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ARTISTRY, CREATIVITY, OPPORTUNITY
Who we are. The American Composers Orchestra (ACO) is a national discovery and development pipeline for new orchestral music, focused on bringing the full spectrum of American music to orchestral stages, providing a gateway to the orchestral composition and performance process, and amplifying the expressive power of orchestral music to enable a vibrant future for all Americans. We've made incredible strides over the past 4+ decades, and we are just getting started.
What we do. For composers of all experience levels, we offer an end-to-end composition accelerator to get you from idea to performance in partnership with orchestras nationwide. For orchestral commissioners, we offer a comprehensive suite of resources and relationships to realize your artistic vision. For students and educators, we offer an array of programs and resources designed to nurture creativity through music composition and improvisation. For our country, we bring new works into the world that represent the American experience through the imagination of today’s composers.
Meet ACO
Founded in 1977 by a collective of fearless musicians based in NYC, the American Composers Orchestra expands the definition of American orchestral music to ensure a vibrant and inclusive future. Over more than 40 years committed to artistry, creativity, community, and equity, ACO has blossomed into a national institution that cultivates and develops the careers of living composers, providing a direct pipeline to meaningful partnerships with orchestras across the country.
Composer Advancement
For over 40 years, ACO has discovered and developed the careers of composers whose work expands the definition of American orchestral music. Our national EarShot composer advancement initiatives are the nation’s first ongoing, systemic program for building relationships between composers and orchestras through Readings, CoLABoratory fellowships, consortium commissions, and professional development.
Performances and Events
Join us for electrifying performances featuring world premiere works by artists whose creativity knows no bounds. The American Composers Orchestra performs at Carnegie Hall, the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, the Apollo Theater, and beyond.
Educational Programs
For 30 years, ACO has positioned music composition as a gateway to creative thinking, problem solving, and self-expression. Our long-term Sonic Spark residencies nurture the imagination through creative rituals and play, cultivating personal, social, and academic growth. Sonic Spark serves students at all levels of experience, including those who have never played an instrument before, are learning to write music for the first time, or are on track to develop high level careers in the field.
Featured Artists
Described as a “gifted young guitarist” by The New York Times and “a guitarist to keep an eye on” by The Washington Post, two-time Grammy®-nominated artist Mak Grgić [GER-gich] is a rising star in the world of classical and contemporary music. His expansive repertoire, spanning the ethnic music of the Balkans to avant-garde and microtonal works, showcases his versatility as both a soloist and collaborator. Mak performed with ACO at Carnegie Hall on October 30th. Learn more about Mak's Carnegie Hall performance.
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Shanti Sivarulrasa is a composer and violinist based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Shanti was awarded the Music’s Future Scholarship by the New York-based Music Performance Trust Fund, recognizing her as one of thirty current and future leaders in the music industry across North America. Most recently, Shanti participated in the first Canadian EarShot program in collaboration with National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Learn more about Shanti and the NACO EarShot Reading.
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Jordyn Davis, born in 1995, is redefining the landscape of contemporary music with her extraordinary talent and groundbreaking achievements. A Detroit native, Davis stands out not only for her musicianship as a bassist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist but also for her trailblazing role as the first African-American woman to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Composition from Michigan State University. Jordyn, most recently, led her first CoLABoratory Session as a 2024-2025 CoLABoratory Fellow at Gateways Music Festival. Learn more about Jordyn and her work.
