New Music USA has announced the six inaugural composers to receive co-commissions with U.S. orchestras as part of its new Amplifying Voices program, which fosters collaboration and collective action toward equitable representation of composers of color in classical music. The six composers are Valerie Coleman, Juan Pablo Contreras, Tania León, Brian Raphael Nabors, Tyshawn Sorey, and Shelley Washington. Each composer’s new score will be performed by at least four orchestras during the 2021-22 season, with a minimum of 24 orchestras participating. The lead orchestras co-commissioning new works are the Philadelphia Orchestra (Valerie Coleman), Las Vegas Philharmonic (Juan Pablo Contreras), Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (Tania León), Berkeley Symphony (Brian Raphael Nabors), Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Tyshawn Sorey), and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (Shelley Washington). Each will form a consortium with at least three additional orchestras, which will also perform the new piece. Leaders at each orchestra will also work with their partner composer to increase the programming of works in their mainstream seasons by composers of all generations whose voices have not been represented in orchestral programming. The six composers were selected by an independent panel including composer Michael Abels, conductor Carolyn Kuan, media personality and musician Garrett McQueen, and artistic administrator Evans Mirageas.
Change font size
