New Music USA’s Amplifying Voices program, which fosters collaboration toward racial and gender equity in new orchestral music, has over thirty orchestras from across the United States signed up to premiere new works co-commissioned from nine of today’s leading composers: Valerie Coleman, Juan Pablo Contreras, Vijay Iyer, Tania León, Jessie Montgomery, Brian Raphael Nabors, Nina Shekhar, Tyshawn Sorey, and Shelley Washington. Each of the composer’s pieces will be performed by a minimum of four orchestras.
Amplifying Voices fosters collaboration and collective action toward equitable representation of composers in classical music. This long-term program aims to increase the support and promotion of composers who have been historically marginalized, create space for their contributions to artistic-planning at major national orchestras, and make major strides toward transforming the classical canon for future generations. In addition to facilitating co-commissions, Amplifying Voices also asks orchestras for a commitment to sharing existing repertoire by BIPOC composers.
The orchestras participating across the country include The Philadelphia Orchestra commissioning Valerie Coleman, with co-commissioners the New World Symphony, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and San Diego Symphony Orchestra.
About Amplifying Voices
Amplifying Voices aims to make major strides in diversifying orchestral repertoire. According to the Institute for Composer Diversity’s analysis of 120 American orchestras’ 2019-2020 plans, 94% of music programmed for that season’s mainstage orchestral concerts was written by white composers. For the 2021-2022 season, which includes the first set of Amplifying Voices premieres, that number has dropped to 83%.
Vanessa Reed, President and CEO of New Music USA, says, “The orchestras participating in Amplifying Voices are programming new music by some of the most talented composers in the US while recognizing that our musical canon will only evolve if these pieces are played more than once. I’m so pleased that this program gives more audiences across the country a chance to discover the power of these composers’ work as we all strive towards a more open and equitable future for classical music.”
The Amplifying Voices program continues New Music USA’s legacy of connecting living composers and orchestras in the US to create new works. From 2011-2019, New Music USA ran the Music Alive Composer in Residence program with support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This built on the work of one of New Music USA’s founding organizations, Meet The Composer (MTC), which launched its breakthrough Composer In Residence program in 1982. In its 20-year span, Music Alive, which was run in partnership with the League of American Orchestras, supported 116 composers, 79 orchestras, and 121 distinct residencies.
