned
Composers are Valerie Coleman, Juan Pablo Contreras, Tania León, Brian
Raphael Nabors, Tyshawn Sorey, and Shelley Washington
More Information: www.newmusicusa.org
New Music USA’s Statement on Anti-Racism: www.newmusicusa.org/channel/anti-racism
New Music USA’s Statement on Anti-Racism: www.newmusicusa.org/channel/anti-racism
New York, NY – New Music USA announces six composers who have been co-commissioned to write new orchestral works through its Amplifying Voices Program, supported by the Sphinx Venture Fund. Composers Valerie Coleman, Juan Pablo Contreras, Tania León, Brian Raphael Nabors, Tyshawn Sorey, and Shelley Washington
will each write new works to be premiered during the 2021-22 season and
performed by a total of at least 24 orchestras. Each of the six
composer’s pieces will be performed by a minimum of four orchestras.
Amplifying
Voices fosters collaboration and collective action toward equitable
representation of composers in classical music. It was initiated by New
Music USA last fall, with support from the Sphinx Venture Fund being
confirmed in December 2019. Through a national call launched in January
2020, New Music USA asked orchestras to come forward with proposals for
co-commissions and a commitment to promoting existing repertoire that
deserves further performances.
The lead orchestras co-commissioning new works are The Philadelphia Orchestra commissioning Valerie Coleman, the Las Vegas Philharmonic commissioning Juan Pablo Contreras, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra commissioning Tania León, the Berkeley Symphony commissioning Brian Raphael Nabors, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra commissioning Tyshawn Sorey, and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra commissioning Shelley Washington.
Leadership at each orchestra will also work with their partner composer
to increase the programming of works in their mainstream seasons by
composers of all generations whose voices have not been represented in
orchestral programming.
The six composers were selected by an independent panel including composer Michael Abels, conductor Carolyn Kuan, media personality and musician Garrett McQueen, and artistic administrator Evans Mirageas.
Amplifying
Voices aims to make major strides in transforming the classical canon.
According to the Institute for Composer Diversity’s analysis of 120
American orchestras’ 2019-2020 plans, 94% of music programmed for that
season’s mainstage orchestral concerts was written by white composers.
Through
Amplifying Voices, New Music USA commits to be a steward and partner in
a multitude of projects that foster strong working relationships
between American orchestras and composers whose work should be more
frequently heard in the concert hall. Amplifying Voices seeks to
increase support and promotion of composers of color, bringing them to
the table for artistic planning at major national orchestras, and
ensuring orchestras’ engagement with repertoire, past and present, that
has previously been omitted from major concert programs.
Composer Valerie Coleman
says, “At a time when bold solidarity is needed to address both the
struggle within the pandemics of now, Amplified Voices is an affirmation
that Black Lives do indeed matter and should be represented within this
sacred field. The composers selected for this powerful initiative are
leaders who have dedicated themselves to not only their craft, but
advocate for others for the future of music's sake. I am humbled and
proud to be selected by New Music USA to be among them.”
“One
of my missions as a composer is to invite musicians and listeners from
all backgrounds to feel more included and represented in the beautiful
genre that is classical music,” says composer Juan Pablo Contreras.
“I’m extremely honored to be a part of New Music USA’s ‘Amplifying
Voices’ program, and collaborate with a consortium of American
orchestras led by the Las Vegas Philharmonic, to write a new work that
will further this mission. My composition will tell a story describing
the ‘edge effect’ that occurs in communities that are on the border
shared between the United States and Mexico.”
Composer Shelley Washington
says, “I am so thrilled to be working with the Los Angeles Chamber
Orchestra to write a new piece for them and other orchestras. Having the
time and resources to create a large piece for the orchestra is rare in
the modern classical world, especially for younger composers. In
addition to writing the piece, I am looking forward to sitting down with
the orchestra to open up a dialogue on what changes can be made to
create a more inclusive space in the orchestral classical realm.”
“This
project is impactful in so many ways. I am beyond honored and elated to
share and serve as a voice for so many who look like me and share my
experience,” says composer Brian Raphael Nabors. “Along
with my wonderful colleagues, I believe this groundbreaking work will
help to lay the foundation for barriers to be broken and the eradication
of stigmas that have plagued our field for many years. To be a part of
that change is an affirmation of everything I’ve worked for and continue
to work for.”
Vanessa Reed,
President and CEO of New Music USA, says, “We created Amplifying Voices
at the end of last year to support the programming of composers and
repertoire that could and should be more regularly enhancing our
experience of orchestral music. Congratulations to the orchestras and
composers who’ve been selected for this unique initiative – I can’t wait
to hear their new pieces that result from these collaborations as we
strive towards an open and equitable future for classical music.”
“At
a critical time in our nation's history, Sphinx looks forward to
helping to amplify the most important voices in classical music, says Afa. S. Dworkin,
President and Artistic Director of The Sphinx Organization. “There is a
rich tradition of excellence in repertoire by Black and Latinx
composers, ranging from Florence Price, William Grant Still, Margaret
Bonds, Manuel Ponce, Silvestre Revueltas, and countless other voices who
have shaped the fabric of classical music. This is a hopeful avenue to
live by our commitment to diversity and profoundly shift our canon. By
giving the spotlight to diverse voices, this New Music USA initiative
can help to evolve our entire field.”
About the Composers
Described as one of the “Top 35 Female Composers in Classical Music” by critic Anne Midgette of the Washington Post, Valerie Coleman is
among the world's most played composers living today. Whether it be
live or via radio, her compositions are easily recognizable for their
inspired style and can be heard throughout venues, institutions and
competitions globally. The Boston Globe describes Coleman as
having a “talent for delineating form and emotion with shifts between
ingeniously varied instrumental combinations” and The New York Times
observes her compositions as “skillfully wrought, buoyant music.” This
is Coleman’s second work for The Philadelphia Orchestra – her piece Umoja
was premiered last September. With works that range from flute sonatas
that recount the stories of trafficked humans during Middle Passage and
orchestral and chamber works based on nomadic Roma tribes, to scherzos
about moonshine in the Mississippi Delta region and motifs based from
Morse Code, her body of works has been highly regarded as a deeply
relevant contribution to modern music. Coleman has received awards
and/or honors from the National Flute Association, The Herb Alpert
Awards, MAPFUND, ASCAP Concert Music Awards, NARAS, Chamber Music
Society of Lincoln Center, Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund, Artists
International, Wombwell Kentucky Award, and Michelle E. Sahm Memorial
Award, to name a few. www.vcolemanmusic.com
Juan Pablo Contreras, originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, is
a Latin GRAMMY®-nominated composer and Universal Music recording artist
who combines Western classical and Mexican folk music in a single
soundscape. His works have been commissioned and performed by orchestras
throughout the Americas including National Symphony Orchestra of
Mexico, Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, Los Angeles
Chamber Orchestra, and Victoria Bach Festival Orchestra. Winner of the
BMI William Schuman Prize, Presser Music Award, and the Young Artist
Fellowship of Mexico’s National Fund for Culture and the Arts, Contreras
holds composition degrees from California Institute of the Art,
Manhattan School of Music, and is pursuing his DMA at University of
Southern California. www.juanpablocontreras.com
Born in Havana, Cuba, composer and conductor Tania León
settled in New York in 1967. She has played important roles at Dance
Theater of Harlem, Brooklyn Philharmonic, American Composers Orchestra,
and the New York Philharmonic (as New Music Advisor). León is the
founder and artistic director of Composers Now. Notable commissions
include works for the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic,
and the International Contemporary Ensemble. León’s honors include
induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters; recognition
from the Fromm, Koussevitzky, and Guggenheim Foundations; ASCAP’s Victor
Herbert Award; and a 2018 United States Artists Fellowship. Her works
have received Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations for Best Contemporary
Classical Composition. www.tanialeon.com
Brian Raphael Nabors,
originally of Birmingham, AL, is a composer of emotionally enriching
music that tells exciting narratives with its vibrant themes and
colorful harmonic language. Nabors draws from combinations of Jazz Funk,
R&B, and Gospel. His music has been performed by the Cincinnati,
Atlanta, Nashville, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras, as well as ROCO.
Nabors is also a 2020 Fulbright scholarship recipient to Sydney,
Australia, studying with composer Carl Vine at the Sydney Conservatorium
of Music. He earned both a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music
degree in Composition from the University of Cincinnati
College-Conservatory of Music. www.briannabors.com
Newark-born multi-instrumentalist and composer Tyshawn Sorey
is celebrated for his incomparable virtuosity, effortless mastery and
memorization of highly complex scores, and an extraordinary ability to
blend composition and improvisation in his work. The Wall Street Journal notes Sorey is, “a composer of radical and seemingly boundless ideas.” The New Yorker
recently noted that he is “among the most formidable denizens of the
in-between zone…An extraordinary talent who can see across the entire
musical landscape.” Sorey has received support from The Jerome
Foundation, The Shifting Foundation, Van Lier Fellowship, and was named a
2017 MacArthur fellow and a 2018 United States Artists Fellow. He
received a B.Music in Jazz Studies and Performance from William Paterson
University, an M.A. in Music Composition from Wesleyan University, and a
D.M.A. in Music Composition from Columbia University. He is currently
Assistant Professor of Music and African American Studies at Wesleyan
University. www.tyshawnsorey.com
Shelley Washington is
a composer, performer, collaborator, and educator who writes music that
draws elements from jazz, rock, American folk and other musical
spaces. She also performs as a saxophonist and vocalist, and doubles on
flute, piccolo, and clarinet. She is a founding member of the composer
collective Kinds of Kings. Her music explores emotions and intentions,
and it uses intricate rhythms with grooves, melody, and harmony. It
sometimes confronts social injustices. Washington has a B.A. in music
and an M.A. in education from Truman State University, a Master of Music
in composition from NYU, and is currently working on a PhD in
composition at Princeton. www.shelleywashington.com
About the Orchestras
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
celebrates its 55th season in 2020-2021. ASO is the resident orchestra
of Robinson Center Music Hall. Arkansas Symphony Orchestra performs more
than sixty concerts each year for more than 165,000 people through its
Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series, Acxiom Pops Live! Series, River
Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series, and numerous concerts performed around
the state of Arkansas, in addition to serving central Arkansas through
community outreach programs and bringing live symphonic music education
to over 26,000 school children. ASO employs 12 full-time musicians, more
than 70 part-time musicians and 15 administrative staff members with an
annual operating budget of $3.5 million. www.arkansassymphony.org
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
(ASO), currently in its 75th season, continues to affirm its position
as one of America’s leading orchestras with excellent live performances,
renowned guest artist features and engaging education initiatives. The
ASO performs more than 150 concerts each year from the Delta Classical
Series, Movies in Concert, Family Concert Series, Atlanta Symphony Hall
LIVE and the Coca-Cola Holiday Series, as well as community and
education concerts. Now in his 19th season as Music Director, Robert
Spano’s continued commitment to nurturing and championing contemporary
American music, through the Atlanta School of Composers and other
partnerships, has defined a new generation of American composers. In
2016, he received the American Composers Forum’s Champion of New Music
Award. During his tenure, the Orchestra has performed more than 28 ASO
commissions, as well as several co-commissions. The Orchestra continues
to record regularly on its in-house label, ASO Media, further
demonstrating the Orchestra’s commitment to celebrating classical
masterworks, while continuing to perform commission, premiere and record
with some of today's leading composers. During the ASO’s history with
Telarc, the Orchestra and Chorus have recorded more than 100 albums and
its recordings have won 27 Grammy® Awards in categories including Best
Classical Album, Best Orchestral Performance, Best Choral Performance
and Best Opera Performance. www.atlantasymphony.org
Berkeley Symphony is
unique among Bay Area and American orchestras for its commitment to
innovation, community, and excellence. Founded in 1971 in the
intellectual and artistic nexus of Berkeley, California, the Orchestra
is committed to premiering and commissioning new music and champions
women composers, sustained by the supportive musical environment of
Berkeley, the East Bay, and the San Francisco Bay Area. >From the
outset, the people behind Berkeley Symphony’s culture and programming
were attuned to the culturally diverse people and the heady creative
climate of their home city. In the 2019-2020 season, Berkeley Symphony
entered a new era under the leadership of Joseph Young, the Orchestra’s
fourth Music Director in its nearly 50-year history, following a highly
successful February 2019 debut that was acclaimed by critics and
audiences alike. In addition to building on the Orchestra’s artistic
innovation, creativity and adventurous programming, Maestro Young is
committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented composers and
artists as well as continuing to tell diverse stories that reflect the
local Berkeley community. Previous music directors include founder
Thomas Rarick (1971-1978), Kent Nagano (1978-2008), and Joana Carneiro
(2009-2018). www.berkeleysymphony.org
The Las Vegas Philharmonic,
led by Music Director Donato Cabrera, established its presence in
Southern Nevada in 1998. The mission of the LVP is to inspire a lifelong
appreciation of music through performances and educational experiences
for our community that enhance the lives of our residents and the
culture of our city. Each season showcases local talent alongside
stellar internationally known guest artists in the magnificent Reynolds
Hall. At the orchestra’s core are 76 professional musicians, many of
whom are esteemed educators who also perform in other professional
productions in Las Vegas, bringing depth and variety to the
organization. www.lvphil.org
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO),
under the visionary leadership of Music Director Jaime Martín, is a
renowned interpreter of timeless masterworks, a champion of contemporary
composers, and an advocate for diversity in all aspects of classical
music. Proclaimed “America’s finest chamber orchestra” (Public Radio International), “LA’s most unintimidating chamber music experience” (Los Angeles Magazine), “resplendent” (Los Angeles Times), and “one of the world’s great chamber orchestras”(Classical KUSC),
LACO has, since its inception in 1968, produced 32 recordings, toured
four continents, and garnered eight ASCAP awards. LACO enriches and
connects the community through intimate and transformative musical
experiences that foster artistic excellence, education, and innovation. www.laco.org
The Philadelphia Orchestra
is one of the world’s preeminent orchestras. Under the leadership of
Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, it strives to share the
transformative power of music with the widest possible audience, and to
create joy, connection, and excitement through music in the Philadelphia
region, across the country, and around the world. Through innovative
programming, robust educational initiatives, and an ongoing commitment
to the communities that it serves, the ensemble is on a path to create
an expansive future for classical music, and to further the place of the
arts in an open and democratic society. www.philorch.org.
About New Music USA
New
Music USA supports the sounds of tomorrow by nurturing the creation,
performance, and appreciation of new music for adventurous listeners
around the world. We empower and connect US-based music makers,
organizations, and audiences by providing funding through our Project
Grants; fostering new connections through our programs; and deepening
knowledge through our online magazine, NewMusicBox, and our work as an
advocate for the field. New Music USA works in collaboration with its
community in response to pressing needs and to amplify the diverse
voices of music creators. New Music USA envisions a thriving and
equitable ecosystem for new music throughout the United States.
Amplifying Voices is the next step in New Music USA’s 20 years of
support for the orchestra sector in the US. It builds on New Music USA’s
Music Alive Composer residency program which was supported by Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation and run in partnership with the League of Orchestras.
www.newmusicusa.org @newmusicusa
About The Sphinx Organization and Sphinx Venture Fund
The
Sphinx Organization is the social justice organization dedicated to
transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Sphinx’s
four program areas – Education & Access, Artist Development,
Performing Artists, and Arts Leadership – form a pipeline that develops
and supports diversity and inclusion in classical music at every level:
music education, artists performing on stage, the repertoire and
programing being performed, the communities represented in audiences,
and the artistic and administrative leadership within the field. Sphinx
was founded in 1997 by Aaron P. Dworkin with the goal of addressing the
underrepresentation of people of color in classical music. The name
Sphinx, inspired by the mythical creature and legendary statue, reflects
the power, wisdom and persistence that characterize Sphinx’s
participants, as well as the enigmatic and interpretive nature of music
and art. Now lead by President and Artistic Director Afa S. Dworkin,
Sphinx programs reach more than 100,000 students and artists as well as
live and broadcast audiences of more than two million annually.
Over
five years, Sphinx will invest $1.5 million to transform the future of
cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts with the Sphinx
Venture Fund (SVF). Through competitive grants, SVF will catalyze
initiatives designed to solve a challenge or an issue related to
DE&I in the sphere of the performing arts, with an emphasis on
classical music. www.SphinxMusic.org
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