Meet The Composer has announced the projects and awardees for three of its core programs: Commissioning Music/USA, the Cary New Music Performance Fund, and Van Lier Fellowships. This year, MTC will award $210,000 to 18 soloists and organizations for the commission of 18 new works through Commissioning Music/USA, $220,000 in general operating support to 51 New York City-based new music ensembles through the Cary New Music Performance Fund, and two $8,000 Van Lier Fellowships for a grand total of $446,000 towards the advancement of new music.

Six emerging composers from a pool of 153 candidates have been selected as participants in the Minnesota Orchestra’s eleventh annual Composer Institute. They will be in Minneapolis from January 2 to 7, 2012, for rehearsals, seminars and tutoring sessions, as well as a public “Future Classics” concert of their works on Friday, January 6, led by Music Director Osmo Vänskä.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) today announced the final recipients of the Opera Honors and Jazz Masters programs which in subsequent years are to be subsumed into a proposed NEA American Artists of the Year program. The four Opera Honorees—composer Robert Ward, mezzo soprano Risë Stevens, stage director John Conklin, and Seattle opera General Director Speight Jenkins—and the five Jazz Masters—Jack DeJohnette, Von Freeman, Charlie Haden, Sheila Jordan, and Jimmy Owens—will each receive a one-time award of $25,000 and be publicly honored in awards ceremonies in the coming months.

ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) joined the League of American Orchestras in presenting 26 awards to orchestras who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to contemporary composers at a special Awards Presentation held yesterday during the League’s 66th National Conference in Minneapolis.

Zhou Long, George Manahan, Le Poisson Rouge, Music Publishers Association, Face The Music and 49 young American composers were honored at the 12th annual ASCAP Concert Music Awards at Merkin Concert Hall.

The Herb Alpert Foundation and California Institute of the Arts have awarded the 17th Alpert Award in the Arts to five mid-career artists: Natalia Almada (film/video), Jess Curtis (dance), Nicole Mitchell (music), Emily Jacir (visual arts), and Marc Bamuthi Joseph (theatre).

Chorus America and ASCAP have recognized four choral ensembles for their adventurous programming during the 2010-2011 concert season.

Eleven young classical composers ranging in age from 14 to 27 have been named winners in the 59th Annual BMI Student Composer Awards.

Composer and NewMusicBox correspondent Missy Mazzoli’s photos from the Barbican’s celebration of Steve Reich.

Kronos Quartet and Patti Smith have been named the winners of the 2011 Polar Music Prize Award, which comes with a cash award of one million Swedish Crowns (approx $165,101 USD).