Performances
& Events
September 27–28, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Brittany J. Green, TBD (World Premiere)
Jacksonville Symphony
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
September 27–28, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Brittany J. Green, TBD (World Premiere)
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
September 27–28, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Brittany J. Green, TBD (World Premiere)
Jacksonville Symphony
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
September 27–28, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Brittany J. Green, TBD (World Premiere)
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
Raise Up: 2024 Gala and Creative Catalyst Awards
Tuesday, 15 October, 2024
25 W. 40th St., New York City
6:00P Cocktail Hour
7:00P Dinner & Performances
RSVP by September 30th
Festive Attire
ACO’s annual gala, co-chaired by Dr. Indira Etwaroo, Melin Tan-Geller, MD, and Lana Turner, honors the contributions of creatives working in the contemporary orchestral music space whose impact will resonate for years to come. Gala supporters will enjoy an evening of original music from leading artists while learning how their contributions drive innovation and excellence in the field. The ACO gala offers businesses and individuals the opportunity to build relationships and identify opportunities for collaboration with other guests, all while supporting ACO’s mission.
HONOREES
MacArthur Fellow, Doris Duke Award recipient and multi-GRAMMY Award nominated violinist
Emeritus Creative Director and VP, Verve Group
PERFORMANCES & CREATIVE EXPERIENCES BY
GALA CO-CHAIRS
Indira Etwaroo
Melin Tan-Geller
Lana Turner
CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT RAISE UP!
GALA SUPPORT LEVELS
Visionary $25,000
- 8 VIP tickets to the dinner & performance with priority table placement; includes placement of two guest artists at your table, if desired
- Inside Gala Journal Cover Ad (full color)
- Logo placement or recognition on all print and digital marketing for the event
- Recognition as an official sponsor of The New Virtuoso: Borders, ACO’s October 30, 2024 concert at Carnegie Hall
- 8 VIP tickets to ACO’s The New Virtuoso: Borders concert at Carnegie Hall, plus invite to exclusive post-show reception
- One dedicated social media post highlighting your sponsorship of the event
$23,000 of this purchase is tax-deductible
Icon $10,000
- 8 VIP tickets to the dinner & performance with preferred table placement; includes placement of two guest artists at your table, if desired
- Full-page Gala Journal Ad (B&W)
- Logo placement or recognition on all print and digital marketing for the event
- Recognition as an official sponsor of The New Virtuoso: Borders, ACO’s October 30, 2024 concert at Carnegie Hall
- 4 VIP tickets to ACO’s The New Virtuoso: Borders concert at Carnegie Hall, plus invite to exclusive post-show reception
- One dedicated social media post highlighting your sponsorship of the event
$8,000 of this purchase is tax-deductible
Maverick $5,000
- 4 VIP tickets to the dinner & performance, with select table placement, includes placement of one guest artist at your table, if desired
- Listing in Gala Journal
- Logo placement or recognition on all print and digital marketing for the event
- Invitation to a special ACO insider event
$4,000 of this purchase is tax-deductible
Muse $1,000
- 1 VIP ticket to the dinner & performance with select seating
- Listing in Gala Journal
- Invitation to a special ACO insider event
$750 of this purchase is tax-deductible
Explorer $600
- 1 VIP ticket to the dinner & performance
- Listing in Gala Journal
$350 of this purchase is tax-deductible
ACO’s annual gala honors the contributions of creatives working in the contemporary orchestral music space whose impact will resonate for years to come. Gala supporters will enjoy an evening of original music from leading artists while learning how their contributions drive innovation and excellence in the field.
October 19, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Gity Razaz, Methuselah (In Chains of Time)
Akron Symphony Orchestra
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
In Chains of Time was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
October 19, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Gity Razaz, Methuselah (In Chains of Time)
In Chains of Time was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
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October 26, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Wang Lu, Surge
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops
Link: https://www.cincinnatisymphony.org/tickets-and-events/buy-tickets/cso/2425-cso-season/sibelius--saint-saens/
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
Surge was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
October 26, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Wang Lu, Surge
Surge was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
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October 28–29, 2024
EarShot Readings: National Arts Centre Orchestra
National Arts Centre | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
TBD, Conductor
Featured Artists and Works TBD
Mentor Composers:
Jimmy López Bellido
Ana Sokolović
Dinuk Wijeratne
October 28–29, 2024
EarShot Readings: National Arts Centre Orchestra
National Arts Centre | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
TBD, Conductor
Featured Artists and Works TBD
Mentor Composers:
Jimmy López Bellido
Ana Sokolović
Dinuk Wijeratne
October 28–29, 2024
EarShot Readings: National Arts Centre Orchestra
National Arts Centre | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
TBD, Conductor
Featured Artists and Works TBD
Mentor Composers:
Jimmy López Bellido
Ana Sokolović
Dinuk Wijeratne
October 28–29, 2024
EarShot Readings: National Arts Centre Orchestra
National Arts Centre | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
TBD, Conductor
Featured Artists and Works TBD
Mentor Composers:
Jimmy López Bellido
Ana Sokolović
Dinuk Wijeratne
October 30, 2024, 7:30 PM ET
Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall
Mei-Ann Chen, Conductor
Mak Grgik, Guitar
Inbal Segev, Cello
Curtis Stewart, Violin and Electronics
PROGRAM
Michael Abels: Borders
Kebra-Seyoun Charles: New Work (ACO Commission, developed via EarShot CoLABoratory/World Premiere)
Curtis Stewart, Embrace (ACO Commission)
Paul Novak, Forest Migrations (ACO Commission/World Premiere)
Victoria Polevá, The Bell
“The New Virtuoso“ is a series of programs featuring works that defy genre expectations for a solo instrument, and in doing so carve out novel texture, affect and technique in Symphonic composition. This program features works that question the nature and effect of political, gender, and ecologic borders, and how we as humans move and migrate in reaction. With conductor Mei-Ann Chen on the podium, this concert features guitarist Mak Grgik, cellist Inbal Segev, and violinist Curtis Stewart. ACO will perform three commissions by Kebra-Seyoun Charles, Paul Novak, and Curtis Stewart, alongside works by Michael Abels and Victoria Polevá.
“The New Virtuoso“ is a series of programs featuring works that defy genre expectations for a solo instrument, and in doing so carve out novel texture, affect and technique in Symphonic composition. This program features works that question the nature and effect of political, gender, and ecologic borders, and how we as humans move and migrate in reaction. With conductor Mei-Ann Chen on the podium, this concert features guitarist Mak Grgik, cellist Inbal Segev, and violinist Curtis Stewart. ACO will perform three commissions by Kebra-Seyoun Charles, Paul Novak, and Curtis Stewart, alongside works by Michael Abels and Victoria Polevá.
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November 22, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Angel Lam, Let there be a paradise…
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
Let there be a paradise... was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
November 22, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Angel Lam, Let there be a paradise…
Let there be a paradise... was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
December 6-7, 2024
American Composers Orchestra
Link: BAM | Journey LIVE
Austin Wintory, Composer & Conductor
Ode to Joy, Executive Producer
Journey LIVE
BAM teams up with composer/conductor Austin Wintory and the American Composers Orchestra to present an original, interactive live performance of his Grammy-nominated score for Journey, “the most beautiful game of its time" (IGN).
In an alchemical collision of mediums, live musicians respond to the real-time actions of on-stage gamers as they explore the gorgeous universe within the hit video game. Never the same each time it is played, JourneyLIVE is an interactive parable, marking an unprecedented formal exploration in which live musicians respond to the actions of video game players as they traverse miles of sprawling desert, rolling sand dunes, age-old ruins, caves, and howling winds.
December 6-7, 2024
American Composers Orchestra
LInk: BAM | Journey LIVE
Austin Wintory, Composer & Conductor
Ode to Joy, Executive Producer
December 6-7, 2024
American Composers Orchestra
Link: BAM | Journey LIVE
Austin Wintory, Composer & Conductor
Ode to Joy, Executive Producer
Journey LIVE
BAM teams up with composer/conductor Austin Wintory and the American Composers Orchestra to present an original, interactive live performance of his Grammy-nominated score for Journey, “the most beautiful game of its time" (IGN).
In an alchemical collision of mediums, live musicians respond to the real-time actions of on-stage gamers as they explore the gorgeous universe within the hit video game. Never the same each time it is played, JourneyLIVE is an interactive parable, marking an unprecedented formal exploration in which live musicians respond to the actions of video game players as they traverse miles of sprawling desert, rolling sand dunes, age-old ruins, caves, and howling winds.
December 6-7, 2024
American Composers Orchestra
LInk: BAM | Journey LIVE
Austin Wintory, Composer & Conductor
Ode to Joy, Executive Producer
December 13, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Angel Lam, Let there be a paradise…
Utah Symphony & Opera
Link: https://utahsymphony.org/event/id/33382/
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
Let there be a paradise... was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
December 13, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Angel Lam, Let there be a paradise…
Let there be a paradise... was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
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December 13–14, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Meilina Tsui, TBD (World Premiere)
Artis––Naples, Naples Philharmonic
Link: https://artisnaples.org/subscriptions/masterworks
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
December 13–14, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Meilina Tsui, TBD (World Premiere)
Artis––Naples, Naples Philharmonic
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
December 13–14, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Meilina Tsui, TBD (World Premiere)
Artis––Naples, Naples Philharmonic
Link: https://artisnaples.org/subscriptions/masterworks
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
December 13–14, 2024
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Meilina Tsui, TBD (World Premiere)
Artis––Naples, Naples Philharmonic
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
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January 10–11, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Marina López, TBD (World Premiere)
Grand Rapids Symphony
Link: https://www.devosperformancehall.com/events/2025/gr-symphony-presents-sax-and-the-city
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
January 10–11, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Marina López, TBD (World Premiere)
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
January 10–11, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Marina López, TBD (World Premiere)
Grand Rapids Symphony
Link: https://www.devosperformancehall.com/events/2025/gr-symphony-presents-sax-and-the-city
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
January 10–11, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Marina López, TBD (World Premiere)
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
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February 1–2, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Chelsea Komschlies, TBD (World Premiere)
Tucson Symphony Orchestra
Link: https://www.tucsonsymphony.org/event/mahler-and-schumann/2025-02-01/1/
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
February 1–2, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Chelsea Komschlies, TBD (World Premiere)
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
February 1–2, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Chelsea Komschlies, TBD (World Premiere)
Tucson Symphony Orchestra
Link: https://www.tucsonsymphony.org/event/mahler-and-schumann/2025-02-01/1/
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
February 1–2, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Chelsea Komschlies, TBD (World Premiere)
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
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February 22–23, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Sarah Gibson, to make this mountain taller
Idaho State Civic Symphony
Link: https://iscsymphony.org/24-25-season/
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
to make this mountain taller was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
February 22–23, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Sarah Gibson, to make this mountain taller
to make the mountain taller was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
February 22, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Brittany J. Green, TBD (World Premiere)
Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra
Link: https://ci.ovationtix.com/36404/production/1198898?performanceId=11466141
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
February 22, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Brittany J. Green, TBD (World Premiere)
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
February 22–23, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Sarah Gibson, to make this mountain taller
Idaho State Civic Symphony
Link: https://iscsymphony.org/24-25-season/
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
to make this mountain taller was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
February 22–23, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Sarah Gibson, to make this mountain taller
to make this mountain taller was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
March 6, 2025, 7:30 PM ET
Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall
Tito Muñoz, Conductor
Clarice Assad, Vocals and Electronics
Edmar Castañeda, Harp
Harlem Samba, Percussion
PROGRAM
Clarice Assad: Evolution of AI (ACO Commission/World Premiere)
Edmar Castañeda: New Work (ACO Commission, developed via EarShot CoLABoratory/World Premiere)
Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda: Going Home, arr. Curtis Stewart (World Premiere Arrangement)
Tania León, Ácana
Tomàs Peire Serrate: New Work (ACO Commission/World Premiere)
Latin American, Afro-Caribbean, and United States culture have been interconnected for centuries by the effects of colonization and the musics transported and transformed overseas as a result. This program features music from various parts of Latin America and its influence on jazz and “Classical” music in the United States. Conductor Tito Muñoz leads ACO in the performance of works by Clarice Assad, Edmar Castañeda, Alice Coltrane, Tania León, and Tomàs Peire Serrate. Guest artists Clarice Assad (vocals and electronics), Edmar Castañeda (harp), and percussion ensemble Harlem Samba join ACO onstage.
Latin American, Afro-Caribbean, and United States culture have been interconnected for centuries by the effects of colonization and the musics transported and transformed overseas as a result. This program features music from various parts of Latin America and its influence on jazz and “Classical” music in the United States. Conductor Tito Muñoz leads ACO in the performance of works by Clarice Assad, Edmar Castañeda, Alice Coltrane, Tania León, and Tomàs Peire Serrate. Guest artists Clarice Assad (vocals and electronics), Edmar Castañeda (harp), and percussion ensemble Harlem Samba join ACO onstage.
April 6, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Angel Lam, Let there be a paradise…
Quad City Symphony Orchestra
Link: https://qcso.org/event/masterworks-vi-rhapsody-in-blue/
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
Let there be a paradise... was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
April 6, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Angel Lam, Let there be a paradise…
Let there be a paradise... was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
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May 17, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Karena Ingram, TBD (World Premiere)
Memphis Symphony Orchestra
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
May 17, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Karena Ingram, TBD (World Premiere)
This work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
June 1, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Gity Razaz, Methuselah (In Chains of Time)
Berkeley Symphony
The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Selected composers are previous participants in ACO's EarShot Readings.
The League and ACO have established two 30-orchestra consortiums, each supporting commissions by six women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer writes a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develops an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, 10 composers have their works performed by 15 orchestras across the U.S.
In Chains of Time was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
June 1, 2025
Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert
Gity Razaz, Methuselah (In Chains of Time)
In Chains of Time was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
ACO partners with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra for their 2015-16 Earshot New Music Readings
ACO partners with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra for their 2015-16 Earshot New Music Readings
24th Annual Underwood New Music Readings for emerging composers. Seven composers heard ACO perform their work live for the first time, received personalized mentorship, and an archival recording.
24th Annual Underwood New Music Readings for emerging composers.
ACO partners with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra for their 2014-15 Earshot New Music Readings
ACO partners with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra for their 2014-15 Earshot New Music Readings
ACO partners with the Buffalo Philharmonic for their 2014-15 Earshot New Music Readings
ACO partners with the Buffalo Philharmonic for their 2014-15 Earshot New Music Readings
The American Composers Orchestra meets for their 23rd Annual Underwood New Music readings. Featuring seven emerging American composers.
The American Composers Orchestra meets for their 23rd Annual Underwood New Music readings.
The ACO partners with the New York Philharmonic for their 2014 Earshot New Music Readings featuring American Composers.
The ACO partners with the New York Philharmonic for their 2014 Earshot New Music Readings featuring American Composers.
The ACO partners with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra for a two part New Music readings with esteemed American composers. Composers not only get the opportunity to hear their works performed by a live orchestra, but they will revise their works for a second reading after two months.
The ACO partners with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra for a two part New Music readings with esteemed American composers. Composers not only get the opportunity to hear their works performed by a live orchestra, but they will revise their works for a second reading after two months.
The ACO partners with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for their 2014 Earshot New Music readings titled "Classical Roots"
The ACO partners with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for their 2014 Earshot New Music readings titled "Classical Roots"
The ACO partners with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra for a two part New Music readings with esteemed American composers. Composers not only get the opportunity to hear their works performed by a live orchestra, but they will revise their works for a second reading after two months.
The ACO partners with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra for a two part New Music readings with esteemed American composers. Composers not only get the opportunity to hear their works performed by a live orchestra, but they will revise their works for a second reading after two months.
The ACO and the Buffalo Philharmonic present the 2013 Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute (JCOI) Earshot New Music Readings featuring the some of the country's most talented emerging American Jazz composers.
The ACO and the Buffalo Philharmonic present the 2013 Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute (JCOI) Earshot New Music Readings featuring the some of the country's most talented emerging American Jazz composers.
22nd Annual Underwood New Music Readings and CommissionApril 8-10, 2013Up to six composers in the early stages of their careers will be selected to participate. One will be awarded a $15,000 commission to write a new work to be performed by ACO. There are no age restrictions; however, applicants should be at the early stages of their professional careers. Each composer may submit only one composition for consideration. Only works that will not have been performed or read by a professional orchestra nor received a public performance prior to the reading date are eligible. Do not submit recordings. Only works completed after January 1, 2008, will be considered. Compositions should be up to 15 minutes in length. Shorter works, or a portion or movement from longer works, will also be considered. Maximum instrumentation is: Winds 3*3*3*3*; Brass 4.3*3*1; Timpani + 4 Percussion, Harp, Keyboard; and Strings 10.8.6.6.4. (Standard orchestral doublings are permitted.) Works requiring soloists will not be considered. If selected, composers must provide professional, legible orchestral parts and scores prepared according to guidelines established by the Major Orchestral Librarians Association (MOLA) by March 1, 2013. MOLA guidelines can be found at:http://www.mola-inc.org/MOLAGuidelinesText.htm The quality of the score submitted is the primary evaluation criteria. It is therefore in the applicant’s best interest that the score be clear and accurate. Works employing electronics, MIDI, digital technology, and/or sound reinforcement in combination with the above instrumental forces will NOT be considered, neither will incomplete, illegible, or late applications. Composers who have applied previously for an UNMR are eligible to apply. However you must submit a new, complete application, including score and all required background information. Please contact the American Composers Orchestra with any questions concerning eligibility.At the Readings, composers will meet with ACO artistic staff and orchestra members—including conductor and music director George Manahan, artistic director Robert Beaser and mentor composer Christopher Theofanidis. The Readings are professionally recorded, and each composer is given a high-quality audio recording to be used for study purposes. Composers also participate in a series of professional development workshops covering such topics as promotion, score preparation, copyright and commissioning agreements, and other career essentials. Participants’ travel expenses are provided.
21st Annual Underwood New Music Readings and Commission June 1-3, 2012Up to six composers in the early stages of their careers will be selected to participate. One will be awarded a $15,000 commission to write a new work to be performed by ACO.The readings are the core of ACO’s ongoing professional training programs for emerging American composers.At the Readings, composers will meet with ACO artistic staff and orchestra members—including conductor and music director George Manahan, artistic director Robert Beaser and mentor composers Derek Bermel, Steven Stucky, and Melinda Wagner—and receive critical commentary and feedback. The Readings are professionally recorded, and each composer is given a high-quality audio recording to be used for study purposes. Composers also participate in a series of professional development workshops covering such topics as promotion, score preparation, copyright and commissioning agreements, and other career essentials. Participants’ travel expenses are provided.
21st Annual Underwood New Music Readings and Commission
The ACO partners with the San Diego Symphony for their 2012 Earshot New Music Readings
The ACO partners with the San Diego Symphony for their 2012 Earshot New Music Readings
The ACO partners with the Buffalo Philharmonic for their 2011 Earshot New Music Readings.
The ACO partners with the Buffalo Philharmonic for their 2011 Earshot New Music Readings.
19th Annual Underwood New Music Readings featuring new music by American composers.
The ACO partners with the Pioneer Valley Symphony for their 2010 Earshot New Music Readings.
The ACO partners with the Pioneer Valley Symphony for their 2010 Earshot New Music Readings.
The ACO partners with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for their first season of Earshot New Music Readings
The ACO partners with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for their first season of Earshot New Music Readings
The ACO joins the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for their very first Earshot New Music Reading in 2009
The ACO joins the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for their very first Earshot New Music Reading
The Underwood New Music Readings present an opportunity to selected young composers to have there works read and recorded by a professional orchestra. The event is open to the public and ACO reaches out to schools and other music organizations inviting them to attend the readings.
The American Composers Orchestra presents the 17th Annual Underwood New Music Readings, featuring readings by emerging American Composers.
The American Composers Orchestra presents the 17th Annual Underwood New Music Readings.
American Composers Orchestra announces its 16th annual Underwood New Music Reading Sessions to be held at the Skirball Center for Performing Arts in New York City on May 8 & 9, 2007. Up to eight composers in the early stages of their careers will be selected to participate. One will be awarded a $15,000 commission to write a new work to be performed by ACO.Writing for the symphony orchestra remains one of the supreme challenges for the aspiring composer. The subtleties of instrumental balance, timbre, effective part preparation, and communication with conductor and musicians are critical skills. But openings for composers to gain hands-on experience working with a professional orchestra are few. ACO's New Music Reading Sessions are designed to give emerging composers the opportunity to work with an orchestra singular in its commitment to the development of the American composer and to hear their work performed by some of the country's most outstanding contemporary music instrumentalists.Led by ACO Artistic Director Robert Beaser, the Readings are the core of ACO's ongoing professional training programs for emerging American composers.At the Readings, composers will meet with ACO artistic staff, orchestra members, and composer advisors and receive critical commentary and feedback. Members of ACO's composer advisory panel and guest composers participate in preliminary reviews of scores, post-Reading evaluations and selection of the composer to receive the commission award. The Reading are professionally recorded, and each composer a high-quality audio recording to be used for study purposes.ACO's related programs include an annual composer fellowship that allows a composer to work with ACO's artistic and administrative staffs over the course of a season; and Orchestra Tech, a multi-year project to explore the past, present and future applications of electronics and digital technologies in orchestral music. Through Orchestra Tech, works employing electronics and digital technology are now encouraged for the Readings.Lead support for the New Music Readings comes from Mr. Paul Underwood, the Fromm Foundation and The Helen F. Whitaker Fund. ACO's emerging composers programs are made possible with the support of Jerome Foundation, and with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
American Composers Orchestra announces its 16th annual Underwood New Music Reading Sessions
American Composers Orchestra announces its 15th annual Underwood New Music Readings Sessions and Commission. Up to eight composers in the early stages of their careers will be selected to participate. One will be awarded a $15,000 commission to write a new work to be performed by ACO at Carnegie Hall. The Readings are led by Artistic Director Robert Beaser and, and will be held on May 18 & 19, 2006 in New York City. Composers Paul Moravec and Stephen Paulus will serve as composer-mentors.
American Composers Orchestra announces its 15th annual Underwood New Music Readings Sessions and Commission.
American Composers Orchestra announces its 14th annual Underwood New Music Readings Sessions and Commission. Up to eight composers in the early stages of their careers will be selected to participate. One will be awarded a $15,000 commission to write a new work to be performed by ACO at Carnegie Hall. The Readings are led by Artistic Director Robert Beaser and Music Director Steven Sloane, and will be held on May 5-6, 2005 at Columbia University. The application deadline is November 10, 2004. The submission form, guidelines, and additional information is available at www.americancomposers.org/nmr or by calling ACO at 212 977 8495 x202/readings@americancomposers.org.
American Composers Orchestra announces its 14th annual Underwood New Music Readings Sessions and CommissionAmerican Composers Orchestra announces its 14th annual Underwood New Music Readings Sessions and Commission.
Brooklyn’s own Tamar-kali joins forces with international opera and theatre director James Blaszko and the American Composers Orchestra to bring Freedom Is a Constant Struggle to Lincoln Center. A second-generation musician with roots in the coastal Sea Islands of South Carolina, Tamar-kali has designed an evening of orchestral performances and readings that highlight the African-American struggle to reap the benefits of liberty and justice defined as a part of American citizenry. The concert traces the African-American struggle to achieve freedom—from the call to abolish chattel slavery through the Civil War, from reconstruction and the early movement for racial equality to the ‘60s civil rights movement, all the way to our present-day fights for equity. The performance includes the world premiere of Tamar-kali’s Sea Island Symphony: Red Rice, Cotton and Indigo, and spotlights pivotal works by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes, Nina Simone, and Ida B. Wells, among other notable works. Featuring an orchestra, choir, guest vocalists, orators, and ring shouters, this will be an unforgettable, not-to-be missed evening of innovation, experimentation, and introspection.
The Gathering: A Collective Sonic Ring Shout is a sonic quest rooted in the African and African American ritual of the Ring Shout. Woven together through a diverse array of multidisciplinary artists featuring new musical works for orchestra and choir, this evening-length event brings the ancestral tradition of the Ring Shout into a contemporary context, opening a space to collectively grieve, to awaken JOY as a source of LIBERATION, and to find LOVE as a form of resistance. Directed by National Black Theatre’s Executive Artistic Director, Jonathan McCrory, the program features Carlos Simon’s Amen!, Courtney Bryan’s Sanctum, and the New York premiere of Seven Last Words of the Unarmed by Joel Thompson. These works are in conversation with new commissions from Herb Alpert Award-winner Toshi Reagon, Tony Award-winner Jason Michael Webb, and Lelund Thompson created to honor our present needs for a collective space of remembrance. The performance is anchored by an 80-member orchestra and a 50-voice choir composed of singers, professional and amateur, from multiple African American churches and choral ensembles in New York.
Dear Friends,Welcome to American Composer Orchestra’s first post-pandemic concert at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall. ACO had an exciting kickoff to its season with a Friends and Family composer gathering and our telematic tour-de-force New Canons. Tonight, we are honored to return to Carnegie Hall with Sanctuary, featuring two stellar artists—conductor Marin Alsop and violinist Jennifer Koh—whose tireless work on behalf of composers throughout the world has changed the face of music in our generation. The fact that Maestra Alsop performed with ACO decades ago makes this evening doubly special for both our musicians and audience. Sanctuary is a journey exploring the places, company, and states of mind in which composers seek inviolable refuge and inspiration. Throughout the two years of the pandemic, sanctuary has taken many forms for us all, as we have grappled with challenges both quotidien and metaphysical. For those of us who love and participate in the performing arts, the period has assured us that we will never again take for granted the kind of communal experience in which we partake this evening. Lisa Bielawa’s Sanctuary, written for Jennifer Koh, is an extraordinary historical research project around this powerful word, documenting the rhetoric around founding American principles and every important struggle throughout our history. In Restless Oceans, Anna Clyne finds inspiration in a poem by Audra Lorde; the musicians raise their voices in song and use their feet to stand united in a defiant work that embraces the power of women. Hannah Kendall’s alternately buoyant and serene Tuxedo: Vasco ‘de’ Gama takes its title from Jean-Michel Basquiat’s iconic collection of 16 diagrammatic block pieces. With a nod to the traditional African-American spiritual “Wade in the Water,” the work conjures both the majesty and elegance highlighted by the artist as well as her own reflective take on the history of globalization and multiculturalism ushered in by the famed Portuguese explorer. Dai Wei's commission Invisible Portals, her Underwood Readings commission, is a meditation on Shambhala, the legendary Tibetan realm of peace and prosperity. She describes the portals as a place in which "multicultural and multidimensional conversations interweave beyond time and space." And Paula Matthusen's newly commissioned Prophecy in Reverse considers whether the notion of sanctuary evokes a space, feeling, sound or something else entirely. The work is a collaboration with poet Danielle Vogel, whose work Sea Margin: a prophecy in reverse, punctuates the movements via projections. We at ACO are delighted to welcome you back to Carnegie Hall with this rich musical odyssey into the human soul that is both internal and external, local and international, abstract yet wholly tied to our everyday existence. With gratitude,Derek BermelArtistic DirectorMelissa NganPresident and CEO
A celebration of composers with roots in New England, ACO’s season opener includes the world premieres of Hilary Purrington’s Harp of Nerves featuring guitarist JIJI and orchestrations of Selected Songs by Charles Ives, arranged by Purrington, Hannah Lash, and Jonathan Bailey Holland, featuring mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton. The New York City premiere of Matthew Aucoin’s Evidence completes the program.
This evening American Composers Orchestra (ACO) is excited to present Where We Lost Our Shadows, a concert that threads its way through culture and time with three wholly original voices, reimagining the orchestra along the way. ACO first commissioned Du Yun six years ago, premiering her hypnotizing Slow Portraits, and since then she has continued to captivate audiences worldwide with works that defy traditional boundaries between theater, film, and music. Native New Yorker Morton Feldman and expatriate composer Gloria Coates, who has resided in Germany for many decades, are two true American mavericks of our era.In the spirit of bringing our audience and composers together, last season ACO launched its Commission Club, whose members take a deep dive into the creative process. Our first Commission Club composer was Ethan Iverson,who shared insights about writing his offbeat and jazz-tinged Concerto to Scale. This season, in conversation with Du Yun, audience members followed the creative arc of the work you’re hearing tonight, witnessing how she and her collaborators constructed an artistic narrative and brought it to the stage.We hope you’ll join us next season for our third Commission Club and our featured composer Mark Adamo, whose piece speaks to issues in the environment. His apocalyptic Last Year mourns four extreme landscapes,with the deep-voiced cello of virtuoso Jeffrey Ziegler as narrator. Next season in Zankel Hall, alongside Adamo’s work, ACO presents two more musical portraits of our natural world: the world premiere of Nina C. Young’s complete song cycle Out of whose womb came the ice, depicting Ernest Shackleton’s daring expedition to Antarctica, and the New York premiere of John Luther Adams’s mesmerizing Become River. ACO also focuses on New England—the “cradle” of American classical music—presenting the world premiere of a guitar concerto for dazzling virtuoso JIJI by Underwood Readings commissionee Hilary Purrington, the New York premiere of Matthew Aucoin’s Evidence, and an array of world-premiere arrangements of Ives songs by Purrington, Jonathan Bailey Holland, and Hannah Lash for mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton.In the meantime, we invite you to open your ears for tonight’s concert, and please join us afterwards in the lobby to celebrate Gloria Coates’s 80thbirthday and her enormous contribution to American music!