Composer Alexis C. Lamb has been selected to create a new work to be performed and recorded by Ensemble 20/21, the Curtis Institute of Music’s contemporary music ensemble. Lamb received the $10,000 commission following a competition by Curtis and the Purple Project for Democracy; the latter group was founded in 2019 to “enhance people’s understanding and appreciation of, and engagement with, democracy and democratic values.” Lamb will collaborate with designer Camilla Tassi on the new piece, scored for a small instrumental ensemble and a vocalist. The composition will utilize texts from past Supreme Court hearings, as well as images and animations of elements representing the accomplishments of individuals who have taken an active role in shaping democracy in the United States. The panel of judges who chose Lamb’s proposal include composer Amy Beth Kirsten, a faculty member at the Longy School of Music; violinist Jennifer Koh; composer Daniel Ott, on the composition faculty at the Juilliard School and Fordham University; and oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz, a member of the Imani Winds ensemble. In addition to her work as a composer, Lamb is a percussionist in Arcomusical, a nonprofit that advocates for the artistic advancement of the Afro-Brazilian berimbau and related musical instruments.
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