New Music USA announced that it has awarded $337,000 in its first round of grants to support 60 projects in a variety of artistic disciplines. Grant recipients include the Boston and New Haven symphony orchestras and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra; composers William Bolcom, Chris Brubeck, Christopher Cerrone, David Lang, and Charles Wuorinen; 92nd Street Y concerts; Alarm Will Sound, International Contemporary Ensemble, and Roomful of Teeth; and the Grant Park Music Festival. Among the projects are an opera about the Great Famine in Ireland; performances in musical houses/structures built with invented instruments embedded in the floors, windows, and walls; and new works incorporating Sufi and Persian singing. The 60 projects were selected from 1,618 applications, which were submitted by creating an online project page rather than a traditional proposal. Projects were evaluated by a group of 47 panelists after the grant submission period began in October 2013. New Music USA was formed in 2011 from the merger of the American Music Center and Meet The Composer. More information on the projects is available here.
Posted March 17, 2014
