Orchestra Musicians Roundtable at ACF
2020-10-14 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago)
Join ACF and American Composers Orchestra’s first Professional Development Webinar on Wednesday, October 14 at 2pm CDT / 3pm ET! ACO Artistic Director Derek Bermel will facilitate a conversation about new orchestral music and effective collaboration strategies for composers and musicians, including parts writing, email communication, and in-person working sessions.

Panelists include:

Wayne Dumaine, trumpet, ACO
Kyu-Young Kim, violin & Artistic Director, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Alecia Lawyer, oboe & Artistic Director, ROCO

This webinar is free—registration required. To register, visit: https://americancomposers.org/…/orchestra-musicians…/

Understanding Intersectionality: UNEVEN MEASURES Roundtable Series
2020-10-16 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago)
This month, I CARE IF YOU LISTEN and American Composers Forum will host a series of Zoom roundtable discussions on gender equity in the contemporary arts as part of our shared UNEVEN MEASURES series. Through interviews, collaborative essays, artist-curated playlists, and live discussions, UNEVEN MEASURES marks the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment while recognizing the complexity of women’s suffrage and barriers to participation that still exist today.
Understanding Intersectionality: October 16th 2:00pm EDT, 1:00pm CDT, 12:00pm MDT, 11:00am PST
Panelist: Mary Kouyoumdjian, inti figgis-vizueta, Jennifer Koh, Melissa Dunphy, and Amanda Cook (facilitator)

Join the Zoom Conversation on October 16

How Music is Made ONLINE
2020-10-16 21:00 - 22:00 (America/Chicago)
In our How Music is Made ONLINE series, our hosts—some of contemporary music’s most inspired personalities—share their insight into a personal favorite piece of music with you, followed by a performance by the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players.
Select your favorite beverage, turn up your best speakers, relax, and enjoy the company and music of the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players.
Online Premiere Fri, Oct 16, 2020 9pm CDT / 7PM PT on SFCMP’s YouTube Channel.
Julius Eastman, “Gay Guerilla” featuring Kate Campbell and Allegra Chapman, soloists. Hosts Allegra Chapman, Kate Campbell, and Artistic Director Eric Dudley
Get free tickets here.

Compose With Me: A Marathon for Beirut
2020-10-17 08:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
“Compose With Me: A Marathon for Beirut” is a 12-hour livestream fundraiser to raise money for LGBTQ+ & Migrant Worker communities in Beirut, two groups who are most likely to be neglected for aid.
Throughout the day on Saturday, October 17 at 8am CDT / 9am EDT, and with the help of their musical community in the chat, they’re going to compose A Song for Beirut, from start to finish, and have the piece read at the end of the night.
There will be guest appearances from various folks across several disciplines, including composers Jennifer Jolley and Annika Socolofsky.
You can find more information at the website here: nmaysaud.wixsite.com/amarathonforbeirut

Advocating for Gender Equity: UNEVEN MEASURES Roundtable Series
2020-10-19 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
This month, I CARE IF YOU LISTEN and American Composers Forum will host a series of Zoom roundtable discussions on gender equity in the contemporary arts as part of our shared UNEVEN MEASURES series. Through interviews, collaborative essays, artist-curated playlists, and live discussions, UNEVEN MEASURES marks the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment while recognizing the complexity of women’s suffrage and barriers to participation that still exist today.
Advocating for Gender Equity: October 19th 5:00pm EDT, 4:00pm CDT, 3:00pm MDT, 2:00pm PDT
Panelists: Sarah Cahill, Terri Lyne Carrington, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, Nirmala Rajasekar, and Aiden Feltkamp (facilitator)
Join the Zoom Conversation on October 19

New Works Commission Composer Sessions
2020-10-22 17:00 - 18:00, 2020-10-29 17:00 - 18:00, 2020-11-05 17:00 - 18:00, 2020-11-12 17:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual, United States
The New Works Commission Composer Sessions is hosted by composer and National Sawdust Co-Founder and Artistic Director, Paola Prestini. Designed for composers and free for all to enjoy, these Sessions provide insights and tools for developing evolving entrepreneurial skills and new ways of thinking. As a part of their New Works Commission, these Sessions are an extension of their deep commitment to the mentorship of emerging composers and incubation of new works. For the full details head to https://live.nationalsawdust.org/national-sawdust-composer-series

Schedule:
Marcos Balter – Sept 17th @ 5pm
Steve Smith – Sept 24th @ 5pm
Ellen Reid – Oct 1st @ 5pm
Jeffrey Zeigler – Oct 8th @ 5pm
Andy Bart – Oct 15th @ 5pm
JACK Quartet – Oct 22nd @ 5pm
Chris Grymes – Oct 29th @ 5pm
Pamela Z – Nov 5th @ 5pm
Karen Wong – Nov 12th @ 5pm

Facebook event for series: https://www.facebook.com/events/367495814268074/

Facebook livestream for Marcos Balter: https://www.facebook.com/NationalSawdust/posts/3439687456077856

Facebook announce post: https://www.facebook.com/NationalSawdust/posts/3439673806079221

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CFHv96ShDWA/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NationalSawdust/status/1305526351777214464?s=20

Voters' Broadcast
2020-10-24 10:00 - 11:00, 2020-10-24 11:30 - 12:30, 2020-10-24 13:00 - 14:00, 2020-10-28 14:00 - 15:00, 2020-11-03 00:00 - 23:30 (America/Chicago)
Voters’ Broadcast is a transformative and broadly participatory musical performance for flexible ensembles of musicians. The work is directed, conceived and composed by Rome Prize and American Academy of Arts & Letters Award-winner, composer and 2020-21 Kaufman Music Center Artist-in-Residence Lisa Bielawa, with text taken from celebrated artist Sheryl Oring’s I Wish to Say.
​Lisa Bielawa’s mission with Voters’ Broadcast is to stimulate voter engagement and community participation in our current challenging lockdown conditions, through performing and voting, during the lead-up to the 2020 Presidential election.
EVENTS

Virtual Performances
Three virtual performances hosted by the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and featuring its students along with high school students from Kaufman Music Center’s Special Music School will be streamed live on Kaufman Music Center’s Facebook page at 3 pm EST on September 30, October 14 and October 28.
Outdoor Performances
On Saturday, October 24 at 11 am, 12:30 pm and 2 pm EST, Kaufman Music Center and Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch at Grand Army Plaza will present a day of socially distanced outdoor performances at the library’s main entrance featuring performers from Kaufman Music Center’s Special Music School High School.
Polling Place
On November 3, Kaufman Music Center will expand its commitment to serving the community by serving as a polling place for the general election. Confirm that you are registered to vote at Headcount.org.

The Crossing Votes: 2020 a Pre-Election Project of Four New Films
2020-10-26 04:38 - 05:38, 2020-10-28 04:38 - 05:38, 2020-10-30 04:38 - 05:38, 2020-11-02 04:38 - 05:38 (America/Chicago)
To report and respond: because words matter.
New works of Robert Maggio, Ayanna Woods, Nicholas Cline, and David Lang addressing issues in the national discourse leading to Election Day, November 3rd. Featuring Echoes, a new amplification system @ The Crossing designed for socially-distant singing
They have been working on four new short films, with two world premieres, new sound technology, new film artists. We’re excited about launching them in the eight days leading to Election Day, the day the nation comes together to determine our future. The Crossing Votes: 2020 is their small contribution to one of the largest, most protracted, and complex discussions in United States history. They hope their films speak to the time and will serve as a record of the time: We were there; we voted.
All four films will premiere at 4:38am CDT / 5:38am ET on October 26, 28, 30, and November 2, representing the 538 electoral votes, on the morning of their release on their website, Facebook, and Youtube.
Monday, October 26: stateless (2019) by David Lang
Wednesday, October 28: she took his hands (2017) by Nicholas Cline
Friday, October 30: Democracy (2020, world premiere) by Robert Maggio
Monday, November 2: Shift (2020, world premiere) by Ayanna Woods
Learn more here.

ACF Racial Equity Study Group
2020-11-02 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Virtual, United States
ACF’s Study Group opens our staff and board conversations and anti-racism training to our colleagues and friends. Please use this link to register as we will be meeting remotely due to Covid-19.
Our next study group is Monday, November 2 at 4pm CST.
For this month’s group we’ll be discussing the music of acclaimed composer Joseph C. Phillips Jr.
We’ll dig into his new work, The Grey Land, a 65-minute monoopera that explores universal themes of humanity and identity through the intractable triumvirate of race, class, and power in American society. Join us for what will be an amazing discussion!

Inception Orchestra... For The Love of Composing... An On-line Event
2020-11-07 14:00 - 2020-11-08 23:30 (America/Chicago) | Virtual, United States
The Los Angeles Inception Orchestra invites you to participate virtually in a day of composition master classes and presentations from some of the music industry’s top professionals. The evening will culminate with a virtual concert featuring original from our young composers and some of their mentors. There will be an opportunity to send in questions and interact with all of them.
Featuring Amy Aizhou Liu (Vice President), Shirly Gurten & Althea Steynberg (Virtuo Studios), Adrian Zaw (Zaw Studios), and the entire line-up of Inception Composers.
Featured mentors include Karen Elaine (viola), Javier Oviedo and Jean-Pierre Schmitt (Classical Saxophone Project, New York), Ric Becker (trombone, New York), Aeralie Brighton (vocals, Boise, ID), Preston Scales (vocals), Maksim Velichkin (cello), Kelsey Smith (Young Musicians Foundation, Los Angeles), and Van-Anh Nguyen (piano, Sydney, Australia).
The other masterclasses and presentations will be moderated by the Inception Leadership team of Akira Nakano, Jack Aron, Kate Bacich, Amy (Aizhou) Liu and Blythe Schulte.
Join them all day on Saturday, Nov 7, 2020, 2pm CST / 12:00 PM PT
For more information on their schedule and to register, click here.

2020 GATEWAYS MUSIC FESTIVAL VIRTUAL
2020-11-09 - 2020-11-13
Special guest artists include Anthony McGill, principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic and the 2020 Avery Fisher Prize winner, and Thapelo Masita, a South-African-born cellist and graduate of the Eastman School of Music.
Mr. McGill will perform works by Jesse Montgomery (Peace), James Lee III (Ad Anah?), Georg Philipp Telemann (Fantasia No. 2 in A minor, TWV 40:3), and Leonard Bernstein (Sonata for Clarinet and Piano).
Pre-Concert Conversation: Kelly Hall-Tompkins, violin, Gateways Artistic Programs Committee; James Lee III, composer.
Join the festival on Monday, November 9, 2020 to Friday, November 13, 2020 by registering and buying tickets here.
Get more information on the full lineup here.

Professional Development Webinars co-presented by the American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and the American Composers Forum (ACF),
2020-11-09 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago)
The following Professional Development Webinars are co-presented by the American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and the American Composers Forum (ACF), and feature panel discussions by esteemed professionals in the industry about topics including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Entrepreneurship and Creating an Ensemble; Film Composition; Fundraising via Supportive Individuals; Programming and Digital Curation; Publishing, Self-Publishing, and Management; Recording Law and Practice; Project Production and Recording; and more.
Volume One runs from October 14, 2020 through February 3, 2021. All Professional Development Webinars are free of charge, with registration required.
Schedule:

Monday, November 9, 2020 at 2pm CDT / 3pm ET: Fundraising via Supportive Individuals
Learn how to raise funds for your next project by leveraging the support of generous individuals. ACO Acting President and Director of Development Lyndsay Werking leads a panel of artists and administrators fluent in grassroots fundraising. Q&A with audience will follow.
Panelists: Bonnie Marshall, American Composers Forum VP of Development; Nicholas Phan, tenor; Dafnis Prieto, drummer, composer, and educator; Somi Kakoma, vocalist & songwriter

If you require an interpreter, closed-captioning, or any other accommodations to fully engage, please contact Laura Krider via lkrider@composersforum.org within 48 hours of the event.

Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at 2pm CDT / 3pm ET: Entrepreneurship & Ensembles for Composers
How can composers help guide their own careers? What part does creating an ensemble play in that? Frank J. Oteri moderates a panel of innovative ensemble creators to explore topics of entrepreneurship and career advancement as a composer. Q&A with audience will follow.
Panelists: Afa Dworkin, Sphinx Organization; Nadia Sirota, yMusic; Sugar Vendil, The Nouveau Classical Project

Wednesday, February 3, 2021 at 2pm CDT / 3pm ET: Finding Your Voice Online
How can composers find their true artistic message and convey that effectively online? Dameun Strange, Director of Community and Belonging at ACF, moderates a panel and Q&A exploring topics of authenticity and effectiveness online.
Panelists: Anthony R. Green, composer & performer; Mary Prescott, composer and interdisciplinary artist; Beth Stewart, Verismo Communications founder

Black Lives Matter & Classical Music Panel Discussion
2020-11-11 14:30 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
Gateways Music Festival presents a free panel discussion on Black Lives Matter and Classical Music.
Moderator Garrett McQueen (ACF Board member) leads a panel of distinguished musicians in a discussion about Black Lives Matter movement and classical music. Panelists include Jessica “Lady Jess” McJunkins, freelance violinist; Ann Hobson Pilot, retired principal harp, Boston Symphony Orchestra; and Titus Underwood, principal oboe, Nashville Symphony Orchestra. This event is part of the Gateways Music Festival taking place November 9-13, 2020. No ticket is required for this event, registration required.
Join the panel on Wednesday, November 11, 2020 at 2:30pm CST / 3:30pm ET
Register for free here.

Composer Roundtable And Happy Hour
2020-11-12 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
The Composer Roundtable And Happy Hour, hosted by Elliott Miles McKinley, is a place for composers and music makers to chat, talk shop, and exchange ideas. Some music, time permitted, may be shared.
Register and join on Zoom on Thursday, November 12, 2020 at 7 PM CST / 8 PM EST.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

CANTATA FOR A MORE HOPEFUL TOMORROW
2020-11-17 - 2020-12-01
What is it: an innovative new short film directed by Emmy award winning filmmaker Bob Berg that tells a story from despair to hope, inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, set to a new score for virtual chorus commissioned by The Washington Chorus and composed by acclaimed American composer Damien Geter. Sung and recorded virtually by The Washington Chorus, led by Dr. Eugene Rogers.
Collaborators: soloists including Virginia native, soprano Aundi Marie Moore (recently seen in the Metropolitan Opera revival of “Porgy and Bess”), and cellist Seth Parker Woods.
The film is on Demand Streaming now through December 1, 2020.
Tickets: $15 all tickets, on sale now at thewashingtonchorus.ticketspice.com/tickets.

Out of Context Round Table #1
2020-11-17 12:00 - 13:15 (America/Chicago)
“Out of Context” is a 10-part series that addresses the topic of cultural appropriation as it intersects with both Western European-based classical music and the broader social landscape. Commissioned by American Composers Forum and I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, the goal of the series is to offer information and diverse perspectives to those seeking to acknowledge historical context, honor cultural traditions that are not their own, and expand their sphere of knowledge with awareness and respect. A culminating collection of these articles and other resources will be shared for continued learning and dialogue.
Join us for as Shruthi Rajasekar moderates a conversation between these authors:
Hon Ki Cheung
Chevall Pryce
Elizabeth A. Baker
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYtduurqzwrHtJke0YLwRvIfXZE3SXWMLYo
If you require an interpreter, closed-captioning, or any other accommodations to fully engage, please contact Laura Krider (lkrider@composersforum.org, 612.314.9228) within 48 hours of the event.

American Composers Orchestra's Composer to Composer Talk: George Lewis with Courtney Bryan and Damon Holzborn
2020-11-18 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Chicago)
American Composers Orchestra (ACO) presents its inaugural Composer to Composer Talk online on Thursday, November 18 at 2pm CT / 3pm ET, with composers George Lewis, Courtney Bryan, and Damon Holzborn. The talk will be live-streamed and available for on-demand viewing for seven days. Tickets are free; registration is highly encouraged. Registrants will receive links to recordings of featured works in advance of the event.
On November 18, Courtney Bryan and Damon Holzborn will talk with George Lewis about his Virtual Concerto from 2004, a piece for improvising computer piano soloist and orchestra, written for ACO.
Volume One of ACO’s Composer to Composer Talks runs through January 27, 2021. Future talks include Chen Yi (a BandQuest and ChoralQuest composer) Zhou Long, and Kerwin Young (December 2); William Bolcom and Gabriela Lena Frank (January 13); and John Corigliano and Mason Bates (January 27).
Volume Two, to be announced in January 2021, will include composers Missy Mazzoli and Meredith Monk, among others.
Find more information on this link.

Out of Context Round Table #2
2020-11-19 12:00 - 13:15 (America/Chicago)
“Out of Context” is a 10-part series that addresses the topic of cultural appropriation as it intersects with both Western European-based classical music and the broader social landscape. Commissioned by American Composers Forum and I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, the goal of the series is to offer information and diverse perspectives to those seeking to acknowledge historical context, honor cultural traditions that are not their own, and expand their sphere of knowledge with awareness and respect. A culminating collection of these articles and other resources will be shared for continued learning and dialogue.
Join us as Kori Hill moderates a conversation between these authors:
Anthony Tan
Aisha Staggers
inti figgis-vizueta
Nick Benavides
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIodeqhrTIsGdJyxk6IfMbG74icQbjL6WJA
If you require an interpreter, closed-captioning, or any other accommodations to fully engage, please contact Laura Krider (lkrider@composersforum.org, 612.314.9228) within 48 hours of the event.

Rethinking Music Theory Pedagogy: A Panel Discussion (Composers Coffee Break)
2020-11-23 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Chicago)
Join Elliott Miles McKinley and two of Mckinley’s fellow teachers of music at the college level, Dr. Peter Smucker (Assistant Professor of Music Theory at Stetson University) and Dr. Erich Stem (Associate Professor of Music Composition at Indiana University Southeast) for a free and open panel discussion on the role of music theory at the undergraduate college/university level.
They will explore problems in both past and current methodologies, and discuss ways to imagine a path forward in our own pedagogy to better serve the needs of students in our programs. They invite discussion and questions from the audience, especially those who are also teachers and students of music.
Join them LIVE on Facebook or on Youtube on Monday, November 23, 2020 at 6:30 PM CST.

2021: Time to Visit Cuba with Sage Lewis and Adolfo Nodal, Project Por Amor
2020-12-02 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago)
Do you have dreams of visiting Cuba? Join on Zoom and Facebook Live as Sage Lewis and Adolfo Nodal of Project Por Amor take an insider’s look at present day Cuba, discuss what the future of Cuba now holds over the next four years, and detail ways that people can visit safely.
Cuban art, music and culture continue to flourish as the island nation controls COVID 19 and deals with economic setbacks
Learn about LA Plaza’s specially-curated tour, scheduled to take place in November 2021.
This event is on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 6pm CST | 7pm EST
Register now for this free event.
