Spring 2025 EarShot Readings and CoLABoratory Events
American Composers Orchestra Announces
Spring 2025 EarShot Readings and CoLABoratory Events
CoLABoratory Events with Mazz Swift on March 5 & 7, 2025 in NYC and
March 22, 2025 in Philadelphia at Esperanza Arts Center with Harlem Samba/Philly Salsa, and Edmar Castañeda
EarShot Readings at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
March 26–28, 2025
Mentor Composers: David Dzubay, Han Lash, Curtis Stewart, Augusta Read Thomas
Featured Artists: Corey Chang, Xinyuan Deng, Natalia Camargo Duarte, Wenxin Li,
Alexey Logunov, Gabriel Novak, Laura Pacheco, Emre Sener
EarShot Readings at Lawrence University
May 12–13, 2025
Mentor Composers: Marcos Balter, Joanne Metcalf, Asha Srinivasan
Featured Artists: Alicia Castillo, Matthew Mason, Lila Meretzky, Logan Rutledge
“an expansive vision of orchestral composition” – Represent Classical
New York, NY (February 26, 2025) – Hailed as an “essential organization” (The New York Times), American Composers Orchestra (ACO) announces details of its spring 2025 EarShot Readings at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, IN from March 26–28, 2025 and at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI from May 12–13, 2025. In addition, ACO showcases CoLABoratory Workshops on March 5 & 7, 2025 at The DiMenna Center in New York and a special CoLABoratory Event on March 22, 2025 at Esperanza Arts Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Spring 2025 Readings start on March 26–28, 2025, with the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, which welcomes composers Corey Chang, Xinyuan Deng, Natalia Camargo Duarte, Wenxin Li, Alexey Logunov, Gabriel Novak, Laura Pacheco, and Emre Sener, who will participate in workshops aimed toward developing new works that expand the definitions and experiences surrounding American orchestral music. Participants were asked to create sketches to be workshopped with mentor composers David Dzubay, Han Lash, Curtis Stewart, and Augusta Read Thomas. Throughout these workshops, four of the eight composers will be invited to return to the Jacobs School of Music in the fall of 2025 to participate in EarShot Readings, offering participants the opportunity for the works developed during the spring 2025 workshops to be rehearsed, performed, and recorded by Jacobs School of Music musicians.
Next, from May 12-13, 2025, a collaboration between ACO and Lawrence University will workshop scores that fall outside of typical performance and notation standards including graphic scores, scores that engage improvisation, and scores with other components that are non-typical to Western musical notation. Selected works include those for open instrumentation (scores that can be read by any configuration of instruments), compositions that integrate "shape note" notation, and works that require light improvisation. Selected composers include Alicia Castillo, Matthew Mason, Lila Meretzky, and Logan Rutledge. These workshops and mentor composers Marcos Balter, Joanne Metcalf, and Asha Srinivasan provide opportunities for participants to engage in skills outside of traditional Western notation. Selected participants will return to Lawrence University in January 2026 to participate in EarShot Readings where they will develop these compositions for the Lawrence University New Music Ensemble.
EarShot is the first ongoing, systematic program for cultivating relationships between composers and orchestras on the national level, developed by the American Composers Orchestra to ensure a vibrant future for new American orchestral music. Over the last 25 years, these readings have provided more than 250 composers with vital artistic and technical resources, as well as career-accelerating public exposure. EarShot alumni have won every composition award, including the Pulitzer, GRAMMY, Grawemeyer, American Academy of Arts & Letters, and Rome Prizes, to name a few. Critically, composer-orchestra relationships extend beyond the EarShot Readings themselves. Since 2009, more than 25 works have been commissioned by partner orchestras from EarShot participants, and more than half of selected EarShot composers report receiving a commission directly resulting from their participation.
Additionally, ACO will have several CoLABoratory events in March of 2025 that are open to the public. First is a CoLABoratory Workshop on March 5 & 7, 2025 at The DiMenna Center in New York that features Mazz Swift’s new ACO commissioned work, developed via EarShot CoLABoratory. The second is a CoLABoratory Special Event on March 22, 2025 at the Esperanza Arts Center in Philadelphia, PA, Harlem Samba/Philly Salsa, featuring Curtis Stewart, Edmar Castañeda, Harlem Samba, and Siempre Salsa Philly. This celebration of Afro-Latin dance and music traditions from Harlem and Philadelphia includes the world premiere of a new duo version of Castañeda’s ACO-commissioned work performed with Curtis Stewart.
CoLABoratory Program Information:
March 5 & 7, 2025 at 10:00 AM / 3:30 PM
CoLABoratory Workshop with the American Composers Orchestra
DiMenna Center | New York City, New York
Links: https://secure.givelively.org/event/american-composers-orchestra/colaboratory-workshop-mazz-swift
https://www.americancomposers.org/performances-events/colaboratory-workshop-3
Featured Artists and Works
Mazz Swift, New Work (ACO Commission, developed via EarShot CoLABoratory)
March 22, 2025 at 3 PM
CoLABoratory Special Event with the American Composers Orchestra
Esperanza Arts Center | Philadelphia, PA
Link: https://www.esperanzaartscenter.us/event/harlem-samba-philly-salsa-v/
Featured Artists and Works
Harlem Samba/Philly Salsa, featuring Edmar Castañeda & Curtis Stewart
About American Composers Orchestra
In 1977, a collective of fearless New York City musicians came together to form the American Composers Orchestra (ACO), an ensemble dedicated to the creation, celebration, performance, and promotion of orchestral music by American composers. Over more than 40 years committed to artistry, creativity, community and equity, ACO has blossomed into a national institution that not only cultivates and develops the careers of living composers, but also provides composers a direct pipeline to partnerships with many of America’s major symphony orchestras.
In addition to its annual season, presented by Carnegie Hall since 1987, the ACO serves as a New York City hub where the most forward-thinking experimental American musicians come together to hone and realize new art by developing talent, established composers, and underrepresented voices, increasing the regional, national, and international awareness of the infinite variety of American orchestral music.
ACO produces national educational programs for all ages, and composer advancement programs to foster a community of creators, audience, performers, collaborators, and funders – all dedicated to American composition.
To date, ACO has performed music by 800 American composers, including over 350 world premieres and newly commissioned works. Recent and notable commissioned composers include John Luther Adams, Andy Akiho, Clarice Assad, Carlos Bandera, Courtney Bryan, Valerie Coleman, Dai Wei, Du Yun, inti figgis-vizueta, Marcus Gilmore, Vijay Iyer, Yvette Janine Jackson, Joan La Barbara, Steve Lehman, Tania León, Paula Matthusen, Trevor New, Mendi + Keith Obadike, Ellen Reid, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Carlos Simon, Henry Threadgill, and many more.
Now encompassing all of ACO’s composer advancement initiatives, EarShot is the first ongoing, systematic program for developing relationships between composers and orchestras on the national level. Through orchestral readings, CoLABoratory fellowships, consortium commissions, publishing and professional development, EarShot ensures a vibrant musical future by investing in creativity today. Serving over 350 composers since inception, ACO Readings in NYC began in 1991, and since 2008, national Readings have been offered in partnership with orchestras across the country in collaboration with the League of American Orchestras, New Music USA, and American Composers Forum. EarShot Readings composers have gone on to win every major composition award, including the Pulitzer, Grammy, Grawemeyer, American Academy of Arts and Letters, and Rome Prizes.
ACO has received numerous awards for its work, including those from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and from BMI, recognizing the orchestra’s outstanding contribution to American music. ASCAP has awarded ACO its annual prize for adventurous programming 35 times, singling out ACO as “the orchestra that has done the most for new American music in the United States.” ACO received the inaugural MetLife Award for Excellence in Audience Engagement, and a proclamation from the New York City Council. Learn more at www.americancomposers.org.
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EarShot is a program of American Composers Orchestra completed in partnership with American Composers Forum, the League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA. The program is made possible with lead support from Altman Foundation, Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting, Mellon Foundation, The Sorel Organization, Hearst Foundation, Sphinx Venture Fund, TD Charitable Foundation, Fromm Foundation, Ford Good Neighbor Committee, The New York Community Trust Van Lier Fellowships, Jerome Foundation, and Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation; additional support is provided by the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation, BMI Foundation, Inc., Steven R. Gerber Trust, Wise Foundation (G. Schirmer) and the League of American Orchestras with support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
Public funds are provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Lead support for EarShot CoLABoratory is generously provided by TD Charitable Foundation and Altman Foundation.
EarShot: Advancing Equity through Publishing & Repertoire Development is powered by the Sphinx Venture Fund.
