SONiC Festival is a 12-day event across New York City in partnership with multiple venues, composer curators, and 100+ performers, featuring works by American composers.
SONiC Festival explores the role of the composer as catalyst; using techniques and musical languages from ancient to modern, our artists invite listeners to be a part of the process – to listen, interact, move, and dream of their own explorations in sound.
Individual Tickets: Each event in SONiC ACTIV8 is co-presented with partner venues. Individual tickets may be purchased by clicking on individual events below.
Festival Pass: A full-festival pass grants you access to all 12 public events for $199. Buy Now.
Premium Festival Pass: A premium festival pass for $299, unlocks VIP premium seating to all 12 events and invitations to exclusive social events with featured artists. Buy Now.
Welcome to our community of definition-expanding artists, curious listeners and generous patrons dedicated to musical creativity and expression. Sign up for our mailing list to stay in the know on all things ACO, and discover the many ways you can advance ACO’s mission through your support. Directly support the Festival with a gift, or consider joining the Commission Club to be part of commissioning four works that will premiere from June 1-12, 2023.
Now in its sixth year, ACO’s Commission Club invites all to join the creative process of commissioning new works with American Composers Orchestra. Members will follow the creative process from start to finish, from discussing an artist’s first creative spark through the writing process, and finally to the rehearsal and premiere. Four works in the SONiC Festival are supported by the Club including new music by Curtis Stewart, Marcus Gilmore, Trevor New, and Mendi + Keith Obadike.
Lead support for the SONiC Festival is provided by the Fromm Music Foundation, a continuation of their support of the most recent SONiC Festival in 2015. The Fromm Music Foundation was founded by the late Paul Fromm in 1952. Since 1972, it has been located at Harvard University, where it has operated in partnership with the Harvard University Music Department. Over the course of its existence, the Fromm Foundation has commissioned over 400 new compositions and their performances. The Fromm Foundation has also sponsored hundreds of new music concerts and concert series, among them Tanglewood’s Festival of Contemporary Music, American Composers Orchestra’s SONiC Festival, and the Fromm Concert Series at Harvard University.
WQXR is New York City’s only classical music radio station, broadcasting live on 105.9 FM. They share their audience’s passion for music by playing the most outstanding pieces on air, online and through the WQXR app.
Lead sponsorship for SONiC Festival has been provided by Fromm Music Foundation.
WQXR is the official media partner of SONiC Festival.
Lead funding support for EarShot CoLABoratory is generously provided by the TD Charitable Foundation, with additional support from Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting.
Cohere Touch by Trevor New has been made possible with the support of Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting,and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. Cohere Touch was workshopped as part of ACO’s EarShot CoLABoratory, generously funded by TD Charitable Foundation.
Dream Train by Mendi & Keith Obadike has been made possible with the support of Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting. Dream Train was workshopped as part of ACO’s EarShot CoLABoratory, generously funded by TD Charitable Foundation.
The U.S. premiere of Marcus Gilmore’s Pulse is made possible by the Rolex Institute.
Embrace by Curtis Stewart has been made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
American Composers Orchestra (ACO) is dedicated to the creation, celebration, performance, and promotion of orchestral music by American composers. With commitment to diversity, disruption and discovery, ACO produces concerts, pre-college and college education programs, and emerging composer professional development to foster a community of creators, audience, performers, collaborators, and funders.
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