The American Composers Forum (ACF) champions composers and other creative music makers, and boosts their careers with professional opportunities. ACF | create is an evolution of the Jerome Fund for New Music (JFund), which started in 1979. Through this program, ACF has made hundreds of awards and has helped launch many careers. ACF | create supports the creation, presentation, and subsequent life of a new work. Five grants are available: up to $8,000 for the composer or primary artist’s time to create the work, and up to $3,000 to help with production and promotion support. This program is for early career artists that reside in Minnesota or the five boroughs of New York City.

The American Composers Forum encourages applicants from the full range of musical approaches and perspectives, and is committed to supporting a diverse pool of artists whose work demonstrates strong artistic merit. Accordingly, awards for our programs will represent, as far as possible, artists and projects that are diverse in creative methodology, gender, race, ethnicity and geography.

Current Participants

The panel of curators who selected this year’s awardees included Peter S. Shin, The Honourable Elizabeth A. Baker, Tanner Porter, and Xuan.

Nava Dunkelman (photo by Damien Maloney)
Nava Dunkelman
Eliana Fishbeyn (Photo By John Thorp)
Eliana Fishbeyn
Clae Lu (Photo By Leo X Foo)
Clae Lu
Cleo Reed Photo By Jacob Consenstein
Cleo Reed
Phong Tran Photo By Alex S.K. Brown
Phong Tran

Nava Dunkelman–Photo by Damien Maloney; Eliana Fishbeyn–Photo by John Thorp; Clae Lu–Photo by Leo X Foo; Cleo Reed–Photo by Jacob Consenstein; Phong Tran–Photo by Alex S.K. Brown

Program Description

  • ACF will select five early career music creators based in the state of Minnesota or the five boroughs of New York City to receive commissioning funding for the creation and presentation of a new work.
  • The work proposed for funding must be in early stages of development and must be completed (including a public presentation) within five years.
  • The music creator applies with a collaborative partner (such as a performing group or a presenter) who is committed to presenting the finished work. The collaborative partner can be based anywhere in the world.

Awards

Five artists will be awarded $11,000 to be allocated as follows:

  • $8,000.00 commission is paid directly to the artist across three installments for their time creating a new work.*
  • $3,000.00 to help with the production or promotion of the new work.** These funds may be used before, during, or after the premiere. Scenarios might include research, travel, consultation, preparation fees, equipment or software costs, rehearsals, workshops, space rental, collaboration, outreach events, touring, publication, recording, and promotion costs.
  • In addition to funding support, awardees have access to exclusive ACF events, networking activities, and career development mentorship from ACF staff. They also have opportunities to be featured and promoted on ACF’s platforms, such as curating playlists for I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, being interviewed for artist profiles, and having their work shared in our newsletters (distributed to more than 9,000 recipients).

*A note to ensembles or organizations applying on behalf of the artist creating the work: all commission support is paid directly to the artist creating the work and is not distributed to the organization or ensemble applying on behalf of the artist.

**At the discretion of the artist creating the new work, production and promotion support funding can be paid directly to the artist or an organization and/or performer(s) at the direction of the awarded artist.

The Jerome Foundation’s Goals

The Jerome Foundation’s ultimate goal is to support the artistic and career development of early career generative artists in Minnesota and the five boroughs of New York City who (whether working individually or as part of a team, ensemble or collective) exercise ultimate artistic control in creating new works and who demonstrate:

  • Imagination and rigor in their practice and production of new work
  • Technical proficiency and a high level of craft
  • Compelling and distinctive vision and authentic voice
  • Connection to intended audiences/participants
  • A self-awareness of their place in the creative practices and artistic communities in their field(s)
  • Innovation and creative risk-taking
  • Exploration of and challenges to conventional artistic forms
  • Critical inquiry of creative practice within their field and their arts community

To view the complete guidelines as a separate document, please click HERE.

ACF | create

The American Composers Forum (ACF) is pleased to announce the 2024 ACF | create program. This program is made possible by the generous support of the Jerome Foundation.

ACF | create welcomes applicants from the full range of musical approaches and perspectives and is committed to supporting a diverse pool of artists.

Please note: ACF is intentional in its interchangeable use of the terms artist, music creator, and composer, as we recognize not everyone identifies themselves with one of these terms.

GUIDELINE INFORMATION

ONLINE APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, April 12, 2024 (11:59 PM Central)

Eligibility (must check ALL boxes to be eligible)

To be eligible for the 2024 ACF | create program, you must fulfill the following criteria:

  • You are currently a resident of either the state of Minnesota or the five boroughs of New York City and have been a resident for at least one year prior to application.
  • You did (or will) file your federal taxes as a resident of Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City.
  • You have a US Social Security Number or US Tax ID Number.
  • You are not enrolled as a full-time student in a degree-granting program (K-12, undergraduate, or graduate) in any field.
  • You are not staff, board, or immediate family of the Jerome Foundation or the American Composers Forum.
  • You were not a winner of the 2022 OR 2023 ACF | create program and you do not have an in-progress project awarded by ACF with funding provided by the Jerome Foundation.
General – State of Minnesota or Five Boroughs of New York City Residency Requirements
  • Music Creator must be a resident of the state of Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City and have been resident for at least one year prior to application. Applicants did (or will) file US federal taxes as a resident of either Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City. Selected artists will be required to provide proof of residency for either Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City before issuing an agreement. Applicants must have a US Social Security Number or US Tax ID.
  • Collaborating Partner(s) may be based anywhere in the world.
Exclusive Application
  • Applicants (music creators and collaborators) may only be a part of one application.
Sit Out Period
  • Two Years (2022 and 2023 ACF | create music creators, and their collaborators are ineligible).
  • Any creators and their collaborators with in-progress projects awarded prior to 2022 by ACF with funding provided by the Jerome Foundation are ineligible.
  • ACF | create funds may not support costs or activities supporting the artist(s) through other Jerome Foundation-funded grants or programs.
No Conflict of Interest
  • American Composers Forum and the Jerome Foundation’s administrative staff, board of directors, and their family members are ineligible.
Not enrolled as a full-time student in a degree-granting education program
  • Applicants cannot be enrolled full-time in any degree-granting programs (K-12, undergraduate, or graduate) in any field. Applicants who are or will be students enrolled full-time in a degree-granting program are ineligible. Ph.D. and DMA candidates who have completed all requirements except their dissertation may apply.

Early Stage Work Status

  • Proposed works should be at an early stage in their development and must not be finished by the time of application.
  • Works must be scheduled to premiere after September 30, 2024.
  • Supported projects must be completed within five years of the award date
Considerations About Early Career Artist Status
  • For the purposes of this award, early career artists have between 2 to 10 years of experience as music creators making new original work (excluding any time in a degree-granting program; as a musician of non-original work created by others; arranging or reviving the work of other music creators; or time away from working as an artist due to circumstances (e.g., having children, caring for family members, long-term illness, etc.).
  • Music creators who have been generating new work for more than 10 years (excluding any time spent as a student) are generally not eligible, even if they feel under-recognized. Such artists with more than 10 years in the field who wish to discuss eligibility based on circumstances (whether personal or geographic) or on specific creative practice consideration (e.g. the scale of work and/or extended creative cycles necessary to complete a single work) should contact Oswald Huỳnh, Artist Support Manager, before Friday, April 5, 2024 to discuss eligibility in advance of submitting an application.
  • Early career artists have completed and publicly presented works. Works created and presented while in a degree-granting program are not eligible for meeting this requirement.
  • The applicant should have at least one work on their resume that has been supported by a presenter, presenting organization (that is not their own organization, if applicable) or funder (for a project grant from either a foundation or a federal, state, or local arts agency). Self-presented work, or work created and presented while in a degree-granting program, is not eligible for meeting this requirement.
  • Panelists will rely on materials submitted in this application to assess the review criteria.
  • This opportunity is not for beginning artists who have never created music, whose generated new work has yet to be publicly shared, or who do not have a sufficient body of completed work that a panel can use to assess their artistic development over time.
  • Age is not a factor in determining eligibility.
  • Artists who are mid-career or established are not eligible.
  • Artist will be considered beyond early career and ineligible if they have:
    • Received consistent significant financial support for their artistic work from foundations and/or federal, state, or local arts agencies for multiple different projects.
    • Considerable bodies of work and are consistently touring and being produced by organizations (not their own organization).
    • Garnered significant regional or national prizes or awards in recognition or support of the creation and/or public presentation of multiple different works, including but not limited to: Grammy Awards, United States Artists Awards, Creative Capital Awards, MAP grants and/or Fulbright Fellowships, ASCAP Foundation or BMI Awards, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Chamber Music America Grants, New Music USA Awards, commission or touring grants from national or regional performance venues. Receipt of one of these grants and awards does not make an artist ineligible – it is the receipt of multiple grants and awards for multiple projects that, taken as a whole, move an artist to mid-career or beyond.
    • Received recognition in the form of awards, commissions, residencies, or funding opportunities that are specifically categorized as mid-career.
    • Received awards or prizes in recognition of significant cumulative career achievement, including but not limited to, the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, The American Prize, Guggenheim Fellowship, or the MacArthur Fellowship.
    • Have a full-time tenured faculty position (or the equivalent).

Recognizing that different funders may define “mid-career” in different ways, artists who have received mid-career awards but consider themselves still in an early career stage should contact Oswald Huỳnh, Artist Support Manager, before Friday, April 5, 2024 to discuss eligibility in advance of submitting an application.

Mid-career or established artists from fields other than music will not be considered early career. For example, a new media artist with a substantial career who is now moving into creating music will not be considered an early career for the purposes of this program.

Collaborating Partners

The Collaborating Partner is someone other than you; typically, a performer, ensemble, or presenter. Your Collaborating Partner can be located anywhere in the world. If you perform your own work with no collaborators, then the Collaborating Partner for this proposal needs to be a presenter or someone who will be producing the performance. This Collaborating Partner provides a Commitment Letter indicating enthusiasm to perform, present, and promote the proposed work. The letter of support should describe plans for the premiere and any additional activities that increase the visibility of the work and the artist. The Collaborating Partner can only be a part of one application and can’t partner with multiple music creator applicants.

Make sure your Collaborating Partner has not agreed to be a part of another 2024 ACF | create application and is not a partner of:

  • Any 2022 or 2023 ACF | create commissions
  • Any in-progress projects awarded prior to 2022 by ACF with funding provided by the  Jerome Foundation
  • ACF | create funds may not support costs or activities supporting the artist(s) through other Jerome Foundation-funded grants or programs.

If multiple Music Creator Applicants list the same Collaborating Partner, the first commitment letter received/submitted with the completed application will be accepted and all other subsequent applicants will be asked to find another Collaborating Partner.

Selection Process

A review panel of four music creators, artists, and/or advocates are selected for their familiarity with diverse musical approaches and will review applications and select fellowship recipients.

Prescreening:
  • ACF staff review all applications for eligibility and completeness.
Panel Review Phases:
  • Phase 1 – Independent Review: In this phase, panelists assess each applicant individually not making comparisons to other applicants. Panelists will also score applicants based on the key evaluation criteria (see below).
  • Phase 2 – Panel Process via Zoom: In this phase, which includes the final stages of the selection process, panelists will provide an overall score, listen to applicants’ music together, and have conversations in which comparative judgments will be made among applicants.

Some of the past curators for ACF | create (formerly JFund) include The Honourable Elizabeth A. Baker, Peter S. Shin, Tanner Porter, Xuan, Linda Antas, Nicolas Lell Benavides, Samantha Boshnack, Lisa Renee Coons, Daniel de Jesús, Adam Fong, Eric Gould, Mike Khoury, Amy Beth Kirsten, Kristin Kuster, Mari Kimura, HyeKyung Lee, Shawn Okpebholo, Meg Okura, Ingrid Stӧlzel, Vid Smooke, and Melinda Wagner.

The ACF staff members who oversee the McKnight Fellowship program do not contribute to the decision-making process or the selection of the McKnight Composer Fellows. The role of the staff is to provide clarity for the review process and to ensure that the curators’ review and discussions proceed following the program guidelines.

Key Evaluation Criteria

ACF encourages applicants from the full range of musical approaches/perspectives and is committed to supporting a diverse pool of artists who demonstrate compelling artistic work. Accordingly, awards for our programs will represent, as far as possible, artists and projects that are diverse in creative methodology, ethnicity, gender, geography, and race.

The panelists will be assessing and scoring the following aspects of your application:

  1. Early Career Status:
    • Music creator shows a focused direction, and is active creating new work. They are a vocational (as opposed to avocational, academic, amateur, or educational) artist.
    • Have yet to be substantially celebrated within their field (the media, funding circles, or public at large)
  2. Creative Output:
    • Imaginative and compelling sample materials presenting works that are deeply considered, technically proficient and expressive, and offering a distinctive vision and authentic voice.
  3. Commission Proposal:
    • Bold and risk-taking plan for the commission that expands the aesthetic or social experience in music and/or revives traditional forms in original ways.
    • Commitment by the collaborator to supporting the authentic voice of the music creator by performing, presenting and furthering the commissioned work.
    • Effective connection of the primary artist and collaborator(s) with intended audiences/participants.

Notification

The panelists’ decision is final and will be announced in July 2024. Results will be posted on ACF’s website and applicants will be notified by email. After the 2024 ACF | create commissioned artists and collaborating partners are announced, all applicants will have an opportunity to contact ACF’s Artist Support Manager for feedback from the panelists.

How to Apply

The Music Creator Applicant completes or uploads the following in the Online Application Form via the SlideRoom Application System. For an overview of SlideRoom, click HERE.

The online application can be found HERE.

1. Music Creator’s Personal Information:
  • Name, Pronouns, Address, Phone, Email Address, Webpage
2. Questions Regarding Eligibility
3. Two to Three Work Samples:
  • Provide web links to your work samples* (SoundCloud, YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, iCloud, etc.). Make sure the web links you provide in this application remain active until June 30, 2024. If you do not wish for your work samples to be public, please make them unlisted so the selection panel will still have access.
    • Each work sample must be a maximum of 5 minutes in duration. You may link a longer work sample, but please provide the start and end time cues in the space provided, which must be 5 minutes max.
    • Work sample that are not eligible to be utilized in this application are samples that are:
      1. Works that you arranged or performed but did not compose
      2. Commercial or non-commercial work-for-hire that you created at the direction of a client or producer, even if this is commissioned work
      3. Scores for film or video projects for which you do not have creative control or for which you do not retain the rights to perform, record and distribute
      4. Any works created and presented while in a degree-granting program or with student performers
  • If your work sample is longer than 5 minutes, provide the start and end time cues of the work sample. If this question is left blank, the panelists will start at the beginning of the work sample and listen for up to 5 minutes max. If you wish for panelists to start at a cue point other than the beginning, please indicate the start and end time cues in the space provided.
  • Provide any additional musical materials to support your creative process and/or the recordings provided
    • For each audio/and or video work sample please submit any accompanying documentation/materials that will provide further insights into your creative process. Either clearly describe the nature of your involvement in the creation of the piece in a document uploaded, or if notated scores are part of your creative process, provide a PDF of the score (up to 10MB) corresponding to the audio or video samples you submitted. Applicants whose work samples involve lyrics are encouraged to provide lyric sheets. This could take the place of a score if one is not present. We are open to receiving many types of sonic representation for the review process, including video, spectrogram, waveform, graphics, etc. Panelists will not have access to music notation, electronic music, graphic, video, or other specialized software.
  • For each work sample you will be asked to provide the Title, Duration, Year of Completion, Ensemble/Performers’ Name(s), Instrumentation (if applicable), and Brief Description of the Work (3,000-character limit including spaces).

*Work Sample 1 makes the most critical impression on the panelists, and should represent your most distinctive and compelling musical example. Work Samples 2 and 3 should each be a complementary, complete work. Together, the work samples should demonstrate the relevance of – and the music creator’s ability to carry out – the proposed new work. Work Sample 3 is optional.

4. Music Creator Introduction, Collaborator(s) Information, and Project Proposal
  • Music Creator’s personal introduction to panelists
    • A personal statement introducing yourself and talking about the music you create.
    • You can provide a web link to a video (maximum 5 minutes) or you can provide a written response typed directly into the application (4000-character limit including spaces).
  • Artist Resume
    • Resumes should include completed publicly presented created works, work in development, fellowships & awards, grants, residencies, other artistic work, teaching, and additional relevant categories to your work (2 pages max)
  • Collaborating Partner information
    • Name/organization, Address, Phone Number, Email, Website
  • Collaborating Partner commitment letter
    • The Collaborating Partner commitment letter must be uploaded and submitted as part of the application. If multiple music creators list the same Collaborating Partner, the first commitment letter received/submitted with the completed application will be accepted and all other subsequent applicants will be asked to find another Collaborating Partner.
  • Proposed Project information
    • Proposed Title, Approximate Duration, Instrumentation
  • A description of the proposed project (4,000-character limit including spaces)
  • A description of how you would use the $3,000 in production/promotion funds. These funds are meant to only cover a portion of the production costs; the rest of the costs should be explained in your budget outline.
  • Itemize the activities, their purpose, and approximate costs; and give a timeline (7,000-character limit including spaces)
Example Budget and Timeline

Income:

  • ACF create: $11,000
  • Funds raised for Project: $2,000
  • Funding from Collaborator: $4,000
  • Total Income: $17,000

Expenses:

  • Commission: $8,000
  • Recording (Production/Promotion Funds): $1,500
  • Marketing (Production/Promotion Funds): $1,000
  • Venue Costs: $500
  • Lighting Costs: $500
  • Musicians: $5,000
  • Post-event reception: $500
  • Total Expenses: $17,000

Timeline*:

  • Creation/Collaboration: September – April 2023
  • Rehearsals: July 2023
  • Premiere of New Work: August 2023
  • Editing of Recording: September – October 2023
  • Final Report Submitted: October 2023

*Note for the timeline: We know timelines change throughout the collaborative process. We are looking to see the general timeline and how that relates to the scope of your project. We know timelines will change for selected artists. We ask selected artists to communicate significant changes with ACF staff. You have up to five years to complete the commission.

5. Questions regarding social media, information sessions, how you learned about this opportunity, and acknowledgement of guidelines.
  • Electronic Signature: I have carefully reviewed the 2024 ACF | create guidelines and it contains all of the necessary information. I understand that my application must be completed by the online application deadline of Friday, April 12, 2023 11:59 PM (Central). The American Composers Forum / ACF | create program take no responsibility for applications that are not in Submitted status at the deadline. I certify that the statements in this application are true and complete to the best of my knowledge. I know if awarded an ACF | create commission I will be required to sign an agreement, submit a W9, and be responsible for all taxes pertaining to payments to me as part of the ACF | create program. If I am selected for the 2024 ACF | create program offered by the American Composers Forum, I agree to abide by the policies of the ACF | create program.
6. Music Creator’s Demographic Form

In our commitment to racial equity, we include within that scope, but do not limit it to, diverse gender identities, musical approaches and perspectives, religions, ages, abilities, cultures, backgrounds, and sexual orientations.

Sharing your information is optional but helps us to understand the impact of our efforts to invite and welcome a broad range of artists. This information will not be shared publicly or with funders/other third parties with your name unless explicitly approved by you.

Instructions:

What you share in the 2024 Demographic Information form as part of your SlideRoom application for this program will be included in your application and seen by panelists. If you prefer to keep your answers separate/anonymous, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/6e6kDDsug5Xq81NE7. Your choice of whether to share your information with the panelists will have no impact on the evaluation of your application.

1. Race:

  • BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person Of Color), ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, Native American), Mixed Race, or Global Majority (Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, people that have been racialized as ‘ethnic minorities’)
  • White

2. Ethnicity (check all that apply):

  • African descent/Diaspora
  • Southern African descent
  • Central African descent
  • East African descent
  • North African descent
  • West African descent
  • Caribbean descent
  • North American descent
  • Central American descent
  • South American descent
  • Central Asian descent
  • East Asian descent
  • South Asian descent
  • Southeast Asian descent
  • Middle Eastern/Southwest Asian descent
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Island descent
  • European descent
  • Decline to State

3. Please share the words you use to more fully communicate your identity and experiences. You may include specific race, ethnic, region, national group, and/or tribal/band affiliations you identify with. (Examples: Alaskan Native, Dakota-Shakopee Mdewakanton, Honduran, Azeri/Persian, Puerto Rican, Nigerian, Hmong, Thai, Scots-Irish, Russian Jewish descent, Laotian, Chicano, Italian, Rural/Remote resident, Yupik, Haitian and Creole, Norwegian, decline to state, I don’t know, etc.)

4. Gender (check all that apply):

  • Female
  • Gender non-conforming
  • Gender fluid
  • Male
  • Non-binary
  • Two Spirit
  • Decline to State
  • Prefer to self-identify (use the open field in the next question)

5. Open field for the question above:

6. Are you transgender?

  • Yes
  • No
  • I don’t know
  • Decline to State

7. Do you have a disability?

  • Yes
  • No
  • I don’t know
  • Decline to state

8. Are you neurodivergent?

  • Yes
  • No
  • I don’t know
  • Decline to State

Additional Information:

  • Entries must be submitted electronically via the SlideRoom application system on or before 11:59 PM Central on Friday, April 12, 2024.
  • There will be a 24-hour grace period to accommodate any issues submitting your application by the deadline, but your application must have been started before the deadline. After the grace period, late applications will not be considered under any circumstance.
  • Entries submitted by mail or other than the provided online application process, excluding the project partner support letter, will not be eligible for consideration.

Questions

The American Composers Forum encourages applicants to contact ACF staff to ask questions and discuss potential applications. For general questions regarding the ACF | create program, please contact Oswald Huỳnh, Artist Support Manager, at ohuynh@composersforum.org.

2022 PARTICIPANTS

The curators for this round of ACF | create were Byron Au Yong (Palm Springs, CA), Joseph Jones (Bonita Springs, FL), Stefon BIONIK Taylor (Minneapolis, MN), and Leaha Maria Villarreal (Los Angeles, CA).

Annie Blythe
Annie Blythe
sarina-partridge-691px
Sarina Partridge
Megumi-Saruhashi-Headshot-ACF-800x1200
Megumi Saruhashi
Sound Sovereign/Brown
Sound Sovereign/Brown
Christopher-Williams-Headshot_1_pekala
Chris Williams

Annie Blythe–Photo by Whitney George; Sarina Patridge–Photo by Ted Hall; Megumi Saruhashi–Photo by SnapKyoto; Sound Sovereign/Brown–Screenshot taken from video courtesy of Joe’s Pub; Chris Williams–Photo by Katherine Pekala

2021 PARTICIPANTS

The curators for this round of ACF | create were Daniel de Jesús (Philadelphia, PA), Mike Khoury (Detroit, MI), Amy Beth Kirsten (New Haven, CT), and Viola Yip (New York, NY).

Sonya Belaya
Sonya Belaya
Pablo Chin
Pablo Chin
Renée Copeland
Renée Copeland
Vicente Hansen Atria
Vicente Hansen Atria
Alicia Waller
Alicia Waller

Sonya Belaya photo credit Alex Brown; Pablo Santiago Chin Photo credit Marc Perlish; Renée Copeland Photo credit Renée Copeland; Vicente Hansen Atria Photo credit Kyra Smith; Alicia Waller Photo by Shay Paresh

2019/2020 Participants

The panelists for this round of ACF | create were composers Nicolas Lell Benavides (Los Angeles, CA), Theron Brown (Akron, OH), and Lisa Renée Coons (Kalamazoo, MI).

Michael Maiorana
Michael Maiorana
Anaïs Maviel
Anaïs Maviel
Mary Prescott
Mary Prescott
Richard Sears
Richard Sears
Sugar Vendil photo credit Michael Leviton
Sugar Vendil

Anaïs Maviel photo credit Dar Es Salaam Riser; Mary Prescott Photo credit Erika Kapin; Sugar Vendil photo credit Michael Leviton

2018 Participants

The panelists for this round of ACF | Create commissions were composers  HyeKyung Lee (Granville, OH), Ingrid Stölzel (Lawrence, KS), and Michael Woods (Clinton, NY).

David Adamcyk
David Adamcyk
PaviElle French
PaviElle French
Dana Lyn
Dana Lyn
Felipe Nieto Sachica
Felipe Nieto Sachica
Dameun Strange
Dameun Strange

Jerome Composers Commissioning Program/Jerome Fund for New Music Winners

2017 Participant

Lea Bertucci (Queens, NY)
Lea Bertucci
Queens, NY
Michael Betz (Minneapolis, MN)
Michael Betz
Minneapolis, MN
Will Healy (New York, NY)
Will Healy
New York, NY
Eric Mayson (Minneapolis, MN)
Eric Mayson
Minneapolis, MN
Joel Mellin (Brooklyn, NY)
Joel Mellin
Brooklyn, NY
Martin Nevin (Brooklyn, NY)
Martin Nevin
Brooklyn, NY
Lester St. Louis (Brooklyn, NY)
Lester St. Louis
Brooklyn, NY
Walken Schweigert (Saint Paul, MN)
Walken Schweigert
Saint Paul, MN
Shelley Washington (Brooklyn, NY)
Shelley Washington
Brooklyn, NY
Mark Yodice (New York, NY)
Mark Yodice
New York, NY

2016 Participant

Aleksandr Brusentsev
Aleksandr Brusentsev
Eagan, MN
Steph Chou photo by Emra Islek
Steph Chou
New York, NY
Asuka Kakitani
Asuka Kakitani
Northfield, MN
M. Lamar Portrait I By Serena Jara
M. Lamar
Brooklyn, NY
Brian Mark
Brian Mark
Brooklyn, NY
JP Merz
JP Merz
Minneapolis, MN
Brian Petuch
Brian Petuch
Brooklyn, NY
Joseph C. Phillips, Jr.
Joseph C. Phillips, Jr.
Brooklyn, NY
Leah Maria Villarreal
Leah Maria Villarreal
New York, NY

 

Sam Wells
Sam Wells
Brooklyn, NY

2015

New York

  • Saad Haddad (New York, NY) with the American Composers Orchestra
  • Sean Harold (New York, NY) with Suzanne Farrin
  • Clara Hunter Latham (New York, NY) with Peter Evans, Sam Pluta, Michael Weyandt, and Alice Teyssier
  • Remy Le Boeuf (Brooklyn, NY) with Bang on a Can
  • Shih-Wei Lo (New York, NY) with Nieuw Ensemble
  • Sky Macklay (New York, NY) with ICE
  • Anthony Vine (Brooklyn, NY) with Yarn/Wire

Minnesota

  • James G. Everest (St. Paul, MN) with Lake Joanna Interpretive Center
  • Yue Lor (Blaine, MN) with Blaine High School Band Program
  • Tiffany Skidmore (St. Paul, MN) with the Nautilus Music Theatre

Panelists

  • Meg Okura
  • David Smooke
  • Melinda Wagner

2014

New York

  • Justine F. Chen (New York, NY) with American Lyric Theatre
  • Jeff Fairbanks (Sunnyside, NY) with Gamin
  • Anne Goldberg (New York, NY) with Andrew Kozar
  • Molly Joyce (New York, NY) with Vicky Chow
  • Paul Kerekes (New York, NY) with Trevor Babb
  • Levy Lorenzo (Brooklyn, NY) with Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble
  • Jessica Meyer (Bronx, NY) with The Colonials
  • Max Vernon (Brooklyn, NY) with Public Theatre
  • Tamara Yadao (Brooklyn, NY) with Cluster New Music and Integrated Arts Festival

Minnesota

  • Zack Baltich (Minneapolis, MN) with Fallout Music Co-op
  • Kari Musil (St. Paul, MN) with Pip Jazz Foundation
  • Natalie Nowytski (Minneapolis, MN) with Laurel Armstrong

Panelists

  • Kristin Kuster
  • Vinny Golia
  • Mari Kimura

2013

New York

  • Troy Herion (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Shawn Jaeger (New York, NY)
  • Jascha Narveson (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Gity Razaz (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Erin Rogers (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Conrad Winslow (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Gabriel Zucker (Brooklyn, NY)

Minnesota

  • Greg Brosofske (Minneapolis, MN)
  • Alexei Casselle (Minneapolis, MN)
  • John Keston (Minneapolis, MN)
  • Kathy McTavish (Duluth, MN)

Panelists

  • Dorothy Hindman
  • Suphala
  • Darryl Brenzel

2012

New York

  • Jeremy Howard Beck (New York, NY)
  • Chris Cresswell (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Masatora Goya (Rego Park, NY)
  • David Hertzberg (New York, NY)
  • Eric Nathan (New York, NY)
  • Danielle Schwob (New York, NY)

Minnesota

  • Christopher Danforth (Minneapolis, MN)
  • Alex Freeman (Northfield, MN)
  • Asako Hirabayashi (Falcon Heights, MN)
  • Heath Mathews (Farmington, MN)

Panelists

  • Paul Elwood
  • Asha Srinivasan
  • Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate

2011

New York

  • Olga Bell
  • Daniel Blake
  • Ryan Carter
  • Christopher Cerrone
  • Trevor Gureckis
  • Mary Kouyoumdjian
  • Ruben Naeff
  • Christopher Trapani

Minnesota

  • Joshua Clausen
  • Noah Keesecker
  • Joshua Musikantow
  • Tiffany Skidmore

Panelists

  • Anthony Curtis Davis
  • Don Davis
  • Anna E. Hinkle-Turner

2010

New York

  • Michael Gilberston
  • Joel Harrison
  • Matthew Steckler
  • Max Duykers
  • Joe Diebes
  • Christopher Jentsch

Minnesota

  • Joshua Bauder
  • Linda Kachelmeier
  • Tim Donahue
  • Jeff Johnson

Panelists

  • Neil Leonard
  • Jovino Dos Santos Neto
  • Jeannine Wagar

2009

New York

  • Darcy James Argue
  • Elizabeth Hoffman
  • Neel Murgai
  • Dafna Naphtali
  • Gregory Spears
  • Daniel Wohl

Minnesota

  • Benjamin Broening
  • Christopher Danforth
  • Kathleen McTavish
  • Chris Thomson

Panelists

  • Madelyn Byrne
  • P.Q. Phan
  • Bill Ryan

2008

New York

  • Patricia Alesandrini
  • Matthew Barnson
  • Philippe Bodin
  • Sidiki Conde
  • Judd Greenstein
  • Yotam Haber
  • Ha-Yang Kim
  • Keith Moore
  • Jeff Myers
  • Hans Tammen
  • Eric Wubbles

Minnesota

  • Elizabeth Alexander
  • Kirsten Broberg
  • George Cartwright
  • Jocelyn Hagen
  • Jeff Herriott
  • John Mallia
  • Ann Millikan
  • Nirmala Rajasekar

Panelists

  • Sarah Cahill
  • Ernest Dawkins
  • James Dillon

2007

New York

  • Nathan Davis
  • Ryan Francis
  • Joel Harrison
  • Huck Hodge
  • Kristin Kuster
  • Missy Mazzoli
  • Tamar Muskal
  • Aaron Siegel

Minnesota

  • Abbie Betinis
  • Howard Collins
  • Paul Elwood
  • Douglas Geers
  • Margaret Griebling-Haigh
  • Art Lee
  • J. David Moore
  • Peter O’Gorman

Panelists

  • Ken Field
  • Amy X Neuberg
  • Reza Vali

2006

New York

  • William Brittelle
  • Corey Dargel
  • Michael Dellaira
  • Bryce Dessner
  • Kristin Norderval
  • Meg Okura
  • Rob Reddy

Minnesota

  • Jeffrey Brooks
  • Edie Hill
  • Linda Kachelmeier
  • Heath Mathews
  • Rachel Matthews
  • Mankwe Ndosi
  • Doug Opel
  • David Wolff

Panelists

  • Lauri desMarais
  • Odean Pope
  • Phillip Schroeder

2005

New York

  • Kati Agocs
  • Annie Gosfield
  • Vijay Iyer
  • Rudresh Mahanthappa
  • Hiroya Miura
  • Sam Newsome
  • Sean Noonan

Minnesota

  • Marita Bolles
  • Michael Croswell
  • Michelle Kinney
  • Ann Millikan
  • Yotam Rosenbaum

Panelists

  • Daniel Godfrey
  • James Newton
  • Dorothy Stone

2004

New York

  • Glen Cortese
  • Antonio Carlos DeFeo
  • Vivian Fung
  • Shafer Mahoney
  • Robert Paterson
  • Bobby Previte
  • Huang Ruo
  • David Weiss

Minnesota

  • Shawn Allison
  • Elizabeth Alexander
  • Eric Barnum
  • Howard Collins
  • Peter O’Gorman
  • Lisa Ragsdale
  • Nirmala Rajasekar
  • Changiun Xu

Panelists

  • David Crumb
  • Marjorie Merryman
  • Kwaku Kwaakye Obeng

2003

New York

  • Joshua Fried
  • Michelle Nagai
  • Moto Osada
  • Lu Pei
  • Jonathan Pieslak
  • Spencer Schedler
  • Du Yun

Minnesota

  • Maura Bosch
  • Geoffrey Gordon
  • Michael Karmon
  • Andrew Lafkas
  • Dean Magraw
  • Paul Rudy
  • Ethan Wickman

Panelists

  • Joan LaBarbara
  • Zhou Long
  • Yehuda Yannay

2002

  • Marc Anderson
  • Scott Miller
  • James Syler
  • Casey Hale
  • Christopher Jentsch
  • Basya Schechter
  • Sarah Snider
  • Lev Zhurbin

2001

  • Doug Little
  • Charlottemarie
  • William Beckstrand
  • John Morton
  • Mark Zanter
  • Todd Reynolds
  • Douglas Geers
  • Hayes Biggs
  • Rudresh Mahanthappa
  • Christian Amigo
  • Yuanlin Chen

2000

  • Ron George
  • James Harley
  • Brian Heller
  • Michael Karmon
  • Dan Trueman
  • Preston Wright
  • Steven Bryant
  • Judy Dunaway
  • Phil Kline
  • Harold Meltzer
  • Hollis Taylor
  • Ushio Torikai

1999

  • Mark Engebretson
  • Edie Hill
  • Igor Komeitchouk
  • Dale McGowan
  • Lior Navok
  • Carl Witt
  • Constance Cooper
  • Gisburg
  • Wang Guowei
  • Jose Halac
  • Dafna Naphtali
  • Patrick Zimmerli

1998

  • Linda Dusman
  • Frank Ferko
  • Anthony Gatto
  • Bruce Hamilton
  • John Morrison
  • John Fitz Rogers
  • Derek Bermel
  • Chen Yuanlin
  • Chien-Yin Chen
  • Marilyn Kimura
  • Jerome Kitzke
  • Rob Reddy
  • David Simmons

1997

  • Ellen Band
  • Gao Hong and Paul Dice
  • David Reville
  • Joko Sutrisno
  • Vera Stanojevic
  • Carei Thomas
  • Tom Trenka
  • Ben Allison
  • Wendy-Mae Chambers
  • David Claman
  • Sonia Jacobsen
  • Kevin James

1996

  • Maura Bosch
  • Sherri Flagg-McHugh
  • Michael Fiday
  • Phillip Fried
  • Paul Higham
  • Todd Winkler
  • Wang Zheng-Ting
  • Lisa Bielawa
  • Charles Coleman
  • Jonathan Elliott
  • Zeena Parkins
  • Behzad Ranjbaran
  • Tim Rowe
  • Ken Valitsky
  • Terry Winters-Owens

1995

  • Brent Michael Davids
  • John Devine
  • Linda Tutas Haugen
  • Craig Harris
  • Mark Hellem
  • Homer Lambrecht
  • Emanuel Rodriguez
  • Ying Zhang
  • Nick Didkovsky
  • Joe Gallant
  • Kitty Brazelton
  • Joshua Fried
  • Annie Gosfield
  • Mary Jane Leach
  • Gene Pritsker
  • Qu Xiao-song

1994

  • Michael Croswell
  • Colin Franey
  • Jennifer Higdon
  • Bun Ching Lam
  • Susan Parenti
  • Russell Platt
  • Chris Preissing

1993

  • John Luther Adams
  • Paul Dice
  • Douglas Ewart
  • Randall Woolf

1992

  • Mark Applebaum
  • Ted Fitch
  • Marjorie Hess
  • Joseph Klein
  • Paul Siskind
  • Bernadette Speach

1991

  • William Lang
  • Rose Brzezinski
  • Nathaniel Haynes
  • Judith Sainte Croix
  • Bunita Marcus

1990

  • Conrad DeJong
  • Carl Voss
  • Wes York

1989

  • John Baboukis
  • Bradley Bombardier
  • Tina Davidson
  • Greg Fish
  • Miriam Gerberg
  • Vinny Golia
  • Charles Hoag
  • Arthur Jarvinen

1988

  • Michael Daugherty
  • Linda Haugen
  • Jennifer Holt
  • Leo Kraft
  • David Lang
  • Steve Tibbetts
  • Donald Washington

1987

  • Elizabeth Clark
  • Michael Gordon
  • Matthew Harris
  • Henry Holoien
  • Michele Kinney
  • Ellen Lease
  • James Lovendusky

1986

  • John King
  • Monica Maye
  • Roscoe Mitchell
  • Richard Paske
  • Frederick Tillis

1985

  • Henry Gwiazda
  • David Kechley
  • Alex Lubet
  • Charles McHugh
  • David John Olsen
  • Dan Strum
  • Wendy Ultan
  • Jack Vees

1984

  • John Einweck
  • Paul Goldstaub
  • Robert Maderich
  • Charlie Maguire
  • Steve Rydberg
  • Jeffery Vandervelde
  • Thomas Wegren
  • Zeitgeist

1983

  • Michael Aubart
  • Carl Bergmann
  • Henry Brant
  • Mary Ellen Childs
  • Janet Gilbert
  • Michael Halstenson
  • Stephen Paulus
  • Marjorie Rusche
  • Paul Schoenfield
  • Dale Warland

1982

  • Dominick Argento
  • Dan Breedon
  • Elizabeth Breenan
  • Jeffery Brooks
  • David Edminster
  • Tristan Fuentes
  • Leland Sateren
  • Daniel Sturm
  • Steve Barnett

1981

  • Earl Buys
  • Ralph Johnson
  • Libby Larsen
  • David Means
  • Kim Sherman
  • Lloyd Ultan
  • John Watson
  • Robert Wetzler

1980

  • William Englund
  • Paul Fetler
  • Robert Hanson
  • Carolyn Jennings
  • Alvin King
  • Alex Lubet
  • Carleton Macy
  • Dale Newton
  • Janika Vandervelde

1979

  • Carol Barnett
  • Dan Breedon
  • James Callahan
  • Randall Davidson
  • Marilyn Grobel
  • Eleanor Hovda
  • William Kempe
  • Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
  • Eric Stokes

ACF staff will offer two 60-minute information sessions for the 2024 ACF | create program online to review the application process. During these sessions, there will be time to ask questions about the application process and its components.

  • These sessions will be offered online via Zoom. You must register to receive the link.
  • We will record the sessions and post them HERE the following week.
  • Video tutorials on how to use the Zoom online meeting system can be found HERE.

Session 1: Tuesday, March 5th – 5:30-6:30 PM Central Time
Topic: we will review all guidelines and walk through the application process in SlideRoom.
RECORDING AVAILABLE SOON
PDF OF SLIDESHOW

Session 2: Thursday, March 7th – 5:30-6:30 PM Central Time
Topic: we will examine previous awardees’ applications as case studies.
RECORDING AVAILABLE SOON
PDF OF SLIDESHOW
SAMPLE APPLICATION 1
SAMPLE APPLICATION 2

If you need one-on-one assistance with your application, please email Oswald Huỳnh at ohuynh@composersforum.org to schedule a meeting.