Commissions

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Cheswatyr New Music Initiative

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has been selected to be part of the groundbreaking Cheswatyr New Music Initiative. A multi-partner project, the Cheswatyr New Music Initiative will commission a new piece from one composer per year; support a world-premiere performance of the work by Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall; facilitate numerous subsequent performances by Orpheus during its U.S. and international tours; give the work a live local broadcast premiere on WNYC Radio and successive national and international broadcasts through NPR.

The Partners are:

• The American Music Center, the nations leading information and support center for the field of new American music.
• The Cheswatyr Foundation, which supports contemporary music through commissions, music education, and other innovative programs locally and internationally.
• NPR, an internationally acclaimed producer and distributor of non-commercial news, talk, and entertainment, serving more than 750 independently operated, noncommercial public radio stations
• The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
• WNYC Radio, America?s most listened-to public radio station with more than 1.1 million listeners per week, produces original music, cultural and new programming for local and national broadcast.

COMMISSIONS

Reflecting its commitment to expanding the chamber orchestra repertoire, Orpheus has commissioned works by both established and emerging composers. In 1992, Deutsche Grammophon released Points of Departure, a disc of Orpheus-commissioned works. Included on this groundbreaking recording were Waves by Fred Lerdahl, Nor Spell Nor Charm by Jacob Druckman, Orphée-Sérénade by William Bolcom, and Points of Departure by Michael Gandolfi.

This season Orpheus is proud to premiere two new works by composers Stephen Hartke and Ingram Marshall.

* - Joint Commission with the St. Paul and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestras, NEA

Back to top