Performances & Events

American Composers Orchestra announces the 28th Annual Underwood New Music Readings on May 23 and 24, 2019 at NYU’s Frederick Loewe Theater (35 West 4th Street). ACO continues its commitment to the creation and development of new orchestral music by identifying and celebrating emerging composers with the Underwood New Music Readings, giving audiences a chance to look behind the scenes of bringing new, diverse orchestral music to life. The first day of Readings, an open rehearsal, is Thursday, May 23, 2019 at 10:30 am; the second day of Readings is Friday, May24, 2019 at 7:30 pm during which the new works will be polished and performed in their entirety. ACO Artistic Director Derek Bermel directs the Readings; Ludovic Morlot, Music Director of the Seattle Symphony, conducts. This year, six of the nation’s most promising composers in the early stages of their professional careers were selected from over 200 submissions. Rodrigo Castro, Chen Yihan, inti figgis-vizueta, Jack Hughes, Jihyun Kim, and Aaron Israel Levin represent a broad spectrum of musical backgrounds and sound worlds.Three commission opportunities will be available to this year’s participants: the Underwood Commission and Audience Choice each award the chance to write 2a new work for ACO while the Consortium for Emerging Composers winner will receive a commission to write a new work to be performed by ACO, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, and American Youth Symphony (Los Angeles).Each composer participating in the Underwood New Music Readings receives rehearsals, a reading, anda digital recording of his or her work. Feedback sessions with guest conductor Ludovic Morlot, ACO principal players, mentor composers, and ACO’s directors provide crucial artistic, technical, and conceptual assistance.This year’s mentor composers are Tania León, Anthony Cheung,and ACO Artistic Director, Derek Bermel.In addition, the Readings offer a Career Development Workshop for composers, students, or anyone interested in exploring the business and realities of being a professional composer on Friday, May 24, from 10am-3pm. These invaluable talks, led by leaders in the industry, present topics ranging from copyright and commission agreements to music preparation,from promotion to fundraising.