American Composers Orchestra Announces New Solo Commissioning Initiative

In response to the impacts of COVID-19 on composers and performers, American Composers Orchestra announces Connecting ACO Community, a new initiative to commission short works for solo instrument or voice.

Each composer will receive $500 to write the work, and each performer will receive $500 to perform the work, with the rights to stream for six months. With these seven premieres, ACO aims to support artists who need financial assistance; to create new work that will live beyond this crisis; and to provide virtual, interactive performances to ACO's supporters and the general public.

Premieres of the new works will take place each Sunday at 5pm EST, beginning Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 5pm EST with violinist Miranda Cuckson performing a new work by Ethan Iverson, hosted on Zoom. Ticketholders will receive a private link to join the performance, and all of the proceeds from the ticket sales will go solely to fund artists involved in this project. If the $5 entrance fee poses a barrier to participation, interested listeners will be asked to fill out an anonymous form at https://bit.ly/ACOConnectComp or email Aiden Feltkamp at aiden@americancomposers.org to request a fee waiver.

The composer, performer, and a host (ACO President Ed Yim or ACO Artistic Director Derek Bermel, who is also donating his own performance to the project) will hold an online chat with attendees after the performance. The recorded session will be available within 24 hours after the performance on ACO's website and social media platforms, as well as on MUSIC on the REBOUND: an online platform for participating in live events as well as a platform for streaming concerts. For information about MUSIC on the REBOUND, contact Raquel Acevedo Klein at raqklein@gmail.com or 347.840.0269.

Yim and Bermel jointly state, "ACO is about supporting composers, performers, and listeners who want to explore the wealth of musical creativity in the Americas. During this unprecedented crisis, when we cannot gather our orchestra and audiences to fulfill our mission, we felt that it was important to make a creative and forward-looking contribution. We are also firmly committed to paying artists for their work in service of our community."

Connecting ACO Community Composer-Performer Teams and Schedule of Events

Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 5pm EST: Ethan Iverson & Miranda Cuckson, violin (buy tickets)

Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 5pm EST: Shara Nova & Ahya Simone, harp (buy tickets)

Sunday, May 3, 2020 at 5pm EST: Vicente Hansen Atria & Jay Campbell, cello (buy tickets)

Sunday, May 10, 2020 at 5pm EST: Sakari Dixon Vanderveer & Derek Bermel, clarinet (buy tickets)

Sunday, May 17, 2020 at 5pm EST: Gity Razaz & Jennifer Koh, violin (buy tickets)

Sunday, May 24, 2020 at 5pm EST: Yuan-Chen Li & Jeffrey Zeigler, cello (buy tickets)

Sunday, May 31, 2020 at 5pm EST: Carlos Simon & Anthony Roth Costanzo, countertenor and Brooklyn Youth Chorus (buy tickets)

ACO asked performers who have been part of the orchestra's community to choose a composer from the last five years of ACO's Readings program in the last five years, or to propose another emerging American composer that fit with the goals of the program. Certain performers who are also composers asked instead to create work for a particular solo instrumentalist or singer.