American Composers Forum

Music Monday LIVE!
2021-12-06 17:00 - 18:00, 2021-11-29 17:00 - 18:00, 2021-11-22 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Chicago)
The Lewis Prize for Music has teamed up with Save The Music Foundation to host youth-led weekly conversations with today’s music leaders starting on Mondays, October 18, 2021 through December 20, 2021 at 5 PM CT | 3 PM PT
Music Monday LIVE is an exciting opportunity for youth across the United States to connect with music industry professionals, ask questions, and share ideas. This event is open to the public and hosted on INSTAGRAM LIVE.
This 10-week series kicks off with Songwriter and Photographer Teron Beal (@teronbeal) and Xavier Washington (@zaytheartist), youth leader and Development Coordinator at Save The Music Foundation.
If you want to join the conversation, don’t be shy! You’re welcome you to hop on the Live during the Q&A. Next week’s Instagram Live will be hosted on the Save The Music Instagram (@savethemusic).

Carols by Candlelight
2021-12-05 18:00 - 19:00
The premier ensemble of YWCP, the Young Women’s Chorus, opens its season as a guest artist on the Old First Concert Series. Start your holiday season with an exquisite candle-lit concert that includes Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols performed in full with harpist Meredith Clark, as well as music by Hildegard von Bingen, Rachmaninoff, Busto, Randall Thompson and many contemporary settings of traditional carols.
The holiday showcase will feature all four of YWCP choruses, with music by Benjamin Britten, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Abbie Betinis (a McKnight fellow and a ChoralQuest composer), Randall Thompson, Michael Kaulkin and more.
Date & Time: Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 6 PM CT | 4 PM PT
Get tickets here.

The Waves
2021-12-05 16:00 - 17:00
Come hang out and listen to music, enjoy snacks, and drinks! Help support local artists and meet new people!
Doors open at 4:15pm $10 cover (a little extra for a snack ticket), shows begin at 5pm and go until 8pm. Feel free to move around or just stay for a few shows. Proceeds go to the artist!
Date & Time: Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 4 PM CT
Learn more on Facebook here.

A Concerto for the Holidays
2021-12-05 14:30 - 15:30, 2021-12-04 19:30 - 20:30, 2021-12-02 19:30 - 20:30
The Heartland Symphony Orchestra presents its winter concert series with the theme “A Concerto for the Holidays.”
In addition to holiday favorites, HSO will feature the world premiere of the 2020 composer competition winner Quinn Mason’s overture in a classical style and Hilary Lowery from Bemidji State University. See dates and locations below:
Thursday, December 2, 2021 at 7:30 PM CT
Log Church
37218 County Road 66, Crosslake, MN 56442
Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 7:30 PM CT
Charles D. Martin Auditorium
Little Falls High School
1001 5th Avenue SE, Little Falls, MN 56345
Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 2:30 PM CT
Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts
602 S 5th Street, Brainerd, MN 56401
Featuring:
Quinn Mason (a NextNotes creator), 2020 Composer Competition Winner
Dr. Hilary Lowery, clarinet
Conducted by Ryan Webber. Conductor Chats held prior to each concert.
Learn more here.

"Woman on a Journey", for orchestra (2021)
2021-12-04 19:00 - 20:30
Peri Mauer‘s new piece for orchestra “Woman on a Journey” composed 2021, is a New York Repertory Orchestra commission. This performance will be the world premiere.
Date & Time: Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 7 PM CT | 8 PM ET
It will be performed live for a live audience at Church of St. Mary the Virgin located at 145 West 46th St, NY NY 10036. Proof of vaccination and wearing of masks are required. Free admission.
Get updated information here.

Sing Noël
2021-12-04 18:30 - 19:30
LancasterChorale, central Ohio’s premier professional chamber choir, will perform its annual “prelude to Christmas” concerts in late November and early December in Lancaster and Columbus. Carols arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Stephen Paulus (ACF’s co-founder, a BandQuest and ChoralQuest composer) as well as original American carols by Alfred Burt will round out the program with seasonal favorites.
The program, entitled “Sing Noël,” will be performed on Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 6:30 PM CT | 7:30 PM ET at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2151 Dorset Rd., Columbus, OH.
Learn more and get tickets here.

Wintersong 2021: Merry and Bright
2021-12-04 15:00 - 16:00, 2021-12-03 19:30 - 20:30
The Glen Ellyn Wheaton Chorale presents “Wintersong 2021: Merry and Bright” on Friday, December 3, 2021 at 7:30 PM CT and Saturday, December 4, 2021 3 PM CT at College Church, 335 E. Seminary in Wheaton, IL.
According to Music Director Jennifer Whiting‘s “Director’s Notes,” guest organist Kevin Lange will open the concert with Andrew Carter‘s glittering “Toccata on Veni Emmanuel,” and the chorale will perform Rosephanye Powell‘s (a ChoralQuest composer) “The Word Was God.”
Online tickets are $19, $17 for 62 or older, or $9 for students. A $1 online handling fee is included in the price of each ticket. Online sales at the advance ticket prices are available through Dec. 2. Tickets are the door are an additional $2.
Learn more and get tickets here.

"Discovery": Kolton Ascheman’s Senior Composition Recital
2021-12-04 15:00 - 16:00
Concordia University-St Paul student Kolton Ascheman will hold his senior composition recital at the Buetow Music Center Auditorium (300 Hamline Ave, St Paul, MN) on Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 3 PM CT.
Having experience with computers and technology, Ascheman will be presenting his work as both live performances and digital music. The pieces are arranged for piano, as well as other instruments like clarinet and double bass. They will include performances by David Mennicke, Monica Murray, Jeana Ogren, Lois Latinen, and Kayla Gundermann.
The recital will be a hybrid of the two mediums, exploring the different ways in which music can be created and shown to people. Because of this, Ascheman named his recital Discovery. The live performances bring modern perspectives on genres ranging from classical forms to popular music. The digital pieces will feature all kinds of visuals. Some of them are more abstract, designed to answer the question of what music looks like, as well as what it sounds like. Other pieces, like In the Meadows, includes footage from a video game.
“I decided to make some of the visuals more abstract,” Ascheman explains, “I designed them to answer the question of what music looks like, as well as what it sounds like. Video game music is interesting, because unlike musicals or movies, you have no control over when things happen.”
Ascheman, who studies with Concordia University adjunct composition professor Abbie Betinis, plans to compose music for various forms of media, like movies, TV shows, and in particular, video games. The recital is presented in partial fulfillment of his Bachelor of Arts in Music, with an emphasis in Music Theory and Composition. A reception will follow. Admission is free and open to the public.

The New Jersey Youth Symphony Concerts at Dolan Hall at the University of St. Elizabeth
2021-12-04 08:00 - 17:00
The New Jersey Youth Symphony presents a concert featuring Primo Strings, Sinfonia, Concertino Strings, Flute Choir, Flute Forum, and Fortissimo Flutes performing works by Mendelssohn, Bizet, Tchaikovsky, Valerie Coleman (a BandQuest composer), Soon Hee Newbold, and more.
NJYS Primo Strings & Concertino Strings Michelle Hatcher, conductor
NJYS Sinfonia Nevena Bojovic, conductor
NJYS Flute Choir, Flute Forum & Fortissimo Flutes Natasha Loomis, conductor
Date & Time: Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 12 PM CT | 1 PM ET
Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students/seniors. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.

Beats By Girlz invites you to BBG.wav Louder Than Ever!
2021-12-03 20:00 - 21:00, 2021-12-03 18:00 - 19:00
Beats By Girlz invites you to BBG.wav Louder Than Ever! – a virtual celebration and fundraising party on Friday, December 3rd, 2021 at 6 PM CT | 7 PM ET & 8 PM CT | 9 PM ET.
This year’s event honors the immense amount of dedication and work our collective community has accomplished all over the world, opening 37 chapters across 15 countries and 4 continents. You read that right…!
Over the past year we have basically doubled in size and have seen a tidal wave of growth year after year. We need your help to mark this momentous milestone and your financial support to ensure our continued expansion into the communities that need us most.
Register now to have fun and watch these artists at the top of their game all while supporting a rad organization that needs you!

Festival of Carols
2021-12-01 18:30 - 19:30
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s annual welcome to the Christmas season. This year the Choir will be joined by the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Lauda per la Nativitá del Signore by Ottorino Respighi
Music and carol selections by Andrew Balfour, Sally Beamish, Rosephanye Powell (a ChoralQuest composer), Hyo-Won Woo and others.
Tickets for the online concert stream will go on sale October 1. This event will take place at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church and be live streamed.
Date & Time: Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at 6:30 PM CT | 7:30 PM ET
Learn more and get tickets here.

JOY OF CHRISTMAS
2021-12-01 - 2021-12-31
Cathedral Choral Society’s esteemed Music Director Steven Fox has renewed his contract with the Cathedral Choral Society through June of 2025. He has served as our Music Director since 2018, and we’re excited about his continued leadership in our upcoming performances and collaborations.
As the pandemic continues to shift, Steven looks forward to honoring the remarkable history of this chorus, while also ushering in innovations that keep CCS at the forefront of choral music. He’ll bring the chorus back to Washington National Cathedral this fall with a season that will feature the annual Joy of Christmas concerts, a concert celebrating the Centenary of Women’s Suffrage with new works by Augusta Read Thomas, Jessie Montgomery and Lisa Bielawa (an innova artist), and a special performance of Verdi’s Requiem honoring the chorus’s 80th anniversary.
Date & Time: December 2021 (More details to be announced)
Stay tune about updates on their website by signing up here.

Composers Concordance Presets ‘Humbug Jitterbug’
2021-11-29 18:30 - 19:30
Composers Concordance Presents: ‘Humbug Jitterbug’ The CompCord Big Band
The CompCord Big band takes on the Jitterbug; throw in a literary word-play and you have brand new big band music by many of today’s leading composers. Guest soloist featuring: Valery Ponomarev – trumpet and Gerry Brown – drums
Composers:
John Clark, Dan Cooper, Louis Jordan, Melanie Mitrano/Gerson Galante, Ginka Mizuki, Carlos Castro Mora,
Alon Nechushtan, Gene Pritsker, Jay Rodriguez, David Taylor, Stefan Zeniuk
Date & Time: Monday, November 29, 2021 at 6:30 PM CT | 7:30 PM ET
Learn more and get tickets here.

Celebrate Hanukkah with WVPE
2021-11-29 18:00 - 21:00
Celebrate Hanukkah on Monday, November 29, 2021 at 6 PM CT | 7 PM ET with 88.1 WVPE Public Radio.
Eternal Echoes for Hanukkah Violinist Itzhak Perlman and Jewish music scholar and performer Hankus Netsky (a BandQuest composer) join host James David Jacobs for an hour of songs and stories celebrating the holiday known as “The Festival of Lights.”
Learn more here.

Melodia Women's Choir Presents - Sun, Moon, and Stars LIVE
2021-11-21 15:00 - 17:00
Melodia Women’s Choir, conducted by Cynthia Powell, Artistic Director, present an afternoon of 20th and 21st century music celebrating the sun, moon, and stars. Works by Imant Raminsh, Morten Lauridsen, and Randall Thompson are among the rich repertoire. With Taisiya Pushkar, piano; strings and flute.
Date & Time: Sunday, November 21 2021 at 3 PM CT | 4 PM ET
For more details, click here.

Neave Trio perform “Her Voice
2021-11-21 13:30 - 14:30
Chamber Music Society of Utica will present the Neave Trio performing “Her Voice — Piano Trios by Women Composers,” on Sunday, November 21, 2021 at 1:30 PM CT | 2:30 PM ET at Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, 310 Genesee St.
Music will be by Louise Farrenc, Amy Beach, Cecile Chaminade and Jennifer Higdon (a BandQuest and ChoralQuest composer). The performance will be presented both in-person and virtually.
In-person tickets and livestream ticket information is available here.

The Season Opening Concert: New York Symphony
2021-11-21 13:00 - 15:00
New York Youth Symphony opens their Season Opening Concert with Valerie Coleman (a BandQuest composer).
$30 tickets available to purchase starting on September 15th @ carnegiehall.org.
Date & Time: Sunday, November 21, 2021 at 1 PM CT | 2 PM ET
Valerie Coleman: Umoja: Anthem for Unity
Patrick O’Malley: Obliviana
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5

Zeitgeist Early Music Festival: Frederic Rzewski
2021-11-20 19:30 - 20:30, 2021-11-19 19:30 - 20:30
Zeitgeist’s 10th Annual Early Music Festival explores the powerful contributions of our musical pioneers with a celebration of composer Frederic Rzewski. From the 1960s to today, Rzewski has influenced American music profoundly through his work with minimalism, improvisation, text notation, and politically charged music.
Zeitgeist frequently collaborated with Rzewski in the 1980s and he composed four new works for the ensemble, which were recorded for Zeitgeist’s album A Decade. Performances at Zeitgeist’s Early Music Festival will include works composed for Zeitgeist, other chamber works, and guest artist Allen Otte performing The Fall of the Empire for speaking percussionist, which was written for Otte in 2007.
Guest improvisors on Plan for Spacecraft include: Ivan Cunningham, Dameun Strange (ACF’s Director of Community & Engagement), Douglas Ewart, Alyssa Anderson, Daisy Swimmer, Isaac Mayhew, George Cartwright, Alex Hecker
Date & Time: Friday & Saturday, November 19 & 20, 2021 at 7:30 PM CT
Learn more and get tickets here.

Kaufman Music Center – Bridges: Trevor New
2021-11-20 18:30 - 20:30
At this interactive, multimedia, multidisciplinary performance, New will play with sounds from the in-person and virtual audience, create a telematic music instrument petting zoo, give the in-person audience musical control, and virtually bring in performers from around the U.S. This performance is about all the ways we can and are connected.
Trevor New is a classically trained and self-taught electro-acoustic violist based in Brooklyn who is known for creating and performing intuitive and scored soundscapes that evoke a cinematic journey. He is a performer, composer, sound designer, engineer/producer and educator working with leading artists, composers and developers of music technology. Trevor is driven by the exploration of diverse music formats: found sounds, live looping, modular synthesis, digital processing methods, film, orchestra. His passion is creating new music that explores contrasting styles, timbres and performance approaches hence a devotion to electro-acoustic viola blended with classical elements. As Immersive performances continue to rapidly emerge Trevor is actively at the forefront both as an artist, musician, mentor and technologist.
Date & Time: Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 6:30 PM CT | 7:30 PM ET
$10 student tickets are available by phone or in person. Call the box office at 212 501 3330.
Learn more and get tickets here.

A Night with Atlanta School of Composers
2021-11-19 19:00 - 20:00
Under the baton of Maestro Robert Spano, the ASO has consistently featured new music from contemporary composers alongside more standard classical repertoire. In this special presentation, we celebrate perhaps the fullest incarnation of this, the “Atlanta School of Composers,” with a program of works commissioned by the ASO from some of the brightest composers to emerge in recent years. Included on the program are works by Brian Nabors, current ASO bassist Michael Kurth, Michael Gandolfi (a BandQuest composer), Emmy Award-winning and Grammy® nominated Adam Schoenberg and Krists Auznieks.
Tickets range from $23-$109.
Date & Time: Friday, November 19, 2021 at 7 PM CT | 8 PM ET
This concert is made possible through the Robert Spano Fund for New Music, established by The Antinori Foundation in honor of Robert Spano.
Get tickets here.

African American Choral Ensemble and the UGA Wind Ensemble
2021-11-19 18:30 - 19:30
Join the African American Choral Ensemble and the UGA Wind Ensemble as they share the stage in a combined concert on Friday, November 19, 2021 at 6:30 PM CT | 7:30 PM ET in Hodgson Concert Hall.
Part of UGA’s Spotlight on the Arts festival, the program features works by composers Adolphus Hailstork (a BandQuest composer), William Grant Still, Kirk Franklin, Jonathan McReynolds and Kevin Day, among others.
Tickets are $12 for adults and $3 for students. Live streaming is available here for those unable to attend.

Marilyn Horne Song Competition Winners Recital
2021-11-18 21:00 - 22:00
Mezzo-soprano Sun-Ly Pierce and pianist Chien-Lin Lu, the 2019 Marilyn Horne Song Competition winners, will premiere a song cycle written expressly for them by Pulitzer Prize– and Grammy-winning American composer Jennifer Higdon (a BandQuest and ChoralQuest composer). Wise Moon sets five short poems about the moon in music intended to bring out the unique talents of these two young artists. Higdon was present as a judge at the competition in 2019, and her journey to writing this new work began that day.
Date & Time: Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 9 PM CT | 7 PM PT
Learn more and get tickets here.

Kaufman Music Center – Piano Dialogues: Anthony de Mare – LIAISONS
2021-11-18 18:30 - 20:30
Conceived by acclaimed concert pianist Anthony de Mare, LIAISONS is a landmark commissioning and concert project that brings together today’s leading classical, jazz, theater, film and indie composers to re-imagine Stephen Sondheim’s songs as solo piano pieces. This remarkable compendium of new music breaks open the boundaries between musical theater and concert music while making the case for Sondheim as one of today’s most influential composers.
Date & Time: Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 6:30 PM CT | 7:30 PM ET
KENJI BUNCH – The Demon Barber (2010) (A Fantasia on “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd”)
TIMO ANDRES – Nice Is Different Than Good (2019) PREMIERE (after “I Know Things Now” – Into the Woods)
MASON BATES – Very Put Together (after “Putting It Together – Sunday In the Park With George)
EVE BEGLARIAN – Perpetual Happiness (2012) (after “Happiness” – Passion)
MEREDITH MONK – Dialogue (2019) PREMIERE (after “Poems” – Pacific Overtures)
JON BATISTE – The Gun Song / The Ballad of Booth (2019) PREMIERE (Assassins)
TED HEARNE – Another National Anthem (2019) PREMIERE (Assassins)
DEREK BERMEL – Sorry/Grateful (2011) (Company)
MAX RICHTER – Anyone Can Whistle (2020) PREMIERE (Anyone Can Whistle)
ANTHONY DE MARE – All Things Bright and Beautiful (2019) PREMIERE (Follies)
$10 students tickets are available. Call the box office at 212 501 3330.
Learn more and get tickets here.
