Performances & Events

Sarasota, FL – On Saturday, March 16, 2019 at 8pm, EarShot (the National Orchestral Composition Discovery Network) and the Sarasota Orchestra present the readings of new works by four emerging composers at Holley Hall (709 N Tamiami Trail). Led by Los Angeles based conductor Christopher Rountree, the New Music Readings will be the culmination of a series of private readings, feedback sessions, and work with mentor composers Robert Beaser, Laura Karpman, and Chinary Ung. The selected composers and their works, chosen from a national call for scores that yielded 127 applicants, are Krists Auznieks (Crossing), Nicky Sohn (Bird Up), Sam Wu (Wind Map), and Kitty Xiao (Ink and Wash). Additional activities include professional development panels with 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. “Sarasota Orchestra is thrilled to be a partner for the ACO’s Earshot initiative and a leader on the national forefront of orchestras raising the profile of emerging composers,” said Sarasota Orchestra President/CEO Joseph McKenna. “As one of only three professional orchestras in the country awarded this opportunity in the 2018-2019 season, we recognize that we are doing something special for Sarasota and our entire region’s arts community. This incredible experience is a testament to the power of our mission to engage, educate and enrich through live performance.” 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. Additional EarShot readings this season occurred with Grand Rapids Symphony (September 26-30, 2018) and are upcoming with Detroit Symphony Orchestra (March 2-9, 2019) and American Composers Orchestra (Underwood New Music Readings, May 23-24, 2019).