University Profs. Get Library Pass to New Music

University Profs. Get Library Pass to New Music

Across America, young music students are being fed a steady diet of the standard repertoire while learning the rudiments of the violin or the oboe. In many cases it’s not until their arrival at a conservatory or university that an opportunity to explore the work of living composers is even offered. Realizing this, The New… Read more »

Written By

Molly Sheridan



Across America, young music students are being fed a steady diet of the standard repertoire while learning the rudiments of the violin or the oboe. In many cases it’s not until their arrival at a conservatory or university that an opportunity to explore the work of living composers is even offered.

Realizing this, The New Music Performance Collection, a cooperative project of the Virginia Tidewater Consortium libraries, has been established to serve music faculty members who incorporate new music in their teaching. The collection is housed in the Diehn Composers Room at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Participating institutions also include Hampton University, Christopher Newport University, Norfolk State University, and the College of William and Mary.

How To Submit

Composers interested in participating in the project should contact the Diehn Composers Room Consultant, Anna Gordon, at 757.683.4175 for further information on submissions. Published (including out-of-print) and printed scores or manuscripts, digitized scores, audiotapes, CDs, and digitized audio files are all acceptable formats. The collection emphasizes small vocal and instrumental chamber ensembles of no more than twelve parts over large orchestral or symphonic works. All musical genres are being collected at this time except those that are purely electronic.

“Our goal is that this collection will serve music faculty throughout the United States who may contact the composers about their work and facilitate access to materials that might otherwise be unavailable or unpublished,” explains Lori Anne Boocks, Diehn Composers Room Supervisor.

The composers room currently includes the work of 93 composers and the development of a search database and Web site is underway. Boocks further explains that one of project’s main goals at this time is to garner more submissions from active composers throughout the United States. “We are focusing on post-1970 compositions in order to have music faculty and their university ensembles work with living composers. Music faculty may use this resource to select new music for student performances and to provide an opportunity to work directly with the composer.”

Works added to the collection are generally pieces commissioned by established ensembles or performers or juried as winners in composition contests, such as those held by The Society of Composers, Inc. The material is submitted as a gift, not a loan. One score is archived and another is put into circulation. The composer is required to complete an interview sheet on each piece, including the name of the organization that commissioned or awarded the prize, and a deed of gift.

Borrowing privileges are available to music faculty of any United States institution of higher learning. Music faculty and participating composers who wish to access the database must contact the Diehn Composers Room for an id and password. Old Dominion University provides access to these materials for noncommercial education and research purposes only. Those interested in borrowing from the collection should complete an online interlibrary loan form under “Borrowing Materials.”

Composers in the collection as of this writing: