Learning Lab
Each season, ACO presents a series of digital professional development sessions led by composer mentors and industry leaders. An evolving resource for composers at all stages of their careers, sessions have covered topics including orchestration, networking, publishing, copyright, orchestra unions, media rights, fundraising, public speaking, educational program design, and more.
Tricks of the Trade: Orchestration Workshop
Featured Speaker: Melinda Wagner
Staff Moderator: LaRob K. Rafael
Join us for Tricks of the Trade: Orchestration with Melinda Wagner, a professional development webinar led by Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Melinda Wagner that explores orchestration as a practical, evolving craft. Praised by American Record Guide as “an eloquent, poetic voice in contemporary music,” Melinda Wagner received the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for her Concerto for Flute, Strings, and Percussion and has written major works for the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Using musical examples from the orchestral repertoire and her own works, Wagner will illustrate how composers translate ideas on the page into clear, compelling sound.
Shoot Your (Ear)Shot: Stories and Guidance on Applying to EarShot Readings
Featured Speakers: Shawn Johnson & Jasmine (Moni) Guo
Staff Moderator: LaRob K. Rafael
EarShot Readings are the first systemic program connecting composers with orchestras, providing the unique opportunity to rehearse and interact with large ensembles in a way that many composers never have. This webinar, featuring two previous EarShot Readings participants, will offer insights on the application process and outcomes of this program.
Signing the Dotted Line: Licensing & Publishing
Staff Moderator: Melissa Ngan
Featured Speaker: Deirdre Chadwick
Understanding media rights, broadcast regulations, and payments is a vital part of making a living as a composer. BMI’s Deirdre Chadwick will lead a dialogue built to demystify some of the fine print that composers face as their careers reach larger scale.
Away from the Writing Desk and Into the World: Creating Relationships with Orchestras
Staff Moderator: Loki Karuna
Featured Speakers: Allison Loggins-Hull
For most composers, developing and maintaining relationships with orchestras is a key factor toward first and repeat performances. Composer/flutist Allison Loggins-Hull will discuss the “how-tos” of making initial and repeat connections with orchestra administration and staff, sharing her experiences and guidance along the way.
Helping Hands: Traversing Artist Management
Staff Moderator: Melissa Ngan
Featured Speaker: Dan Visconti
Professional representation has helped countless artists reach the next levels of their careers, but the process of identifying and securing management can be a heavy lift for those who are unfamiliar with how to do so. This session will highlight both the ways in which representation can help orchestral composers continue their professional trajectories, and how composers can gain the attention of management agencies.