Performances
& Events

Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert

Cindy Cox, Dreaming a world’s edge

ORIGINS

North Corner Chamber Orchestra

Rainier Arts Center | Seattle, WA

Program

CINDY COX, Dreaming a world's edge

FELIX MENDELSSOHN, Symphony No. 1

‍‍The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program: American Composers Orchestra and League of American Orchestras 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 2025–26 season, composers have their works performed by nineteen orchestras across the U.S.
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‍Dreaming a world’s edge was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert

Moni Jasmine Guo, the sound of where i came from (乡音 Xiāng Yīn)

Symphony Series: Brahms & Dvořák
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Richmond Symphony

Carpenter Theatre | Richmond, VA

Program

MONI JASMINE GUO, the sound of where i came from (乡音 Xiāng Yīn)

ANTONIN DVORAK, Cello Concerto

JOHANNES BRAHMS, Symphony No. 4

Valentina Peleggi, conductor

‍The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program: American Composers Orchestra and League of American Orchestras 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 2025–26 season, composers have their works performed by nineteen orchestras across the U.S.
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‍the sound of where i came from (乡音 Xiāng Yīn) was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert

Meilina Tsui, Floridian Symphony

MasterWorks V: Alpine Symphony

Canton Symphony Orchestra

Zimmermann Symphony Center | Canton, OH

Program

JEAN SIBELIUS, Karelia Overture

MEILINA TSUI, Floridian Symphony

RICHARD STRAUSS, An Alpine Symphony

Jeri Lynne Johnson, conductor

‍‍The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program: American Composers Orchestra and League of American Orchestras 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 2025–26 season, composers have their works performed by nineteen orchestras across the U.S.
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‍Floridian Symphony was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert

Angel Lam, Please let there be a paradise…

Masterworks III - Regeneration

Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra

Capitol Theater | Madison, WI

Program

ANGEL LAM, Please let there be a paradise… 

DAN CAVANAGH, Concerto for Jazz Trio  

MICHAEL BELL, Regeneration: A Pentalogy

‍‍The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program: American Composers Orchestra and League of American Orchestras 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 2025–26 season, composers have their works performed by nineteen orchestras across the U.S.

‍Please let there be a paradise… was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

Composing the Future

Composers and Music Education

February 23, 2026

4:00 PM ET

Staff Moderator: Melissa Ngan

Featured Speaker: John Kilkenny

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New music isn’t just for adults - a growing population of grade school students are also pushing the boundaries of music creation. John Kilkenny, Executive Director of the New York Youth Symphony, will join ACO President and CEO Melissa Ngan to offer insights on what a successful collaboration between composers and grade schools looks like.

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REGISTRATION LINK

Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert

Brittany J. Green, TESTIFY!

Jubilee & Joy: Green & Beethoven
Lexington Philharmonic

Singletary Center for the Arts | Lexington, KY

Program
BRITTANY J. GREEN, TESTIFY!
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN, Symphony No. 9

Mélisse Brunet, conductor
The Lexington Singers (Dejah Watts, soprano; Hannah Shae, mezzo-soprano; Matthew Pearce, tenor; Sunghoon Han, bass)

‍The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program: American Composers Orchestra and League of American Orchestras 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 2025–26 season, composers have their works performed by nineteen orchestras across the U.S.
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TESTIFY! was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert

Julia Aldolphe, Unearth, Release

Experience the Intrigue

Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra

Lied Center for Performing Arts | Lincoln, NE

Program

JEAN SIBELIUS, Finlandia

JULIA ALDOLPHE, Unearth, Release

NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV, Scheherazade
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‍The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program: American Composers Orchestra and League of American Orchestras 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 2025–26 season, composers have their works performed by nineteen orchestras across the U.S.

‍Unearth, Release was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

‍“Tricks of the Trade”
Orchestration Workshop
February 12, 2026
4:00 PM ET
Staff Moderator: LaRob K. Rafael 
Featured Speaker: Melinda Wagner

RSVP: https://secure.givelively.org/event/american-composers-orchestra/trick-of-the-trade-webinar

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.

Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert

Angel Lam, New Work

Masterworks IV: The Rite of Spring

Quad City Symphony Orchestra

Alder Theater | Davenport, IA

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Program

MODEST MUSSORGSKY, Dawn on the Moskva River

ANGEL LAM, Unearthing the Heart: The Thousand Grottoes of Dunhuang [World Premiere]

IGOR STRAVINSKY, The Rite of Spring

‍‍The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program: American Composers Orchestra and League of American Orchestras 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 2025–26 season, composers have their works performed by nineteen orchestras across the U.S.
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‍Angel Lam’s New Work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert

Angel Lam, New Work

Masterworks IV: The Rite of Spring

Quad City Symphony Orchestra

Alder Theater | Davenport, IA

Program

MODEST MUSSORGSKY, Dawn on the Moskva River

ANGEL LAM, Unearthing the Heart: The Thousand Grottoes of Dunhuang [World Premiere]

IGOR STRAVINSKY, The Rite of Spring

‍‍The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program: American Composers Orchestra and League of American Orchestras 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 2025–26 season, composers have their works performed by nineteen orchestras across the U.S.
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‍Angel Lam’s New Work was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert

Andreia Pinto Correia, Ciprés

Prokofiev’s First Violin Concerto

Princeton Symphony Orchestra

Richardson Auditorium | Princeton, NJ

Program

ANDREIA PINTO CORREIA, Ciprés

SERGEI PROKOFIEV, Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 19

DIMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH, Symphony No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 10

Rossen Milanov, conductor 

Bella Hristova, violin

‍The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program: American Composers Orchestra and League of American Orchestras 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 2025–26 season, composers have their works performed by nineteen orchestras across the U.S.
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‍Ciprés was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

Virginia B. Toulmin Commission Concert

Andreia Pinto Correia, Ciprés

Prokofiev’s First Violin Concerto

Princeton Symphony Orchestra

Richardson Auditorium | Princeton, NJ

Program

ANDREIA PINTO CORREIA, Ciprés

SERGEI PROKOFIEV, Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 19

DIMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH, Symphony No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 10

Rossen Milanov, conductor 

Bella Hristova, violin
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‍The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program: American Composers Orchestra and League of American Orchestras 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 2025–26 season, composers have their works performed by nineteen orchestras across the U.S.
‍
‍Ciprés was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 7:30 PM

American Composers Orchestra

Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall | New York City, NY

Link: https://www.carnegiehall.org/Cart/Event-Seating?itemNumber=49300#/

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The New Virtuoso: For Art’s Sake features works that utilize newly created instruments and sonic media to explore symphonic texture. Spanning the use of sculptures that move and sonically react to their environments; graphic scores; gestural conduction; a survey of contemporary techniques for traditional instruments; the fashioning of instruments based on composers’ unique cultural backgrounds, these artists’ sense of design propels them into new compositional spaces.

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Mélisse Brunet, Conductor

Lucy Fitz Gibbon, Soprano

Daniel Rozin, Responsive Sculptures

Daniel Kramer, Libretto

The New Virtuoso: For Art's Sake

RAVEN CHACON, Inscription (NY Premiere, ACO Co-commission, developed via EarShot CoLABoratory) 15'

TAMAR MUSKAL, Square Off for voice, interactive kinetic sculpture and orchestra (World Premiere, ACO Commission) 20'
ELIJAH DANIEL SMITH, The Fall of Ideals (World Premiere, ACO Commission) 15'

MAZZ SWIFT, Memory FIVE: Freedom Initiate for Conductrix and Orchestra (ACO Commission, developed via EarShot CoLABoratory, World Premiere) 10'

AARON ISRAEL LEVIN, Lear in the storm (ACO Commission, World Premiere) 10'

Eastman School of Music | Rochester, NY

Link: https://events.rochester.edu/event/eastman-school-symphony-orchestra-6358?n=138

Michael Frazier, composer 

Jordan Bak, viola

In every era of uncertainty, artists and visionaries have been the true searchlights — illuminating new paths forward when the world needs them most. Join us for a celebration honoring two luminary couples who exemplify our core values of artistry, creativity, community, and equity. 

Immerse yourself in a genre-bending experience rooted in Prohibition Era rebellion and Gatsby-esque opulence. This gathering of artists and their champions is a celebration of artistic disruption and all the good trouble that may come!

This musical evening will honor the past, inspire the present, and light the way for the future, while supporting our American composers through ACO's national EarShot composer advancement programs, orchestral performances, and educational initiatives.

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HONOREES

Ray & Vivian Chew

Elizabeth & Justus Schlichting

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GALA CHAIRS

Diana Elton

Melin Tan-Geller

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HONORARY COMMITTEE

In formation

Raven Chacon

Philip Glass

George Lewis

Meredith Monk

Huang Ruo

Shanta Thake

Joan Tower

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GALA COMMITTEE

In formation

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ICON

Thomas Brener* and Inbal Segev

Augusta Gross* and Leslie Samuels

Matthew Keesan*

Justus and Elizabeth Schlichting

Melin Tan-Geller* and David Geller

Marilyn Go* and Richard Dolan, Schlam, Stone, & Dolan LLP

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MAVERICK

Ray and Vivian Chew

Diana Elton

Ilya Karaulov*

Frederick Wertheim and Angelo Chan

MUSE

‍Alberta Arthurs

Tess Mateo* and Gary Brewster

George and Andrea Miller

Cate Moye

Steinway and Sons

Judith R. and Michael E. Thoyer

EXPLORER

Patricia Barksdale

Astrid and John Baumgardner

Atif Bhanjee*

Lillian Z. Bender Fund

Scott Dunn* and Robbie Moray

Marisa Eisemann

Susan Feder and Todd Gordon

Michael Fehrman* and Andrea Luciano

Jonathan Bailey Holland*

Annette McEvoy* and Harold Bronheim

Yimin Ngan and Patricia Saich

Wende Persons

Dennis Powers

Norman Ryan

Deborah Steinglass and Al Giammarinaro

Melinda Wagner* and Jim Saporito

Jess Ting*

Dionne Warwick

Lisa Evanson Washburn*

André Washington*

Brian Waters*

Philip Webb  

Richard Weinert*

Shinian Ye* and Cathy Huang  

SUPPORTERS

Mashey Bernstein

Anthony and Kathleen Calabrese

Jane Cavalier*

Valentine Chmerkovsky

NancyBell Coe

Ruth Eliel

Corey Field

Marc Giosi

Eric Hutcherson

Will Kerlick, Center Staging

Ron Lipuma

Tim Mar, Concert Artists Guild

Patricio Molina

Dominique Pasols

Azi Schwartz

Kenny Seymour

Sean Statser, Kettles & Co.

JoAnn Tominaga

Theodore Wiprud

* Indicates ACO Board Member

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SPONSORSHIP & TICKETS

Purchase your tickets before the event.

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Visionary $25,000

• 8 Premiere 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)
• Recognition as an official sponsor of The New Virtuoso: For Art’s Sake ACO’s October 29, 2025 concert at Carnegie Hall
• 8 VIP tickets to ACO’s The New Virtuoso: For Art’s Sake concert at Carnegie Hall, plus invite to exclusive post-show reception

$23,000 of this purchase is tax-deductible

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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)
• Recognition as an official sponsor of The New Virtuoso: For Art’s Sake, ACO’s October 29, 2025 concert at Carnegie Hall

• 4 VIP tickets to ACO’s The New Virtuoso: For Art’s Sake concert at Carnegie Hall, plus invite to exclusive post-show reception 

$8,000 of this purchase is tax-deductible

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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

• Invitation to a special ACO insider event

$4,000 of this purchase is tax-deductible

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Muse $1,500  

• 1 VIP ticket to the dinner & performance with select seating
• Listing in Gala Journal

• Invitation to a special ACO insider event

$1,250  of this purchase is tax-deductible

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Explorer $1000

• 1 VIP ticket to the dinner & performance
• Listing in Gala Journal

$750  of this purchase is tax-deductible

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Non-Profit/Artist Ticket $300

• 1 VIP ticket to the dinner & performance
• Listing in Gala Journal

$50  of this purchase is tax-deductible