Past Events

The Philadelphia Orchestra and American Composers Orchestra (ACO) will partner for a one-day showcase on September 6, 2018, during which the Orchestra will rehearse works by six women composers as part of a collaborative working session. The selected composers, all of whom have been commissioned previously through ACO’s programs, will have their works read and recorded by The Philadelphia Orchestra in a rehearsal led by Assistant Conductor Kensho Watanabe at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. In addition, the composers will participate in meetings with Orchestra leadership and roundtable conversations with the Orchestra’s Artistic Committee and mentor composers, and will receive feedback from co-facilitators, ACO Artistic Director Derek Bermel and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and native Philadelphian Melinda Wagner.“Identifying and collaborating with living composers from all backgrounds is of paramount importance to our organization and for the future evolution of this art form,” said Jeremy Rothman, vice president of artistic planning for The Philadelphia Orchestra. “Our goal is for these readings to foster dialogue between composers and musicians, provide valuable tools for composers to have their works heard and promoted, and spark deeper relationships with a broader selection of composers.”The six invited composers––selected from the alumnae of ACO's Underwood, EarShot, and Jazz Composer Orchestra Institute programs––will travel to Philadelphia to work collaboratively with the Orchestra. The composers are Melody Eötvös (2014 Underwood New Music Readings), Hilary Purrington (2017 Underwood New Music Readings), Chen-Hui Jen (2012 EarShot Readings San Diego Symphony), Robin Holcomb (2016 Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute Readings Naples Philharmonic), Xi Wang (2010 Underwood New Music Readings); and Nina C. Young (2013 Underwood New Music Readings).ACO president Ed Yim added, “Many of the six invited composers were originally identified through the Women Composers Readings and Commissions program, made possible by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Embedded in our Underwood New Music Readings and in EarShot, the program is a systematic approach for identifying emerging female orchestral composers. We are delighted to be collaborating with the great Philadelphia Orchestra and support its desire to strengthen and diversify its programming with these six vibrant artists.”American Composers Orchestra is both a performing orchestra and a catalyst for the creation and programming of new orchestral music by American composers through several platforms. For nearly 30 years, ACO’s own Underwood New Music Readings have presented new works and given emerging composers feedback from mentor composers, musicians, and conductors. Based on the model of the Underwood readings, ACO also enables orchestras around the country to identify and collaborate with emerging composers through EarShot, a joint program with the League of American Orchestras, New Music USA, and the American Composers Forum. The Women Composers Reading and Commission Program (a partnership with the League of American Orchestras) and the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute offer additional opportunities. Cumulatively, these programs offer composers an array of opportunities to be heard on a national stage.

In ACO’s 40-year history, 26 of those years have included a New Music Reading program, first known as the Whitaker New Music Readings and subsequently as the Underwood New Music Readings. They have become one of this country’s most coveted opportunities for emerging composers. This year, six of the nation’s most promising composers in the early stages of their professional careers have been selected from over 200 submissions received from around the country.Writing for symphony orchestra remains one of the supreme challenges for the aspiring composer. Learning the subtleties of instrumental balance and timbre, effective part preparation, and how to effectively communicate with the conductor and musicians are critical skills, but openings for composers to gain hands-on experience working with a professional orchestra are few. The Underwood New Music Readings 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 the country’s premier contemporary music ensembles.This year’s participants are composers with diverse backgrounds and stylistic approaches. Each meets with the conductor, key orchestra members, a publishing consultant and mentor composers in preparation for two sessions with the orchestra. Following the sessions with the orchestra, the composers will meet with ACO staff, orchestra members, the conductor and mentor composers to receive critical commentary and feedback. The Readings are professionally recorded to assist each composer in analysis and professional development. Additionally, ACO provides a Career Development Workshop with sessions and panel discussions on publishing, copyright law and promotional strategies with industry leaders. After the conclusion of the Readings, one composer will be awarded a $15,000 commission to write a new work to be performed by ACO in a future season. The audience is invited to vote for an audience choice award. The winner will also be asked to write a new piece for ACOTo date, the New Music Readings have offered a vital resource to the industry by providing essential career development opportunities to over 150 composers, including such award-winning composers as Derek Bermel, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Sebastian Currier, Pierre Jalbert, Randall Woolf, Jennifer Higdon, and Augusta Read Thomas. Since participating in ACO’s readings, these composers have held important residencies and had scores of works commissioned, premiered, and performed by many of the country’s most prominent symphony orchestras.

EarShot (the National Orchestral Composition Discovery Network) announces ten emerging composers chosen from a national candidate pool to participate in New Music Readings presented by Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Charlotte Symphony, and Jacksonville Symphony. The New Music Readings are the culmination of a series of private readings, feedback sessions, and work with mentor composers. EarShot is a partnership between American Composers Orchestra, League of American Orchestras, American Composers Forum, and New Music USA. The selected composers and compositions for Fort Wayne Philharmonic (February 7, 2018) are Nathan Kelly – Redwood, Sohwa Lee – Palindrome, and Robert Rankin –Nijinsky Dances; for Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (March 1, 2018) are Niloufar Iravani – Fantasy, Jihyun Kim – At Dawn, and Felipe Nieto – Artesania Sonora; and for Jacksonville Symphony (April 20, 2018) are Nicholas Bentz – E.W. Korngold Goes to Kikkatsu, Will Healy – Kolmanskop, Ursula Kwong-Brown – Night & Day, and Meng Wang – Blooming in the Long Dark Winter’s Night.EarShot enables connections between orchestras and emerging composers. Drawing from a national network of advisors and advocates, EarShot works with orchestras around the country to identify and support promising composers in the early stages of their careers. Orchestras have relied on EarShot to advise them on commissions, competitions, and program design in addition to identifying composers consistent with the orchestra’s artistic vision. EarShot residencies include established composer mentorship, orchestra readings, and musician and conductor feedback sessions, and are customized to the orchestra’s aesthetic and/or demographic interests and community and education activities.

On Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 10am, EarShot (the National Orchestral Composition Discovery Network) and the Charlotte Symphony present the readings of new works by three emerging composers, at Davidson College’s Duke Family Performance Hall (207 Faculty Drive) led by Charlotte Symphony Assistant Conductor Christopher James Lees. The New Music Readings will be the culmination of a series of private readings, feedback sessions, and work with mentor composers Trevor Weston, Wang Jie, and Robert Beaser. The selected composers, chosen from an international candidate pool, are Niloufar Iravani (Fantasy), Jihyun Kim (At Dawn), and Felipe Nieto (Artesania Sonora). On this co-presentation and partnership, Charlotte Symphony President and CEO Mary A. Deissler remarks, “Living composers, and the work they create, are integral to a vibrant culture. The CSO is committed to presenting programs and artists that reflect the diversity of our community.”EarShot enables connections between orchestras and emerging composers. Drawing from a national network of advisors and advocates, EarShot works with orchestras around the country to identify and support promising composers in the early stages of their careers. Orchestras have relied on EarShot to advise them on commissions, competitions, and program design in addition to identifying composers consistent with the orchestra’s artistic vision. EarShot residencies 2 include established composer mentorship, orchestra readings, and musician and conductor feedback sessions, and are customized to the orchestra’s aesthetic and/or demographic interests and community and education activities. EarShot is a partnership between American Composers Orchestra, League of American Orchestras, American Composers Forum, and New Music USA.

Join the Fort Wayne Philharmonic as it teams up with three living composers at a free general-admission performance. Hear exciting new pieces being workshopped at the Philharmonic by the nation's brightest and most talented emerging composers in the early stages of promising careers: The participants and their compositions are Nathan Kelly ("Redwood"), Ms. Sohwa Lee ("Palindrome"), and Robert Rankin ("Nijinsky Dances").EarShot is a nationwide network of new music readings and composer-development programs. It is the nation’s first ongoing, systematic program for identifying emerging orchestral composers; it provides professional-level working experience with orchestras from every region of the country and increases awareness of these composers and access to their music throughout the industry.The performance will be the culmination of four days of workshops and rehearsals. It will be professionally recorded and each composer will be given a high-quality audio recording to be used for archival, study and portfolio purposes.No ticket is required for admission to the performance.This event is a partnership of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, American Composers Orchestra, League of American Orchestras, American Composers Forum, and New Music USA.

In ACO’s 40 year history, 26 of those years have included a New Music Reading program, first known as The Whitaker New Music Readings and subsequently as The Underwood New Music Readings. They have become one of this country’s most coveted opportunities for emerging composers. This year, six of the nation’s most promising composers in the early stages of their professional careers have been selected from over 200 submissions received from around the country.Writing for symphony orchestra remains one of the supreme challenges for the aspiring composer. Learning the subtleties of instrumental balance and timbre, effective part preparation, and how to effectively communicate with the conductor and musicians are critical skills, but openings for composers to gain hands-on experience working with a professional orchestra are few. The Underwood New Music Readings 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.This year’s participants are composers with diverse backgrounds and stylistic approaches. Each meets with the conductor, key orchestra members, a publishing consultant and mentor composers in preparation for two sessions with the orchestra. Following the sessions with the orchestra, the composers will meet with ACO staff, orchestra members, the conductor and mentor composers to receive critical commentary and feedback. The Readings are professionally recorded to assist each composer in analysis and professional development. Additionally, ACO provides a Career Development Workshop with sessions and panel discussions on publishing, copyright law and promotional strategies with industry leaders. After the conclusion of the Readings, one composer will be awarded a $15,000 commission to write a new work to be performed by ACO in a future season. The audience is also invited to vote for an audience choice award.To date, the New Music Readings have offered a vital resource to the industry by providing essential career development opportunities to over 150 composers, including such award- winning composers as Derek Bermel, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Sebastian Currier, Pierre Jalbert, Randall Woolf, Jennifer Higdon, and Augusta Read Thomas. Since participating in ACO’s readings, these composers have held important residencies and had scores of works commissioned, premiered, and performed by many of the country’s most prominent symphony orchestras.

The American Composers Orchestra, partnered with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, meets for the 2016-17 season's Earshot New Music Readings.

ACO partners with the Buffalo Philharmonic for their 2016-17 Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute Earshot New Music Readings.

The American Composers Orchestra hosts the 2016 Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute Readings.

25th 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.

The JCOI Readings by the Naples Philharmonic will take place at Artis-Naples Hayes Hall, with mentor composers Vincent Mendoza (composer/arranger), James Newton (JCOI Director; University of California, Los Angeles), and Derek Bermel (Artistic Director, ACO), conducted by Naples Philharmonic Assistant Conductor Yaniv Segal.These composers were selected from a field of 34 nationwide based on their excellent musicianship, originality, and potential for future growth in orchestral composition. Each of the 34 participated in JCOI’s first phase, a summer intensive last August at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, where they studied new scores and compositional techniques, as well as best practices in orchestration, notation, score preparation, and contemporary performance. Over the course of the last year, sixteen of these composers have been writing new works, taking what they learned in the first phase and putting it into practice. Their pieces will be played and rehearsed, and refined through a series of workshops and critical feedback sessions with the orchestra players, conductors, and mentor composers.The EarShot Naples Philharmonic New Music Readings are the first of three such Readings programs taking place around the country through EarShot, the National Orchestral Composition Discovery Network. In addition to the four composers in tonight’s Reading, a dozen composers will have their music workshopped and performed by American Composers Orchestra this June and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in September.JCOI is a new development in the jazz field. While many jazz composers seek to write for the symphony orchestra, opportunities for hands-on experience are few. JCOI provides new resources for both jazz and classical music, promoting the emergence of composers trained in both jazz and new orchestral techniques. The program broadens the scope of jazz education and presents opportunities for career development—and what’s more, audiences are presented with exciting new models for musical exchange. The Readings represent not only the culmination of the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute, but also a glimpse into a future of new possibilities—a future where “jazz” composers embrace the “symphony” orchestra, and the orchestra embraces them.

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.

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

The American Composers Orchestra meets for their 23rd Annual Underwood New Music readings. Featuring seven emerging 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 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.