Learning Lab
Each season, ACO presents a series of digital professional development sessions led by composer mentors and industry leaders. An evolving resource for composers at all stages of their careers, sessions have covered topics including orchestration, networking, publishing, copyright, orchestra unions, media rights, fundraising, public speaking, educational program design, and more.
“Put Me On”: Commissions and Consortia Workshop (ft. Jeff Scott and Dan Visconti)
Featured Speakers: Dan Visconti and Jeff Scott
Staff Moderator: Melissa Ngan and LaRob K. Rafael
There is much more to securing a commission or building a successful consortium than simply writing a great piece of music. In this candid conversation, Melissa Ngan, President and CEO of American Composers Orchestra, will be joined by arts leader Dan Visconti of Visconti Arts and composer and performer Jeff Scott to explore the behind-the-scenes realities of commissioning. Together, they will unpack how artists, managers, and partner organizations collaborate to navigate contracts, fee negotiations, consortium structures, and the delicate balance of honoring the composer’s voice while meeting institutional priorities.
"Composing the Future": Composers and Music Education
Featured Speaker: John Kilkenny
Staff Moderator: Melissa Ngan and LaRob K. Rafael
New music isn’t just for adults - a growing population of grade school students are also pushing the boundaries of music creation. John Kilkenny, Executive Director of the New York Youth Symphony, will join ACO President and CEO Melissa Ngan to offer insights on what a successful collaboration between composers and grade schools looks like.
“Tricks of the Trade”: Orchestration Workshop
Featured Speaker: Melinda Wagner
Staff Moderator: LaRob K. Rafael
Join us for Tricks of the Trade: Orchestration with Melinda Wagner, a professional development webinar led by Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Melinda Wagner that explores orchestration as a practical, evolving craft. Praised by American Record Guide as “an eloquent, poetic voice in contemporary music,” Melinda Wagner received the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for her Concerto for Flute, Strings, and Percussion and has written major works for the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Using musical examples from the orchestral repertoire and her own works, Wagner will illustrate how composers translate ideas on the page into clear, compelling sound.
“Shoot Your (Ear)Shot” - Stories and Guidance on Applying to EarShot Readings
Featured Speakers: Shawn Johnson & Jasmine (Moni) Guo
Staff Moderator: LaRob K. Rafael
EarShot Readings are the first systemic program connecting composers with orchestras, providing the unique opportunity to rehearse and interact with large ensembles in a way that many composers never have. This webinar, featuring two previous EarShot Readings participants, will offer insights on the application process and outcomes of this program.
Signing the Dotted Line: Licensing & Publishing
Staff Moderator: Melissa Ngan
Featured Speaker: Deirdre Chadwick
Understanding media rights, broadcast regulations, and payments is a vital part of making a living as a composer. BMI’s Deirdre Chadwick will lead a dialogue built to demystify some of the fine print that composers face as their careers reach larger scale.