Performances
& Events

ACO Concert at Carnegie Hall

[PULL FROM THE PROGRAM]

The ACO and the Buffalo Philharmonic present the 2013 Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute (JCOI) Earshot New Music Readings featuring the some of the country's most talented emerging American Jazz composers.

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

Welcome to American Composers Orchestra’s 40th Birthday Concert and Gala! For 40 years, ACO has dedicated itself to the creation, performance, and celebration of American music. Not only does ACO honor our legacy, but we take pride in finding and nurturing the next generation of creative artists through work with emerging composers both here in New York at the Underwood New Music Readings and nationally through EarShot. Working with emerging composers - both in our pre-professional platforms and through our education programs in our city’s public schools - gives us an opportunity to help define what it means to be American in 2017, embracing gender, ethnic, national and stylistic diversity and realizing the notion of “American” in the most inclusive way possible. Tonight’s program encapsulates how ACO defines its mission. With music by our recently passed and beloved founder Francis Thorne and by composer - and founder of National Sawdust - Paola Prestini, we pay tribute to two of our special honorees who have made the community of contemporary American music so strong. Ellington and the American songbook are represented and tip our hat to founder Francis Thorne’s love for this music. With Leonard Bernstein’s sonata orchestrated for large ensemble, we note the exciting season of Bernstein@100, celebrations taking place all over the world. And of course, it would not be an ACO concert without an exciting, new voice like Elizabeth Ogonek’s. In addition to Francis and Paola, ACO honors the Leonard Bernstein family - Alexander, Nina and Jamie Bernstein. Through their work in music education and by keeping alive the flame of their father’s genius, this trio of fantastic siblings have contributed enormously to the musical life of our city, our country, and the world. Ellen and James S. Marcus are among the most active cultural philanthropists in the country, and ACO has been blessed to be among the beneficiaries of their passion for the arts. Finally, along with the presence of Dennis Russell Davies on the podium tonight, we celebrate our founders by honoring not only Francis Thorne but also the extraordinary musician Paul Lustig Dunkel, ACO's long time Associate Conductor, an original member and co-founder with Dennis and Francis. Thank you to all for what they do to make our work possible. Please join us for other concerts this coming season which include a collaboration with the PROTOTYPE festival in January when we co-present the NY Premiere of Fellow Travelers by composer Gregory Spears and librettist Greg Pierce; our annual appearances at Zankel Hall where we will celebrate Philip Glass’ 80th birthday and play music by two younger composers who have benefited from his mentorship as well as featuring jazz and world music champions writing for orchestra; and of course, our annual Underwood New Music Readings where we discover where the next generation will take us. ACO extends a heartfelt thank you to its dedicated board, staff and musicians; to our cherished patrons for tonight’s event for their generous support; to our honorees; and most importantly, to you, our audience. We are a community of active listeners, supporters, creators and performers who share a passion for American orchestral music. The renewing and inspiring circle of energy created by all parts of this community is what makes our work exciting, adventurous and joyful. ACO is hard at work on a new strategic plan that will help us face the future with determination, rigor and amazing music. Stay tuned for the next 40 years and have a great time tonight! With gratitude and warmest wishes, Derek Bermel/Artistic Director George Manahan/Music Director Frederick Wertheim, Chairman Ed Yim/President

The ACO joins the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for their very first Earshot New Music Reading

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 San Diego Symphony for their 2012 Earshot New Music Readings

The ACO partners with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra for a second time in 2014 for the Earshot New Music Readings.

ACO partners with the Buffalo Philharmonic for their 2014-15 Earshot New Music Readings

ACO partners with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra for their 2014-15 Earshot New Music Readings

The ACO partners with the New York Philharmonic for their 2014 Earshot New Music Readings featuring American Composers.

The ACO partners with the Pioneer Valley Symphony for their 2010 Earshot New Music Readings.

The ACO partners with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for their first season of Earshot New Music Readings

The ACO partners with the Buffalo Philharmonic for their 2011 Earshot New Music Readings.

The ACO partners with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for their 2014 Earshot New Music readings titled "Classical Roots"

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 Naples Philharmonic for their 2015-16 Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute Earshot New Music Readings

ACO partners with the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra for their 2016-17 Earshot New Music Readings

ACO partners with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra for their 2015-16 Earshot New Music Readings

Detroit, MI – On Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at 1:30pm and Saturday, March 9, 2019 at 11am, EarShot (the National Orchestral Composition Discovery Network) and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), present the readings of new works by four emerging composers at Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center (3711 Woodward Avenue). The New Music Readings will be the culmination of a series of private readings, feedback sessions, and work with mentor composers Gabriela Lena Frank, Derek Bermel, DSO’s Classical Roots composer-in-residence Jonathan Bailey Holland, as well as conductor André Raphel. The selected composers and their works, chosen from a national call for scores that yielded 54 applicants, are Brian Nabors (Rise), Marian L. Harrison Stephens (Out of Kilter), Anthony Tidd (Sa & Alatangana), and Kerwin Young (American Caravan). In addition to the orchestral readings, the DSO EarShot residency includes a professional development component on building skills in education and community engagement. From March 1-4, participant composers will receive hands-on training, through collaboration with DSO Teaching Artists, guest composer Jessie Montgomery, and ACO Education Director Kevin James, to explore the basics of student engagement and will present composition basics to students in local public schools. All DSO EarShot activities occur during the DSO's annual Classical Roots presentation, which has celebrated the contributions of African-Americans to classical music for 41 years. More information is available here: www.dso.org/classicalroots. EarShot, an initiative of American Composers Orchestra (ACO) in partnership with American Composers Forum, League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA, is the nation’s first ongoing program for identifying and promoting the most promising orchestral composers on the national stage. ACO’s artistic and administrative staff collaborates with participating orchestras, assisting with planning, program design, and execution. EarShot residencies include mentorship from the most accomplished orchestral composers in the country, orchestra readings, and musician and conductor feedback sessions. The program is customized to each host orchestra’s aesthetic, demographic, community, and educational interests. Additional EarShot readings this season occurred with Grand Rapids Symphony (September 26-30, 2018) and are upcoming with Sarasota Orchestra (March 12-16, 2019) and American Composers Orchestra (Underwood New Music Readings, May 23-24, 2019).

(Philadelphia, August 16, 2018)—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.

Davidson, NC – 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.

GrandRapids,MI–On Friday, September28, 2018 and Saturday, September29, 2018, EarShot (the National Orchestral Composition Discovery Network), Art Prize, and the Grand Rapids Symphony present the readings of new works by four emerging composers at The Morton (55IoniaAveNW). The New Music Readings will be the culmination of a series of private readings, feedback sessions, and work with mentor composers Bright Sheng, David Biedenbender, and Margaret Brouwer. The selected composers, chosen from an international candidate pool of 159 applicants, are Emmanuel Berrido (Danza Ritual), Tyler Eschendal (Zarathustra Mixtape), Jiyoung Ko (Remembrances) ,and Daniel Leo (Blowing Mad Clouds).

New York, NY – EarShot (the National Orchestral Composition Discovery Network) announces ten emerging composerschosen 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 privatereadings, feedback sessions, and work with mentor composers. EarShot is a partnership between American ComposersOrchestra, 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) areNiloufar 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 andadvocates, EarShot works with orchestras around the country to identify and support promising composers in the early stages oftheir careers. Orchestras have relied on EarShot to advise them on commissions, competitions, and program design in addition toidentifying composers consistent with the orchestra’s artistic vision. EarShot residencies include established composermentorship, orchestra readings, and musician and conductor feedback sessions, and are customized to the orchestra’s aestheticand/or demographic interests and community and education activities.

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.

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 identify and connect with composers consistent with their artistic vision, and to advise the orchestra on commissions, competitions, and program design. Managed by the American Composers Orchestra (ACO), EarShot is a partnership between the ACO, League of American Orchestras, American Composers Forum, and New Music USA. Over the past 10 years EarShot has initiated dozens of composer/orchestra/conductor relationships across the country offering opportunities to more than 100 composers. In 2016, ACO launched a composer archive of past EarShot compositions now in the orchestral repertoire.In keeping with ACO’s commitment to customizing the EarShot residencies to the participating orchestra’s programming requests, Aguascalientes Symphony Orchestra selected 3 Mexican composers and 3 American composers for their residency.

American Composers Orchestra seeks to identify and celebrate emerging American composers through its EarShot program. 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 identify and connect with composers consistent with their artistic vision, and to advise the orchestra on commissions, competitions, and program design. Managed by the American Composers Orchestra (ACO), EarShot is a partnership between the ACO, League of American Orchestras, American Composers Forum, and New Music USA. Over the past 10 years EarShot has initiated dozens of composer/orchestra/conductor relationships across the country offering opportunities to more than 100 composers. In 2016, ACO launched a composer archive of past EarShot compositions now in the orchestral repertoire. This year, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra participant composers will work closely with mentor composers Robert Beaser, Chen Yi, and Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, as well as conductor Bradley Thachuk.

Sarasota, FL – On Saturday, March 16, 2019 at 8pm, EarShot (the National Orchestral Composition Discovery Network) and the Sarasota Orchestra present the readings of new works by four emerging composers at Holley Hall (709 N Tamiami Trail). Led by Los Angeles based conductor Christopher Rountree, the New Music Readings will be the culmination of a series of private readings, feedback sessions, and work with mentor composers Robert Beaser, Laura Karpman, and Chinary Ung. The selected composers and their works, chosen from a national call for scores that yielded 127 applicants, are Krists Auznieks (Crossing), Nicky Sohn (Bird Up), Sam Wu (Wind Map), and Kitty Xiao (Ink and Wash). Additional activities include professional development panels with the mentor composers and guests William J. Lackey of American Composers Forum, Stephen Miles of New College of Florida, and select staff from the Sarasota Orchestra administrative team. “Sarasota Orchestra is thrilled to be a partner for the ACO’s Earshot initiative and a leader on the national forefront of orchestras raising the profile of emerging composers,” said Sarasota Orchestra President/CEO Joseph McKenna. “As one of only three professional orchestras in the country awarded this opportunity in the 2018-2019 season, we recognize that we are doing something special for Sarasota and our entire region’s arts community. This incredible experience is a testament to the power of our mission to engage, educate and enrich through live performance.” EarShot, an initiative of American Composers Orchestra (ACO) in partnership with American Composers Forum, League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA, is the nation’s first ongoing program for identifying and promoting the most promising orchestral composers on the national stage. ACO’s artistic and administrative staff collaborates with participating orchestras, assisting with planning, program design, and execution. EarShot residencies include mentorship from the most accomplished orchestral composers in the country, orchestra readings, and musician and conductor feedback sessions. The program is customized to each host orchestra’s aesthetic, demographic, community, and educational interests. Additional EarShot readings this season occurred with Grand Rapids Symphony (September 26-30, 2018) and are upcoming with Detroit Symphony Orchestra (March 2-9, 2019) and American Composers Orchestra (Underwood New Music Readings, May 23-24, 2019).

Artis—Naples is pleased to announce its participation in the American Composers Orchestra’s EarShot Readings this spring. The Naples Philharmonic joins American Composers Orchestra, the Atlanta and Dallas symphony orchestras, and The Next Festival of Emerging Artists, among this season’s participating ensembles, with reading sessions at Artis—Naples taking place on May 15 and 16, 2023. Tickets are free, but required, for the EarShot Reading on May 16 at 7pm, and available for reservation now. 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 and professional development, EarShot ensures a vibrant musical future by investing in creativity today. EarShot Readings include a series of readings of composer’s works, feedback sessions and work with mentor composers. Composers also receive a recording of their work. Feedback sessions with principal players and artistic leaders provide crucial artistic, technical and conceptual assistance. Created by the American Composers Orchestra (ACO), these sessions are operated in partnership with the American Composers Forum, New Music USA and the League of American Orchestras, providing composers with professional working experiences with orchestras from every region of the country. Each season, ACO plans one EarShot Reading in New York City with its own musicians and multiple readings around the country. Three young female composers will have their works workshopped and performed at Artis— Naples by the Naples Philharmonic, led by Associate Conductor Radu Paponiu, in May: Mengmeng Wang, whose works have been performed around the world, served as composer-in-residence at Atlantic Center of the Arts in 2018. She has also worked with the Shanghai Opera Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Dal Niente and International Contemporary Ensemble. Her EarShot Reading composition is entitled Onomatopoeia – The Architecture of Sound. Jing Jing Luo is a multifaceted artist whose works span various genres, from classical and film to pop and sound installations. She was a visiting professor in music composition at Oberlin Conservatory and has served on the panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, Chamber Music of America and Ohio Arts Council, as well as taught and lectured throughout the United States and around the world. Her EarShot Reading composition is entitled Hakka. Meilina Tsui writes music that uniquely combines elements of Central and East Asian cultures, and her work has been performed and read across Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East by leading soloists, ensembles and orchestras, garnering many accolades, including the 2022 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award. Her EarShot Reading composition is entitled Scenes at the Uralsk Fair from Nomadic Trails for Orchestra. The mentors for this reading session with the Naples Philharmonic will be Molly Joyce, a composer and performer whose work focuses on disability as a creative source, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and ACO board member Melinda Wagner. Following the reading session in May, Artis—Naples will commission a new work from one of the three EarShot Readings composers for the Naples Philharmonic to give the world premiere in a subsequent season. This EarShot Readings program at Artis—Naples is made possible by the van Bergen Women Composers Fund, which was a special fund initiated by the Artis—Naples Board of Directors in celebration of CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen’s 10-year anniversary at the organization in September 2021.