New Music USA

🚨 Composer opportunity alert from OPERA America! 🚨

Opera Grants for Women Composers: Discovery Grants support the development of new operas by women composers, advancing the important objective to increase gender parity and diversity across the field. The grant supports women composers in their exploration of opera as an artistic medium, providing funding for activities such as libretto readings, workshops, and working performances.

• Intent to apply deadline: September 20, 2024, 11:59 p.m. ET
• Full application deadline: October 25, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET
• Grant period: April 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026

Learn more:

Opera Grants for Women Composers: Discovery Grants | OPERA America Discovery Grants provide support for the development of new operas by women directly to individual composers who identify as women, advancing the important objective of increasing diversity across the field.

Yesterday, our 2024 Next Jazz Legacy cohort gathered for another learning session, focusing on the journey of self-discovery and growth as an artist. Next Jazz Legacy co-founder Terri Lyne Carrington and Advisory Board member Aja Burrell Wood discussed personal and professional development with each awardee. They helped the cohort identify short-term and long-term goals, as well as gave guidance on how to leverage their strengths and address areas for self-improvement.

Through open discussions and introspection, the cohort explored how their goals can shape their journey over the next year and how the Next Jazz Legacy program can support them in realizing their aspirations. ✨



Pictured L-R:
Nicole McCabe
Christie Dashiell Music
Kanoa Mendenhall
Ciara Moser
Eliza Salem
Amyra León
Yvonne Rogers

The new music community mourns the loss of Sarah Gibson, a visionary composer, remarkable pianist, wonderful teacher, and cherished friend.

Sarah was an incredibly original composer. Her exquisite orchestral colors and expansive melodies were trademarks of her unique style. Sarah’s music often elevated women’s voices. Notably, her orchestral work 'to make this mountain taller,' commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, pays tribute to bold, strong, and capable women. Sarah was a frequent collaborator of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and wrote wonderful music for the Tanglewood Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival and School, and Seattle Symphony.

Sarah literally knew the piano inside out. As co-founder of the HOCKET piano duo, she performed the most cutting-edge music that often called for her to play inside the piano, jam on toy piano, and engage with electronics. A true champion of new music, she premiered and commissioned more than 100 works for HOCKET.

Sarah was also a caring and passionate teacher. She served on faculty at the USC Thornton School of Music, UC Santa Barbara and most recently at California State University, Long Beach. She was also the Assistant Director for the LA Phil Composer Fellowship Program, where she taught for over a decade. Sarah’s impact on the new generation of West Coast composers was exceptional. Her positive outlook on life and joyful approach to making music will continue to inspire musicians for years to come.

New Music USA mourns the passing of Sarah. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and the music community at large.

- Juan Pablo Contreras, New Music USA Board Member

For the second consecutive year, we are thrilled to partner with Ravinia Festival’s 2024 Breaking Barriers Festival and the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship to offer an orchestral reading and professional networking opportunity for three Midwest-based woman, non-binary, or transgender composers, whose works will be conducted by Taki Alsop fellows.

Spearheaded by Ravinia Chief Conductor Marin Alsop, Breaking Barriers shines a light on women in classical music - composers, conductors, artists, and leaders who are making a difference - with the goal of facilitating new peer networks and advancing gender equity in the field. In addition to music, this year’s festival, which takes place from July 24-27, also spotlights women in science.

This year’s awardees, who were chosen through a call for scores, are:

Soomin Kim (she/her) of St. Paul, MN; Autumn Maria Reed (she/her) of Delafield, WI; and Huan Sun (she/her) of Bloomington, IN. Genevieve Knoebel (she/her) of Urbana, IL received an honorable mention and will also attend the festival.

They will collaborate with conductors Hannah Howard Andersen, Nefeli Chadouli, and Karin Hendrickson.

Learn more: https://newmusicusa.org/newsroom/breaking-barriers-awardees-2024/

We are thrilled to see more fellowship opportunities opening up for those historically underrepresented in jazz. Congratulations to all the recipients! 🎉

Have an upcoming music event? Submit it to our Community Calendar! 📆 It’s free, simple, quick, and helps give your event the boost it deserves.

🤝 We rely on your help to keep our calendar current, showcasing a diverse range of music events from every genre and every corner of the US and beyond.

Bonus: We check the calendar for events to promote on our social media and in our monthly newsletter!

➡️ Submit your event here: https://newmusicusa.org/resources/event-calendar/add-to-event-calendar/

Our Community Calendar features upcoming music events with:
• Action Bronson
• (le) poisson rouge
• Wildflower Composers
• Newport Classical
• So Percussion
• Caroline Shaw
• Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
and more!

Opportunity alerts! 🚨 Applications are now open for the Vancouver International Film Festival's Amp Music Composer Filmmaker Accelerator (CFA) program, a hands-on learning program for emerging composers of music for media, and their 2024 Music in Media Summit, which explores every aspect of music in visual media, from composition to song placement for film, television, advertising and video games.

The Composer Filmmaker Accelerator was created to advance the dialogue and collaboration between composers and filmmakers, giving 12 talented, emerging film composers and 4 filmmakers an opportunity to take their careers to the next level by recording and performing their original score with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, with world-class mentorship from Emmy-award-winning composer, Miriam Cutler.

The Amp Music in Media Summit will take place in Vancouver from Sept 30th - Oct 5th, 2024, where 60 selected applicants will be given free entry. The program is designed to develop skills and create connections that can excel a career in film and television, with a focus on providing access to artists from traditionally marginalized communities.

• Applications for both programs close July 19th
• Eligibility & applications: https://viff.org/amp/

One week from today, the LA Phil will perform Amplifying Voices grantee & New Music USA Board Member Juan Pablo Contreras’s “Mariachtitlán” at the Hollywood Bowl! This is the first time the LA Phil will perform a piece of Juan Pablo’s, and we couldn’t be more excited for him! 🤩

The program is a veritable celebration of Mexican music and folklore: it includes works by Gabriela Ortiz and Chávez, as well as a performance by the Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández, Mexico’s most revered traditional dance company.

Learn more and get tickets: https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/events/performances/2939/2024-07-18/ballet-folklorico-de-mexico-with-the-la-phil

📸: LA Phil

Grantee event! 📅 New Music Inc New York grantee LayeRhythm and Ladies of Hip-Hop are joining forces at 275PARKbk for a new collaboration set to take place this weekend in NYC!

LayeRhythm Productions, Inc. (LPI) highlights freestyle dance and music voices under-recognized in the traditional performing arts landscape. New Music USA funding will be used for musical capacity building geared toward street and club dance styles.

• Friday, July 12th, 10pm to Saturday, July 13th, 2:00am

Book your ticket: https://newmusicusa.org/events/layerhythm-x-ladies-of-hip-hop/

Grantee spotlight! ✨ 2024 Creator Fund awardees James Budinich and Waeli Wang

📍 Binghamton, NY

James Budinich and Waeli Wang’s, funded project, Sound through Movement, will use motion sensing technology to create a generative electronic score for Wang, a movement artist. The interactive nature of the score will provide new paths of exploration in their practices, allowing the movement to create sound in real time. Their collaboration will include both a workshop and performance, giving the duo time to fine tune the movement and score ahead of the premiere.

Learn more Budinich, Wang, and all our other 2024 Creator Fund grantees: https://newmusicusa.org/program/new-music-creator-fund/

Our New Music Inc cohort in Baltimore recently gathered virtually for a learning session led by Lisa Bleich about leadership and organization tactics! 🤝

These monthly cohort learning sessions are a key facet of New Music Inc, our Baltimore, Chicago, and New York-based incubator program that emphasizes hands-on skill-building for small, artist-led organizations in addition to offering financial support.

During the session, the group engaged in an interactive conversation identifying common leadership challenges and strategies toward institutional sustainability.

Lisa Bleich has built her 25-year career on two core beliefs: authentic, empathetic communication creates strong communities, and with the right support, people can solve their own challenges. A native Baltimorean, Lisa's work spans mediation, community organizing, and leadership across education, community health, and public sectors.

Thank you, Lisa, for sharing your expertise with our grantees!

As we approach the culmination of another remarkable year at New Music USA, we want to extend our deepest gratitude for your invaluable support and dedication to our shared vision of a thriving, connected, and equitable ecosystem for the music of our time, in all its forms.

Here are just a few highlights from the past year:

Photo 1: New Music USA President & CEO Vanessa Reed with composers Allison Loggins-Hull, Kathryn Bostic, and Nia Imani Franklin at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Women in Classical Music Symposium.

Photo 2: Tania León taking her bow following the Washington, DC premiere of her Amplifying Voices work, 'Pasajes’, by the National Symphony Orchestra at the The Kennedy Center.

Photo 3: The 2023 Next Jazz Legacy cohort performing at NYC Winter Jazzfest at (le) poisson rouge, New York, NY.

Photo 4: Celebrating the grantees of Reel Change: Fund for Diversity in Film Scoring in Los Angeles, CA.

As we prepare to close out our fiscal year on June 30, we invite you to join us once again by giving to the vibrant future of music. Your contribution to our year-end campaign will directly support our ongoing efforts to empower artists, engage audiences, and promote creativity through grantmaking, community building, and advocacy.

Donate to New Music USA’s Spring Campaign: https://bit.ly/DonatetoNewMusicUSA-June2024

2022 Portland Small Grant Fund awardee Rebelwise’s funded project has been officially released! 💿 Check out their new album, “Fully Loaded Altar” on your preferred music service: https://ffm.to/fullyloadedaltar

Rebelwise is an artist collective based in Portland, OR, committed to uplifting their people and communities by delivering high-caliber videos and music with intentional lyricism and life-affirming values.

We love seeing funded projects come to life! If you’re one of our grantees out there seeing this, we encourage you to tag us in your posts so that we can celebrate your achievements together!

Tomorrow night, 2024 Next Jazz Legacy awardee Nicole McCabe will perform in LA with her NJL bandleader, 6x GRAMMY-nominated pianist/composer Gerald Clayton! The pair will perform with the house band at Sam First Bar, as part of their weekly series, “Tuesday Happenings.”

Tickets & more info: https://www.samfirstbar.com/events/tuesday-happenings-hosted-by-gerald-clayton-14

Have a great show tomorrow night, Nicole and Gerald! 🎷

📸: Nicole McCabe; PC: Adrian Dizon

Earlier this month, our Director of Grantmaking Programs, Scott Winship, traveled to Houston, Texas to represent New Music USA at the League of American Orchestras’ annual conference. There, we worked with our friends at American Composers Forum, American Composers Orchestra, and the League of American Orchestras to host constituency meetings for composers who attended the conference. Twice during the conference, constituency groups met to discuss topics like marketing, development, executive leadership, and more.

One of the highlights of the conference was the outstanding keynote address given by composer Gabriela Lena Frank. She celebrated composers’ role as living story tellers and encouraged orchestras to ‘level up’ in terms of how they think about programming, so that today’s composers can use the orchestral medium, a “gleaming jewel of a repository of our culture,” to gift their testimonies of today to future generations. In her words:

“How strange it would be for our descendants to look back on the stories we preserve for this era and see less; as if we think our stories are not as important as Beethoven’s stories.”

You can watch it here:

Gabriela Lena Frank 2024 Conference Opening Session The Opening Session at the League of American Orchestras 2024 National Conference featured a thought-provoking keynote address from Gabriela Lena Frank, winn...

One of the extraordinary composers we’ve been honored to work with – Tyshawn Sorey – has been awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in Music for his work Adagio (for Wadada Leo Smith). This mesmerizing composition showcases Sorey’s unique ability to blend tradition with innovation, paying homage to the past while boldly embracing the future. We couldn’t be more happy for him and everyone at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra who brought this co-commission to life!

In fact, this piece was supported in part by New Music USA's Amplifying Voices program. Amplifying Voices is designed to cultivate a more diverse and inclusive landscape within orchestral music, where voices that have long been marginalized can finally be heard and celebrated.

However, to continue supporting artists like Tyshawn Sorey and to expand our reach even further, we rely on the generosity of individuals like you. Would you consider making a donation to New Music USA today? Your support can help us fund more projects like Sorey's, amplifying diverse voices and fostering innovation!

Donate today: https://bit.ly/DonatetoNewMusicUSA-June2024

Grantee event today! Organization Fund awardee D-Composed Chicago and The Nap Ministry Presents: Freedom Lullabies

On Juneteenth, join D-Composed, a Black chamber music collective, and Tricia Hersey, Founder of The Nap Ministry for Freedom Lullabies. "This rest experience celebrates the power of our Ancestor’s freedom and uplifts Black composers' works with revolutionary text readings."

While the D-Composed string quartet performs the music of Black composers live, Tricia Hersey will read revolutionary text from historical figures such as WEB DuBois, Audre Lorde, bell hooks, and excerpts from her New York Times Bestselling Book, "Rest is Resistance." Attendees will collectively rest and nap amongst the lush sounds and affirmative text as we celebrate liberation and dream for the future.

• Wed, Jun 19, 2024
• Gary Comer Youth Center, Chicago
• Doors Open: 12:30 | Performance Begins: 1:00 PM
• The approximate run-time of the performance is 45-minutes

Register: https://www.dcomposed.com/upcoming-events/d-composed-and-the-nap-ministry-presents-freedome-lullabies

Attention Illinois-based composers!🚨 Ear Taxi Festival is hosting a webinar on their Composer Showcase this Thursday, June 20th at 10:30am CDT.

They will share information about the upcoming festival and how the Composer Showcase fits in, talk through the application, and answer any questions.

What: Ear Taxi Festival will hold four concerts performed by four chamber ensembles, each paired with vocal artists. Five composers will be commissioned and paired with an ensemble for each event, resulting in twenty commissioned composers. Selected composers will be given a $350 stipend.

How: To participate, composers are asked to submit a proposal for a NEW work they would like to write for one of the following ensembles:

1. Lake Shore Rush
2. Quintet Attacca
3. KAIA String Quartet
4. Solo Voice and Piano

RSVP Here: https://www.facebook.com/share/f1wd2H2xxYX2nXrj/

The leadership team of Ear Taxi 2025 for a webinar all about the Composer Showcase! We will share information about the upcoming festival and how the Composer Showcase fits in, talk through the application, and answer any questions.

RSVP Here: https://www.facebook.com/share/f1wd2H2xxYX2nXrj/

We are heartbroken to learn of last week's passing of musician, teacher, and former American Music Center President Paul Sperry.

Paul Sperry is recognized as one of the first and most important interpreters of American song. He commissioned and premiered new works by dozens of composers including Leonard Bernstein’s "Dybbuk Suite" with the composer conducting the New York Philharmonic, Jacob Druckman’s "Animus IV" for the opening of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and Bernard Rands’ Pulitzer Prize winning "Canti del Sole" with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. He mentored several generations of young singers and composers. As a teacher, he served on the faculty of The Juilliard School and the Aspen Music Festival and School; and was still teaching at the Manhattan School of Music and Brooklyn College at age 90.

At New Music USA we are grateful for his long service on the board of the American Music Center (AMC) – one of our founding organizations - for over 25 years. This included three years as President. He is remembered by AMC staff as an extremely supportive, positive, and hard working board member. For more about his professional life, you can see his website at paulsperrytenor.com.

In lieu of flowers, Paul’s family has graciously suggested making donations to New Music USA. This thoughtful gesture deeply touches us, and we will acknowledge any donations made in his memory. If you would like to contribute, please donate here: https://newmusicusa.org/support-our-work/

A memorial is planned for New York, likely at Manhattan School of Music, on Sunday, September 1st. If you would like to attend please RSVP for Paul Sperry Memorial here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJpUkSVXiavJC2Gj0VaPA3K5Piv62H69dC85ttiIu_Y7SwFQ/viewform

Last week we attended the Music Publishers Association of the United States (MPA) annual awards in NYC! We were thrilled to help celebrate the awardees, including NewMusicBox founder/icon Frank J. Oteri, who was presented with the Composer Advocacy Award! 🥂

Says MPA: “Composer-advocate Frank J. Oteri has timelessly uplifted composers from all walks. With humor and an encyclopedic knowledge of contemporary (and beyond) music, he is a true gift to the New York music community.”

We couldn’t agree more. Congratulations, Frank!

Earlier this week, our Reel Change program manager, Monisha Chowdhury, visited Soho House New York to support Reel Change composer Alex Wakim during a panel discussion on director-composer collaborations at Tribeca!

At the event, Wakim discussed the work behind his funded project, Ebb & Flow. He shares, “The score we’ve developed for Ebb & Flow has become increasingly unique, due to the necessity to create new instruments specifically for this story.”

The fascinating discussion was presented by Composers Diversity Collective, Alliance for Women Film Composers, The Society of Composers & Lyricists, and Film Fatales.

Congrats to past grantee Aleksandra Vrebalov on winning the the 2024 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Music Composition for "Missa Supratext," a nontraditional choral work for string quartet and girls' chorus! 🎉

"Missa Supratext" was written for the San Francisco Girls Chorus and Kronos Quartet (who also happen to be past grantees😊) and was premiered in 2018.

📸 PC: Zeljko Mandic

New Music Inc Chicago grantee Àkójọpọ̀ will perform poignant song cycle that explores the universal themes of resilience with South African composer Ongama Lord Orro Mhlontlo at The Tank in NYC on Saturday, Dec 9!

🎟️ Tickets and more info: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35658/performance/11374636?performanceId=11374636