In Monday’s (10/18) New York Times, Allan Kozinn writes, “The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, which takes the populist view that musical interpretations can be shaped by the ensemble rather than by a conductor, has expanded on that concept in a commissioning program, Project 440. The orchestra’s goal was to commission four composers to help celebrate its 40th anniversary. Intent on getting its audience involved, it joined forces with WQXR, the classical radio station, which opened the process to its listeners. Orpheus and WQXR assembled a panel of more than 30 performers, composers and music executives, who nominated 60 composers. … The selection committee, taking listener comments into account, chose 30 semifinalists whose music was streamed for 24 hours on Q2, WQXR’s internet station. … the four winners were announced at the first Orpheus concert of the season, on Thursday at Carnegie Hall. They are Alex Mincek, a New York composer who studied with Tristan Murail and Fred Lerdahl at Columbia University, and with Nils Vigeland at the Manhattan School of Music; Clint Needham, who recently completed his doctorate at Indiana University, and has won several composition prizes; Andrew Norman, a California-based composer who studied at the University of Southern California and at Yale University; and Cynthia Lee Wong, who completed her studies at the Juilliard School.”
Posted October 18, 2010
