28 Composers Receieve a Total of $31K in AMC Composer Assistance Program Awards
The American Music Center (AMC) has awarded Composer Assistance Program grants totaling $31,000 to 28 American composers based in 12 states and ranging in age from 24 to 78. AMC annually awards grants that assist composers by helping them realize their music in premiere performances. Since 1962, the Composer Assistance Program (CAP) has provided over $2 million in support to American composers. Over 1,420 composers have received a CAP award at some point in their career, including Gordon Beeferman, Eve Beglarian, David Del Tredici, Gabriela Lena Frank, and Steve Reich. Composers must be members of the American Music Center to apply for an award. As of the October 2009 round, composers are now able to receive travel assistance to attend the premiere of the awarded work. The grants are intended to help composers take full advantage of performance opportunities that will enhance their careers. Ensembles and organizations premiering or featuring public readings of this most recent round of CAP-supported works include Ethel, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolis Ensemble, and Earplay. A complete list of the most recent composer awardees and information about their works appears below.
- Timothy Andres (New York NY): TBA – Metropolis Ensemble
- Rick Baitz (New York NY): Chthonic Dances, Part I – Ethel
- Greg Bartholomew (Seattle WA): Five Scenes from Razumov – Tristan Robben, Peter Lindh, Mark Narins
- David Biedenbender (Ann Arbor, MI): Stomp – Central Michigan University Symphony Wind Ensemble
- Gina Biver (City Falls Church, VA): Bloody Mary – Gina Biver and ensemble
- William Britelle (Brooklyn, NY): Soft Animal – The Janus Trio
- Frank Carlberg (Brooklyn, NY): Selfportraits – A Suite in Five Movements – The Clazz Ensemble
- Nomi Epstein (Chicago, IL): Solo for Large Ensemble – Ostravka Band conducted by Petr Kotik
- Paul Hayden (Lafayette, LA): Les Amours et les Beaux Jours – Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
- Melba Joyce (New York NY): You Are My Song – Jazz Ensemble
- Asuka Katikani (Brooklyn, NY): Re-Imagining Songs from My Childhood – Asuka Katikani Jazz Orchestra
- Angel Lam (New Haven, CT): In Search of Seasons – Colorado Symphony
- George Lam (Durham, NC): The Queen’s Gramophone – Hong Kong Sinfonietta
- Chris Lastovicka (Philmont, NY): Crossing the Horizon – Opera Vista
- Gordon Lee (Cupertino, CA): Young Impressions of the Old City – Wanpeng Guo, Shenshen Zhang, Siu-Chen Liu, and the Orchestra of Silicon Valley
- Andrew List (Boston, MA): Early Song for Cello and Orchestra – Boston Classical Orchestra
- Ruth Lomon (Cambridge, MA): Weaving(s) – James Shield, clarinet; Sally Guenther, cello; David Tolen, vibraphone; Madeline Williamson, piano
- Pamela J. Marshall (Lexington, MA): Quintero sobre las poemas de Carlos Pintado – South Beach Chamber Ens.
- Hyo-Shin Na (San Francisco, CA): Song of One Lost in the Fog – Earplay with Shoko Hikage, koto
- Daphna Naphtali (Brooklyn, NY): New work-untitled – Vidya Shah and Daphna Naphtali
- Leroy Osmon (League City, TX): Concerto for Alto Saxophone, Cellos and 8 Percussionists – Phil Barham and Tennessee Tech. Percussion Ensemble
- Edwin Penhorwood (Bloomington, IN): An American Requiem – Southern Chorale, Hattiesburg Choral Union, USM Symphony Orchestra
- Charles Sepos (Santa Rosa, CA): Pentangle – American Philharmonic, Sonora County
- Allen Shearer (Oakland, CA): A Very Large Mole – The Harvest Players conducted by Jonathan Khuner
- Sxip Shirey (Brooklyn, NY): The Traveling Players – Sxip Shirey and Ensemble
- Dan Shore (Boston, MA): The Beautiful Bridegroom – National Opera Association
- Christina Spinei (Stamford, CT): Jolt – The Metropolis Ensemble
- David White (Brooklyn, NY): Pandora, First Lullaby, Waiting for Nancy, and Love in a Blue Time – David White Jazz Orchestra
(—Condensed from the press release)