20 Years of BandQuest
Wednesday, October 28th, 2020
In its 20 years, BandQuest® has connected middle-level learners with living composers in meaningful ways. For those who may be new to it, BandQuest is a series of new music […]
Continue ReadingResonance: October 2020
Monday, October 5th, 2020
Accomplished music educator Portia Dunkley is the next artists in the ACF | connect program, which provides sustained support for music creators to build relationships with ensembles based in the United States. Through the development of new work, the program intentionally supports a spectrum of voices and music to advance creative musical expression, which ACF believes is essential to human culture. Dunkley has lived in Miami most of her life and she generously shared some stories from her journey in music. She’s the innovative founder of Teeny Violini, a mobile music education program provider for early education sites and schools. Spending over 16 years throughout Florida in string education, Dunkley’s leadership in music education is a bright light in the music-rich city of Miami, the South Florida region, and beyond.
Continue ReadingNew Program Celebrates Black Composers And Features South Florida
ACF | connect’s Partnership with Portia Dunkley Saint Paul, MN (October 5, 2020) – South Florida is rich with historic Black musical traditions that are diverse, vibrant, and span generations. […]
Continue ReadingAfter 29 years at ACF, Philip Blackburn Says Goodbye
Thursday, September 24th, 2020
For nearly 30 years Philip Blackburn has been unwavering in his dedication to the work of the American Composers Forum (ACF). His work has enabled hundreds of artists to receive […]
Continue ReadingAWARD-WINNING MEDIA PLATFORM I CARE IF YOU LISTEN JOINS AMERICAN COMPOSERS FORUM
Thursday, September 17th, 2020
St. Paul, MN (September 17, 2020) – I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, the award-winning multimedia hub for living music creators, has officially become part of the American Composers Forum. After […]
Continue ReadingINNOVA RECORDINGS ENTERS A NEW CHAPTER
Friday, September 4th, 2020
Program Expansion and Staff Changes at the longtime Label of ACF Leading into its 50th anniversary in 2025, American Composers Forum (ACF) has developed a new strategic plan. Key aspects of […]
Continue ReadingResonance: September 2020
The Healing Culture Work of Composer and Vocalist Mankwe Ndosi by Sun Yung Shin “The aim of each thing which we do is to make our lives and the lives […]
Continue ReadingAnnouncing 신 선 영 辛善英 Sun Yung Shin as editor of the ACF Resonance Series.
Thursday, September 3rd, 2020
We are thrilled to announce that Sun Yung Shin will become the new editor of ACF’s Resonance Storytelling series.
Continue ReadingACF Statement of Commitment to Racial Equity available for public feedback
The ACF Racial Equity Statement will be available for public feedback from September 3rd through October 5th.
Continue Reading19th Amendment Centennial series UNEVEN MEASURES begins
Friday, August 7th, 2020
American Composers Forum in partnership with I Care If You Listen to kickoff UNEVEN MEASURES: Artists Reflect on the 19th Amendment in 2020 series The centennial anniversary of the ratification […]
Continue ReadingResonance: July 2020
Friday, July 3rd, 2020
Learning through the Ears: Reflections on Heard in Havana In 2014, President Barack Obama announced that his administration would begin the process of normalizing relations between the United States and […]
Continue Reading2020 McKnight Composer Fellows and McKnight Visiting Composers Announced
Thursday, June 18th, 2020
The American Composers Forum (ACF) today announced the recipients of this year’s McKnight Fellowships for Composers, funded by the McKnight Foundation. These awards, which include $25,000 in unrestricted funds for […]
Continue ReadingACF Accepts League’s Gold Baton Award
Monday, June 15th, 2020
On Friday, June 12, CEO Vanessa Rose accepted the League of American Orchestras’ Gold Baton Award on behalf of ACF at their conference’s closing event (online). Read her acceptance speech […]
Continue ReadingACF Receives the League of American Orchestra’s Highest Honor
Friday, June 12th, 2020
The American Composers Forum (ACF) and New Music USA will jointly receive the League of American Orchestras’ highest honor, the Gold Baton, the League announced today. ACF President and CEO […]
Continue ReadingACF Announces Winners of the NextNotes® High School Music Creator Awards
Monday, April 20th, 2020
Download PDF Press Release here. The American Composers Forum (ACF) is thrilled to announce the winners of the sixth annual NextNotes® High School Music Creator Awards. NextNotes is a national […]
Continue ReadingACF Message Regarding COVID-19
Thursday, March 12th, 2020
With the rising public health concerns about the coronavirus (COVID-19), the American Composers Forum (ACF) is committed to the health and wellness of our large national community. We are paying […]
Continue ReadingComposers Selected for 2020 Minnesota Emerging Composer Awards (MECA)
Thursday, January 16th, 2020
The American Composers Forum is pleased to announce the results of the 2020 Minnesota Emerging Composer Awards (MECA), supported with funds from the Jerome Foundation. Three area music creators have […]
Continue ReadingComposers Selected for ACF | create Program
Thursday, January 9th, 2020
ST. PAUL, MN – The American Composers Forum is pleased to announce the 2020 recipients of its ACF | create program (formerly JFund – Jerome Fund for New Music). For […]
Continue ReadingCall for Articles: New Series on Cultural Appropriation in Partnership with I CARE IF YOU LISTEN
Friday, November 22nd, 2019
AMERICAN COMPOSERS FORUM and I CARE IF YOU LISTEN are launching a ten-month series entitled “Out of Context” to help our collective field open new channels for exploring and understanding […]
Continue ReadingComposer Jen Shyu Named Composer-in-Residence to Write New Piece for William Alexander Middle School Choir
Monday, November 4th, 2019
We are pleased to announce that composer Jen Shyu has been selected as our 2019-2020 ChoralQuest® composer. Shyu will work with choir director Mimi Broderick at William Alexander Middle School […]
Continue ReadingSoundvoice: A legacy of creative agency in San Francisco’s Tenderloin Neighborhood
Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019
By Kris Kautzman, ACF Manager of Community Partnerships Earlier this year we announced1 that Oakland-based artist Julie Herndon is the recipient of ACF’s first Bay Area Composer Residency award, a […]
Continue ReadingNow Accepting Submissions for NextNotes High School Music Creator Awards
Thursday, September 12th, 2019
Back to school, back to finding the next creative voices in music! The American Composers Forum is calling all musicians to the sixth annual American Composers Forum NextNotes® High School Music Creator […]
Continue ReadingAmerican Composers Forum and AACM Announce Three Composers Selected For 2019-2020 ACF | connect Program Elizabeth A. Baker, Adegoke Steve Colson, and Rudresh Mahanthappa
Wednesday, August 28th, 2019
ACF to Award Composers Commissions to Have World Premieres Performed by the Great Black Music Ensemble, Part of AACM’s 55th Anniversary Season The American Composers Forum (ACF) and the Association […]
Continue Reading2019 Bay Area Composer Residency Awardee Announced
Tuesday, July 30th, 2019
ST. PAUL, MN – American Composers Forum (ACF) announced today that Oakland-based artist Julie Herndon has been awarded the organization’s first Bay Area Composer Residency award. Herndon will receive $10,000 […]
Continue ReadingAmerican Composers Forum Partners with Roomful of Teeth in World Premieres by Mingjia Chen, Mary Kouyoumdjian,and Peter S. Shin at MASS MoCA, August 23
Friday, July 12th, 2019
On Friday, August 23, 2019 at 8pm, the American Composers Forum partners with GRAMMY-winning vocal project Roomful of Teeth in world premieres by Mingjia Chen, Mary Kouyoumdjian, and Peter S. […]
Continue Reading2019 McKnight Composer Fellows and McKnight Visiting Composers Announced
Wednesday, June 12th, 2019
ST. PAUL, MN – The American Composers Forum (ACF) today announced the recipients of this year’s McKnight Fellowships for Composers, funded by the McKnight Foundation. These awards, which include $25,000 […]
Continue ReadingAmerican Composers Forum Announced Winners of the NextNotes® High School Awards
Monday, April 22nd, 2019
Download PDF Press Release Here The American Composers Forum (ACF) is thrilled to announce the winners of the fifth annual NextNotes® High School Composition Awards. NextNotes is a national program […]
Continue ReadingAmerican Composers Forum Connect Program (ACF | connect) Partners with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians™ (AACM)
Monday, April 1st, 2019
ACF to Award Three Commissions for Composers to Have World Premieres Performed by Great Black Music Ensemble, Part of AACM’s 55th Anniversary Season The American Composers Forum Connect Program (ACF […]
Continue ReadingMinneapolis Guitar Quartet to Perform Works by Winners of the 2019 American Composers Forum Showcase
Thursday, March 28th, 2019
ST. PAUL, MN – Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, hailed by Classical Guitar Magazine as “Flawless, musical and witty, this quartet is able to do anything it sets its mind on,” partners […]
Continue ReadingComposers Selected for 2018 Minnesota Emerging Composer Award (MECA)
Tuesday, December 18th, 2018
ST. PAUL, MN – The AmericanComposers Forum is pleased to announce the results of the Minnesota Emerging Composer Awards (MECA), supported with funds from the Jerome Foundation. Three area creative […]
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