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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260422T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260422T163000
DTSTAMP:20260413T103557
CREATED:20260409T210200Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260410T153516Z
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SUMMARY:Webinar: Sustaining Momentum After a Commission
DESCRIPTION:Getting a big commission can be seen as a destination\, but it’s actually where the work begins! Composer Levi Taylor has celebrated a quickly expanding career by focusing on person-to-person engagement at performances\, alignment with the values of creative partners\, and an overall creative approach to representing himself across the field. Join Levi in a dialogue with ACF Executive Director Loki Karuna as they dive into key aspects of Levi’s trajectory and insight on how the commissioning process can play a vital role in continued development. \nThis webinar will be held on Zoom and is free with registration. \nRegister here → \nDesigned for both music creators and their collaborators\, “Anatomy of a Commission” is a digital resource that aims to increase transparency about the commissioning process. Learn more about this initiative here.
URL:https://composersforum.org/event/webinar-sustaining-momentum-after-a-commission
LOCATION:Virtual\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://composersforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AoaC-Webinar-2026-v2.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260515T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260515T170000
DTSTAMP:20260413T103557
CREATED:20260407T201551Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T201551Z
UID:10002249-1778857200-1778864400@composersforum.org
SUMMARY:Community Conversation: "Reading the Rocks" with Niloufar Nourbakhsh
DESCRIPTION:Entry for this event is free\, but reservations are required. \nJoin ACF and the Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra for a conversation with composer Niloufar Nourbakhsh and geologist Marcia Bjornerud as they explore our planet’s history as chronicled by rocks\, music\, and the flow of time. Inspired by Bjornerud’s book\, Reading the Rocks\, Nourbakhsh’s MPO-commissioned work Deep Time creates orchestral soundscapes that bring salient moments from the earth’s 4.5 billion year history to the present day. \nThe event includes a panel discussion\, Q&A\, and casual conversation with audience members. Attendees will also get a first listen to selections from Deep Time before the world premiere the following day. \nRegister → \nPanelists:\nNiloufar Nourbakhsh\, composer Marcia Bjornerud\, author Loki Karuna\, ACF Executive Director Brian Dowdy\, MPO Artistic Director and ACF Community Director \nRecomposing America is a multi-year initiative led by American Composers Forum that highlights artistic perspectives unique to the United States and the broader Americas through direct commissions\, institutional collaborations\, and public dialogue. Timed with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence\, Recomposing America aims to refresh and reimagine the “who\,” “what\,” and “why” of the United States\, and the stories therein. \n\n\n\n This activity is supported\, in part\, by the City of Saint Paul Cultural Sales Tax Revitalization Program.
URL:https://composersforum.org/event/community-conversation-reading-the-rocks-with-niloufar-nourbakhsh
LOCATION:Landmark Center Courtroom 317\, 75 W 5th St\, Saint Paul\, MN\, 55102\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://composersforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Reading-the-Rocks-event.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260530T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260530T170000
DTSTAMP:20260413T103557
CREATED:20260303T203104Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260303T203128Z
UID:10002246-1780153200-1780160400@composersforum.org
SUMMARY:World Premiere: "Festival de la Calle de San Sebastián en Filadelfia"
DESCRIPTION:Anthony Mendez is an artist\, educator\, and cultural leader dedicated to preserving and sharing AfroPuerto Rican traditions. His ensemble\, Los Bomberos De La Calle\, specializes in traditional and contemporary styles of Bomba and Plena music. \nAs part of Recomposing America\, ACF is supporting the world premiere of a new work modeled after the annual Fiesta de la Calle de San Sebastián in Puerto Rico. The performance is part of Esperanza Arts Center’s VOCES series highlighting Indigenous cultural traditions from Latin America and the Caribbean. \nTickets and more information → \nRecomposing America is a multi-year initiative led by American Composers Forum that highlights artistic perspectives unique to the United States and the broader Americas through direct commissions\, institutional collaborations\, and public dialogue. Timed with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence\, Recomposing America aims to refresh and reimagine the “who\,” “what\,” and “why” of the United States\, and the stories therein.
URL:https://composersforum.org/event/world-premiere-festival-de-la-calle-de-san-sebastian-en-filadelfia
LOCATION:Esperanza Arts Center\, 4261 North 5th Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19140\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://composersforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tony-mendez-los-bomberos-recomposing-america-1920px.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260601T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260601T143000
DTSTAMP:20260413T103557
CREATED:20260407T191200Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T191200Z
UID:10002250-1780318800-1780324200@composersforum.org
SUMMARY:Composer Workshop at the League of American Orchestras Conference
DESCRIPTION:Knowing where you want your career as a composer to take you is step #1\, but what comes next? In this Design Thinking session\, Jessica Phillips and Loki Karuna will use the Logic Model framework to address the specific needs of composers and the unique ecosystem they work in. Participants will develop an understanding of successful outcomes by working through their own projects from inception to delivery. They will identify the needs of their target audience\, brainstorm a satellite of compositional activities\, develop a trajectory of outputs that engage presenting partners\, stakeholders\, and support infrastructures\, and develop a narrative to demonstrate overall project impact. \nMore information → \nSpeakers:  Loki Karuna\, Executive Director\, American Composers Forum; President\, TrillWerks Media; and Jessica Phillips\, Musician\, Metropolitan Opera; Educator\, The Juilliard School\, Consultant\, 11A Collaborative\, Board Director\, League of American Orchestras
URL:https://composersforum.org/event/composer-workshop-at-the-league-of-american-orchestras-conference
LOCATION:Baltimore Marriott Waterfront\, 700 Aliceanna St\, Baltimore\, MD\, 21202\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://composersforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/League-panel-2026.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260603T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260603T203000
DTSTAMP:20260413T103557
CREATED:20260205T224422Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260413T151046Z
UID:10002241-1780513200-1780518600@composersforum.org
SUMMARY:World Premiere: "Sanctuary" by Kavyesh Kaviraj
DESCRIPTION:Kavyesh Kaviraj is a composer\, arranger\, classically trained jazz pianist based in the Twin Cities. For his Recomposing America project\, ACF has commissioned a new work for jazz ensemble\, developed and performed in partnership with Walker|West Music Academy. The goal of the collaboration is to highlight the unique history of jazz within American culture and the global context of improvised musics. \nAbout the Commission\nSanctuary explores the full spectrum of the immigrant experience — hope and prosperity\, wonder and fascination\, struggle and strife. Written from the perspective of a first-generation immigrant\, it draws enduring inspiration from the journey of Kavyesh’s parents\, who immigrated to Oman. \nRecomposing America is a multi-year initiative led by American Composers Forum that highlights artistic perspectives unique to the United States and the broader Americas through direct commissions\, institutional collaborations\, and public dialogue. Timed with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence\, Recomposing America aims to refresh and reimagine the “who\,” “what\,” and “why” of the United States\, and the stories therein.
URL:https://composersforum.org/event/world-premiere-sanctuary-by-kavyesh-kaviraj
LOCATION:Walker West Music Academy\, 760 Selby Avenue\, St. Paul\, MN\, 55104\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://composersforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/kavyesh-kaviraj-1920px.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260617T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260617T210000
DTSTAMP:20260413T103557
CREATED:20260205T225119Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260409T185831Z
UID:10002243-1781724600-1781730000@composersforum.org
SUMMARY:World Premiere: “It’s Black\, It’s U.S.” by Malachi Brown
DESCRIPTION:Malachi Brown is a versatile cellist and composer who brings a distinct neo-Romantic sensibility to his interdisciplinary work across concert music\, film\, and animation. For his Recomposing America project\, ACF has commissioned Malachi compose a new chamber work for Sugar Hill Salon titled It’s Black\, It’s U.S. The collaboration highlights the uniquely American notion of Black/Afro-American music within the historical context of Harlem’s impact on American culture. The septet featured on the performance includes violinist Frédérique Gnaman\, violist Javen C. Lara\, cellist Melissa Westgate\, flautist Meghan Bennett\, clarinetist Richard Adger\, bassoonist Alexander Davis\, and hornist Priscilla Rinehart. \nAbout the Commission\n“It’s Black\, It’s U.S.” is a play on the phrase “For Us\, By Us\,” from the apparel brand FUBU. The piece is a love letter to Harlem as a center for Black creativity. The abstract musical narrative considers the subtle yet ongoing gentrification of the neighborhood as an example of more widespread gentrification of Black culture. Weaving together Malachi’s personal experiences with Black historical narratives\, the composition celebrates the beauty that shines from Black culture in a world that often refuses to recognize its glorious nature. \nFree event; doors at 7:00 p.m. \nRecomposing America is a multi-year initiative led by American Composers Forum that highlights artistic perspectives unique to the United States and the broader Americas through direct commissions\, institutional collaborations\, and public dialogue. Timed with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence\, Recomposing America aims to refresh and reimagine the “who\,” “what\,” and “why” of the United States\, and the stories therein.
URL:https://composersforum.org/event/world-premiere-new-work-by-malachi-brown
LOCATION:The Africa Center\, 1280 5th Avenue\, New York\, NY\, 10029\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://composersforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/malachi-brown-1920px.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260627T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260627T163000
DTSTAMP:20260413T103557
CREATED:20260205T225757Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260205T225757Z
UID:10002244-1782572400-1782577800@composersforum.org
SUMMARY:World Premiere: New Works by Danielle Jagelski and JL Marlor
DESCRIPTION:An enrolled citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe\, composer Danielle Jagelski often collaborates and performs with other Indigenous and Native American artists. She is passionate about kinship building and decolonization through interdisciplinary projects. JL Marlor is a multidisciplinary artist\, composer\, electric guitarist\, songwriter\, and educator whose work blurs the boundaries between the personal and political\, the collective and individual\, and the classical and contemporary. \nAs part of Recomposing America\, ACF has commissioned new works from Danielle and JL for Protestra\, an NYC-based activist orchestra that bridges the divide between advocacy and classical music. The new orchestral works will highlight the concepts of girlhood and womanhood as they relate to the history and future of America. \nRecomposing America is a multi-year initiative led by American Composers Forum that highlights artistic perspectives unique to the United States and the broader Americas through direct commissions\, institutional collaborations\, and public dialogue. Timed with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence\, Recomposing America aims to refresh and reimagine the “who\,” “what\,” and “why” of the United States\, and the stories therein.
URL:https://composersforum.org/event/world-premiere-new-works-by-danielle-jagelski-and-jl-marlor
LOCATION:St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church\, 263 W 86th St\, New York\, NY\, 10024\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://composersforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/danielle-jagelski-jl-marlor-1920px.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260725
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260726
DTSTAMP:20260413T103557
CREATED:20260205T224822Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260205T224822Z
UID:10002242-1784937600-1785023999@composersforum.org
SUMMARY:World Premiere: "Born on the 4th of July" by Queen Drea
DESCRIPTION:Queen Drea is a sound alchemist\, mixing sonic potions laced with looped vocals\, jagged rhythms\, and found sounds. Her project Born on the 4th of July is supported\, in part\, by American Composers Forum’s Recomposing America project. \nBorn on the 4th of July examines the impact of the Great Migration through the lens of Queen Drea’s mother\, a Black woman born in Mississippi in the 1940s who migrated through Chicago to Minnesota. The project provides a unique and creative way to explore the history and experiences of a Black family who received their 40 acres and a mule\, while also celebrating the rich culture and heritage of the American South. Born on the 4th of July will include a visual album in the form of an audio comic book\, and a movie that is scored with original music. \nRecomposing America is a multi-year initiative led by American Composers Forum that highlights artistic perspectives unique to the United States and the broader Americas through direct commissions\, institutional collaborations\, and public dialogue. Timed with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence\, Recomposing America aims to refresh and reimagine the “who\,” “what\,” and “why” of the United States\, and the stories therein.
URL:https://composersforum.org/event/world-premiere-born-on-the-4th-of-july-by-queen-drea
LOCATION:Pillsbury House + Theatre\, 3501 Chicago Ave\, Minneapolis\, MN\, 55407\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://composersforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/queen-drea-1920px.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260926
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260927
DTSTAMP:20260413T103557
CREATED:20260402T171801Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260402T171801Z
UID:10002248-1790380800-1790467199@composersforum.org
SUMMARY:World Premiere: "Black Joy Verses" by Daniel Bernard Roumain
DESCRIPTION:Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) is a prolific Black\, Haitian-American composer and performer known for his signature violin sounds infused with myriad electronic and African-American music influences. For his Recomposing America project\, ACF has co-commissioned a new work titled Black Joy Verses for Castle of our Skins\, to be premiered in Fall 2026 as part of the Boston Art & Music Soul (BAMS) Fest. \nAbout the Commission\nBlack Joy Verses by Daniel Bernard Roumain explores Black agency\, self-determination and creativity — highlighting and illuminating the virtuoso talents of orchestral musicians within a full body embrace of their expressive capabilities. The orchestra will play\, speak\, sing\, shout\, whisper\, and produce sounds that express the soulful\, loving\, and powerful legacy of tragedy and triumph our collective American history continues to grapple with. The work will incorporate the writings of Frederick Douglas\, Earnest Roumain (a contemporary of Frederick Douglas and relative to DBR)\, and bell hooks\, principally concepts from their “All About Love\,” a manual on how we all do and won’t love. \nRecomposing America is a multi-year initiative led by American Composers Forum that highlights artistic perspectives unique to the United States and the broader Americas through direct commissions\, institutional collaborations\, and public dialogue. Timed with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence\, Recomposing America aims to refresh and reimagine the “who\,” “what\,” and “why” of the United States\, and the stories therein.
URL:https://composersforum.org/event/world-premiere-black-joy-verses-by-daniel-bernard-roumain
LOCATION:Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama\, 539 Tremont St\, Boston\, MA\, 02116\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://composersforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/daniel-bernard-roumain-recomposing-america-1920px.png
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