McKnight Composer Fellowships

The McKnight Foundation’s Arts program is one of the oldest and largest of its kind in the country. Established in 1981, the McKnight Artist Fellowships provide annual, unrestricted cash awards to outstanding mid-career Minnesota artists in fourteen areas. Thirteen arts organizations oversee the administration of the fellowships and structure their own program to respond to the unique challenges of different creative disciplines: book artists, ceramic artists, choreographers, composers, community – engaged practice artists, culture bearers, dancers, fiber artists, media artists, performing musicians, playwrights, printmakers, theater arts, visual arts, and writers; administered respectively by the Minnesota Center for Books, Northern Clay Center, The Cowles Center, American Composers Forum, Pillsbury House Theatre, Indigenous Roots, Textile Center, FILMN°RTH, MacPhail Center for Music, The Playwrights’ Center, Highpoint Center for Printmaking, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and The Loft.

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 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, gender, race, ethnicity, and geography.

 Current Participants

The curators who selected this year’s awardees were Forbes Graham (Boston, MA), Sarah M. Greer (Minneapolis, MN), Ritika Ganguly (Minneapolis, MN), Danny Clay (San Francisco, CA), and Jannina Norpoth (Brooklyn, NY).

Mitchell Bercier photo by Elbow Juice,  Mary Ellen Childs photo by Laura Bianchi, Queen Drea photo credit by David Lee Glasgow, and Reinaldo Moya photo by Arthur Moeller

 

The Purpose of the McKnight Artist Fellowships as Described by the McKnight Foundation  

The intent of the McKnight Fellowship is to recognize and support Minnesota artists and culture bearers who are beyond early practice, have sustained experience in their discipline, and demonstrate exceptional accomplishment.

Awards

• Four fellowships of $25,000 in unrestricted funds will be awarded. Awards are subject to state and federal income tax guidelines.
• Fellows also have an opportunity to attend an artist residency program coordinated by the Artist Communities Alliance within two years of the fellowship program.  
• Consultation, time, and resources from ACF.
• Consultation, time, and resources from Springboard for the Arts

This year’s panel consists of:

Download the 2023 McKnight Composer Fellowship program guidelines HERE.

ONLINE APPLICATION DEADLINE: Tuesday, March 14, 2023 (11:59 PM Central)

Program Description

• ACF will select four music creators based in Minnesota to support their continuing artistic practice.
• There are no restrictions on how the music creator makes use of the funds.

Awards

• Four fellowships of $25,000 in unrestricted funds will be awarded. Awards are subject to state and federal income tax guidelines.
• Fellows also have an opportunity to attend an artist residency program coordinated by the Artist Communities Alliance within two years of the fellowship program.
• Consultation, time, and resources from the ACF.
• Consultation, time, and resources from Springboard for the Arts.

The Purpose of the ACF McKnight Artist Fellowships

The intent of the McKnight Fellowship is to recognize and support Minnesota artists and culture bearers who are beyond early practice, have sustained experience in their discipline, and demonstrate exceptional accomplishment.

McKnight Artist Fellowships Community Values

The McKnight Foundation and the administering partners for the McKnight Artist Fellowships are committed to creating and supporting an artistic community in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. The community of the McKnight Artist Fellowships includes people who engage with the fellowships program whether as applicants, fellows, panelists, contractors, collaborators, fellowships administrators, and staff of the McKnight Foundation and partnering organizations.

For more information about the McKnight Artist Fellowships Community Values, read this announcement.

Eligibility

• You have or maintain Minnesota residency for at least one year prior to application and for the duration of the fellowship year. You must have a US Social Security Number or US Tax ID.
• You are beyond early practice, have sustained experience in their discipline, and demonstrate exceptional accomplishment.
• You can only apply to one McKnight Artist Fellowship in any artistic discipline within a year.
• You have not been a recipient of a McKnight Artist Fellowship within any artistic discipline in the last five award years. Recipients of 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 McKnight Fellowships in any discipline are not eligible. 2017 fellows are eligible to apply again for 2023 fellowship awards. Past fellows can search on the McKnight Artists Fellowship webpage to confirm their award year.
• You demonstrate growth and ongoing artistry since your most recent McKnight Artist Fellowship.
• You are not staff, board, or immediate family of the McKnight Foundation or fellowship administrative partners (including ACF). See the list of all partner organizations named above. The partners are also shown here: https://www.mcknight.org/programs/arts-culture/the-mcknight-artist-fellowships/
• You may not be enrolled full-time in an academic program. Low-Residency MFA programs, Ph.D., and DMA candidates who have completed all requirements except their dissertation are not considered “full-time” students.

Selection Process

The McKnight Fellowships for Composers provide recognition for mid-career music creators working in any musical approach or perspective. The program is designed to award artists whose work is of exceptional artistic craft, who have created a substantial body of work over a period of time, and who are at a stage that is beyond emerging.

ACF staff review all applicants for eligibility and completeness. A selection committee of four music creators and/or advocates are selected for their familiarity with diverse musical approaches and will review applications and select fellowship recipients. Applicants are evaluated and selected based on the quality of their work as evidenced in submitted materials, most importantly work samples and body of work. Consideration is given to accomplishments to date, promise for continued development, impact the fellowship will have on the artist, sustained contribution to the creator’s artistic field and to Minnesota’s arts ecosystem. Panelists will review the works over two phases:

• Phase 1 – Independent Review: In this phase, panelists are assessing each applicant individually and 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 in the selection process, panelists will provide an overall score, listen to applicants’ music together, and have conversations in which comparative judgements will be made among applicants.

Past curators have included: Marcos Balter, Susan Botti, Carlos R. Carrillo, Forbes Graham, Gavin Chuck, Ken Field, Douglas Geers, Carolina Heredia, Lovett Hines, Amy Knoles, Emily Koh, Elainie Lillios, Gilda Lyons, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Fang Man, Donovan Mixon, Osnat Netzer, Isaac Schankler, Marilyn Shrude, Samita Sinha, and Beth Wiemann.

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 the discussions proceed in accordance with 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.

Artistic craft:

• Strong sense of the creator’s voice
• Technical proficiency necessary to achieve the desired results
• Quality of work samples (quality is always defined by a cultural context)

The applicant is clearly reached beyond early practice as evidenced by:

• Significant body of work
• Creative achievement
• Sustained contribution to your artistic field and to Minnesota’s arts ecosystem.

Notification

The panelists’ decision is final and will be announced in July 2023. Results will be posted on ACF’s website and applicants will be notified by email. After the 2023 McKnight Fellowships for Composers and Visiting Composer Residencies are announced, all applicants will have the opportunity to set up a phone appointment with the Director of Artist Support for comments 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. Acknowledgement of McKnight Artist Fellowship Guidelines (Questions 1.1)

2. Composer’s Personal Information (Questions 1.2 – 1.14):

Name, Pronouns, Address, Phone, Email Address, Webpage

3. Questions Regarding Eligibility & Past Participation (Questions 1.15 – 1.22):

A series of questions to confirm your eligibility for this program and past participation.

4. Three Work Samples (Questions 1.23 – 1.54)

Provide three audio/and or video work samples totaling no more than 10-minutes of your original music. At least one of your work samples should be of a work you created in the last five years. Keep in mind that work samples should support the criteria of the program. If you have previously received a McKnight Fellowship, concentrate your work samples on the period of time since your last award. For each sample list cue start and end times. You can provide a complete work but point the panelists to specific areas of a longer work that you would like for them to review.

For each audio/and or video work sample, please submit any accompanying documentation/materials that will provide further insights into your creative process. Clearly describe the nature of your involvement in the creation of the piece in an uploaded document. If notated scores are part of your creative process, provide PDFs of scores (up to 10MB each) corresponding to the audio or video samples you submitted. If the PDF is larger than 10 MB, a space is given for you to provide a web link to the lager file. Curators will not have access to music notation, electronic music, graphic, video, or other specialized software.

Provide web links to your music samples (SoundCloud, YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, etc.). Make sure web links you provide in this application remain active and unchanged until June 30, 2023. If you do not wish for your work samples to be public, please make them unlisted so the committee will still have access.

• Work Sample 1 makes the most critical impression on the panelists, and should represent your most distinctive and compelling musical example. Panelists will listen to 3-5 minutes of this work in the first round. Indicate the start and end times for the cue for the first round in Questions 1.24 & 1.25: Works Sample 1 – First Round Cue Start and End Times.If selected for the second round and you wish the panelists to listen to a different segment of your first sample, please indicate the section in start and end times for the cue for the second round in Questions 1.26 & 1.27:  Works Sample 1 – Second Round Cue Start and End Times.Example: An applicant could submit a 10-minute piece as their Work Sample 1. In the first round, the applicant could provide the cue start time as 0 (the beginning) and cue end time 5 min. If selected for the second round, the applicant has indicated a second round cue start time as 5 min and second round cue end time as 10 min.
• For Work Samples 2 & 3, panelists will listen to 2-3 minutes of each work in both rounds. Indicate the start and end times for the cue.

For each Work Sample, you will be asked to provide the Cue Start and End Times, Title, Duration, Year of Completion, Ensemble/Name(s) of Performer(s), and Instrumentation. You may also give other pertinent information you feel would be helpful to the panel, such as why you chose to submit this particular sample (3000-characters, including spaces).

5. Artist’s statement (Question 1.55 or 1.56) (Link to 3.5 – 4-minute video (Q 1.55) OR typed answer (Q 1.56) of maximum 4,000 characters, including spaces)

The artist statement may take any of several directions, at your discretion: information about your background, the development of your work, your interests as an artist or your aesthetic position, your future artistic direction, or any other information you would like to present to the curators.

6. Insights into your artistic experiences (Question 1.57: Two-pages maximum – PDF only – up to 10MB)

This can be a biography, a list of 10 artistic experiences that have shaped you as a musician, or a resume. We would like this document to enhance your artistic statement and provide further insights into your creation of music. If you choose to list a set of 10 artistic experiences, please go deeper into details on two of the most important experiences out of the ten experiences.

7. A complete works list (Question 1.58: PDF only – up to 10MB)

For each of your works include the title, year created, approximate duration of work, instrumentation, year of the premiere, performer or ensemble that premiered the work.

8. Questions regarding social media, information sessions, and how you learned about this opportunity.  (Questions 1.59-1.61)

9. Acknowledgement of McKnight Artist Fellowship Community Values (Questions 1.62)

10. Acknowledgement of Terms and Conditions (Questions 1.63)

By applying, you attest:

• You have carefully reviewed the 2022 McKnight Composer Fellowships application guidelines.
• To the accuracy of the information supplied in the application.
• Application materials submitted are the applicant’s sole and original work.
• Understand the purpose and conditions of the McKnight Composer Fellowship program and to your acceptance to them should you be selected as a fellow.
• You are eligible for the competition, and that you will notify the Director of Artist Support  if you become ineligible prior to the conclusion of the competition.
• Providing false or misleading information on this application, or failing in any other way to comply with the rules will subject you to disqualification and forfeiture of the fellowship.
• You understand that your application must be completed by the online application deadline of Tuesday, March 14, 2023 11:59 PM (Central). ACF / McKnight Composer Fellowship program takes no responsibility for applications that are not in Submitted status at the deadline.

11. Music creator’s Demographic Form (2022 Demographic Information Form)

We frame our work with a focus on racial equity and include within that scope, but not limited to, diverse gender identities, musical approaches and perspectives, religions, ages, (dis)abilities, cultures, backgrounds, sexual orientations, and broad definitions of being “American.”

We request information about your identity to help us know more about the artists we are reaching.

Providing this information is optional.

What you share in the 2023 Demographic Information form as part of your SlideRoom application for this program will be included in your application and seen by curators. If you prefer to keep your answers separate/anonymous, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/64zRf8N2VzheitoWA

1. Please share the words you use to more fully communicate who you are and your experiences:
2. Which of the following regions do you identify with in terms of race, ethnicity, and nationality? (check all that apply)
   • Multi-racial or Multi-ethnic descent
   • Native American, Alaskan Native or Indigenous peoples
   • 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
   • Latina/o/e/x descent
   • European descent
   • Decline to State
   • Prefer to self-identify (use open field in next question)
3. Open field for question above, which of the following regions do you identify with in terms of race, ethnicity, and nationality?
4. Please note specific race, ethnic, region, national group, and/or tribal/band affiliations with which you identify. Examples: 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.
5. Which best describes your current gender? (Check all that apply)
   • Female
   • Gender non-conforming
   • Gender fluid
   • Male
   • Non-binary
   • Two Spirit
   • Decline to State
   • Prefer to self-identify
6. Open field for question above, which best describes your current gender?
7. Do you identify as transgender?
   • Yes
   • No
   • Decline to state
8. Do you consider yourself as: (Check all that apply)
   • Heterosexual or straight
   • Gay
   • Queer
   • Lesbian
   • Pansexual
   • Bisexual
   • Demisexual
   • Asexual
   • Same Gender-Loving
   • Decline to state
   • Prefer to self-identify (use open field in next question)
9. Open field for question above
10. Are you part of the disability community?
    • Yes
    • No
    • Decline to state
11. Are you part of the neurodivergent community?
    • Yes
    • No
    • Decline to state
12. How many years have you been creating original music?
    • 1 – 5 years
    • 6 – 10 years
    • 11 – 20 years
    • 21 – 30 years
    • 31 – 40 years
    • 41 – 50 years
    • more than 50 years
    • Decline to state

Additional Information

• Entries must be submitted electronically on or before 11:59 PM Central on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.
• Late applications will not be considered.
• Entries submitted by mail or means other than the provided online application process will not be eligible for consideration.

Resources for Unlisted Links:

SoundCloud: Click HERE

Vimeo: Click HERE

YouTube: Click HERE

Google Drive: Click HERE

Questions

The American Composers Forum encourages applicants to contact ACF staff to ask questions and discuss potential applications. For questions regarding McKnight Composer Fellowship program  contact Carolina Heredia, Director of Artist Support, at [email protected].

2021

2021 panelists were composers Carlos R. Carrillo (Urbana, IL), Lovett Hines (Philadelphia, PA), Emily Koh (Norcross, GA), Isaac Schankler (Pasadena, CA), and Samita Sinha (Jackson Heights, NY).

Ashley DuBose photo by Drew Meyer,  Ritika Ganguly photo by Bruce Silcox, George Maurer photo credit by Ric Ide, and Mary Prescott photo by Adela Wagner

2020

2020 panelists were composers Carolina Heredia (Columbia, MO), Donovan Mixon (Evanston, IL), and Beth Wiemann (Maynard, MA).

Davu Seru photo courtesy of Saint Paul Almanac; Anat Spiegel photo by Yaël Temminck

 

2019

2019 panelists were composers Gavin Chuck (Chicago, IL), Elainie Lillios (Bowling Green OH), and Gilda Lyons (Rhinebeck, NY)

Aleksandr Brusentsev photo by Joe Sarah; James G. Everest photo by Erin Westover; Asuka Kakitani photo by Hanayo Takai; Stefon Bionik Taylor photo by Brandon Sweet

 

2018

2018 Panelists: Marcos Balter, Amy Knoles, and Osnat Netzer

2017

2017 Panelists: Fang Man, Ken Field, and Marilyn Shrude

2016

2016 Panelists: Susan Botti, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Douglas Geers

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 2015: Abbie Betinis, David King, Reinaldo Moya, Peter O’Gorman
  Panelists: David Dzubay, Aruán Ortiz, Zeena Parkins
• 2014: Alex Freeman, Jocelyn Hagen, Michelle Kinney, George Maurer
  Panelists: Amir ElSaffar, Stacy Garrop, and Daniel Trueman
• 2013: Randy Bauer, Scott Miller, Joshua Musikantow and David Evan Thomas
  Panelists: Anne LeBaron, Nicole Mitchell and Sven-David Sandstrom
• 2012: Viv Corringham, Christopher Danforth, Douglas R. Ewart and Steve Tibbetts
  Panelists: Nancy Galbraith, Graham Reynolds, Huang Ruo
• 2011:Elizabeth Alexander, Justin Merritt, Jeremy Wagner and Spencer Wirth-Davis
• Panelists: Linda Dusman, J.D. Parran and Jack Perla
• 2010: Neal Hagberg, Jocelyn Hagen, Ann Millikan and Peter O’Gorman
• Panelists: Fernando Benadon, David Conte and Mary Jane Leach
• 2009: Abbie Betinis, Mankwe Ndosi, Schuyler Tsuda and Janika Vandervelde
• Panelists: Derek Bermel, Jennifer Bilfield and Newman Baker
• 2008: John E. Bower, Brent Michael Davids, Philip Fried and Noah Keesecker
• Panelists: Mark Applebaum, Margaret Leng-Tan and David Stock
• 2007:Douglas Ewart, Douglas Geers, Adam Wernick and Preston Wright
• Panelists: Susie Ibarra, Matthew Levy and Steven Stucky
• 2006:Mary Ellen Childs, Viv Corringham, Edie Hill and Aaron Kerr
• Panelists: Milford Graves, Belinda Reynolds and Neil Rolnick
• 2005:Yawo Attivor, Carol Barnett, Eric Barnum and Thomas Scott
• Panelists: Fred Frith, Anthony deMare and Ileana Perez Velazquez
• 2004:Ruth MacKenzie, Mike Olson, Matthew Smith and Ying Zang
• Panelists: Jason Hwang, Alex Shapiro and Kevin Stahlheim
• 2003: Michael Croswell, Jeffrey Brooks, Janika Vandervelde and George Cartwright
• Panelists: Eleanor Hovda, Robert Moran and Roger Kleier
• 2002: Brent Michael Davids, James Harley, Barb Ryman and Preston Wright
• Panelists: Joel Chadabe, Melissa Hui and David Cleary
• 2001:Steve Heitzeg, John O’Brien, Scott Miller and Edie Hill
• Panelists: Chinary Ung, Eve Beglarian and Philip Bimstein
• 2000: Erik Belgum, Douglas Ewart, John Jindra, David Means and Victor Zupanc
• Panelists: Bill Brooks, Tamar Diesendruck and Adolphus Hailstork
• 1999: Chris Bates, Dan Kallman, Anne Kilstofte, Monte Mason and Carei Thomas
• Panelists: Ellen Christi, Allen Strange and Regina Baiocchi
• 1998:Maura Bosch, Jeffrey Brooks, Doug Little and Carl Witt
• Panelists: John Duffy, Fred Ho and Judith Shatin
• 1997: Mary Ellen Childs, Anthony Gatto, Michael Karmon, Schoen Oslund and Gary Wolber
• Panelists: Sebastian Currier, Anne Deane and Gustavo Matamoros
• 1996:Keith Bradshaw, Jan Gilbert, Edie Hill, Michael Nelson, Richard Paske and Russell Platt
• Panelists: Orlando Garcia, James Tenney and Augusta Reed Thomas
• 1995: Ellen Lease, David Means, Kevin Schmidt, Gary Schulte, Lorren Stafford and Zhang Ying
• Panelists: Warren Burt, Fran Richard and Lois Vierk
• 1994:John Baboukis, Jeffrey Brooks, Craig Carnahan, Anne Kilstofte, Ethan Torrey, Janika Vandervelde and Victor Zupanc
• Panelists: Bun-Ching Lam, Susan McClary and Larry Polansky
• 1993:Marc Anderson, Tristan Fuentes, Marjorie Hess, William Lang, Carleton Macy, Lori Westmoreland-Schoenfeld, Paul Siskind and Steve Tibbetts
• Panelists: Mary Ann Feldman, Steven Mackey and Larry Polansky
• 1992:Mary Ellen Childs, Douglas Ewart, Cary John Franklin, Henry Gwiazda, Paul Koonce, Charles McHugh, Monica Maye and David Evan Thomas
• Panelists: Robert Paredes, Jeanette O’Connor and Vincent Plush
• 1991:John Devine, Jan Gilbert, Eleanor Hovda, Daniel Kallman, Homer Lambrecht and David Means
• Panelists: Carman Moore, Ingram Marshall and Marion Brandis
• 1990: Carl Bergmann, Jeffrey Brooks, Arthur Campbell, Mark Hellum, David John Olsen and Eric Stokes
• Panelists: Cindy McTee, Martin Bresnick and Elinor Armer
• 1989: Marc Anderson, Michelle Kinney and Ellen Lease
• Panelists: Reggie Workman, Alice Parker and James Mobberley
• 1988:Miriam Gerberg, Jan Gilbert, Eleanor Hovda and Sarah Peebles
• Panelists: Kenneth Gaburo, Alan Otte and Carol Plantamura
• 1987: Mary Ellen Childs, Randall Davidson and Philip Rhodes
• Panelists: Michael Fleming, Ed London and Nancy Shear

Welcome to the McKnight Artist Fellowships community!  The McKnight Foundation and the administering partners for the McKnight Artist Fellowships are committed to creating and supporting an artistic community in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity.  The community of the McKnight Artist Fellowships includes people who engage with the fellowships program whether as applicants, fellows, panelists, contractors, collaborators, fellowships administrators, and staff of the McKnight Foundation and partnering organizations.

As a community, we commit to creating and maintaining relationships that are free from harm, prejudice, and harassment.  Community members agree to communicate directly and transparently regarding issues of conduct that could negatively impact the well-being of participating members and organizations.

In the case of an accusation, legal action, or conviction, the McKnight Foundation and its fellowship program partners may gather and assess relevant information.  If deemed necessary, the McKnight Foundation and its fellowship program partners may take administrative action up to and including the recommendation of participation in reconciliation or restorative justice processes; disqualification of an application; the termination of a contract; and the recall and/or termination of a fellowship.

This community will be what we make it and our aim is to collectively create an experience in which all artists and members of the McKnight Artist Fellowships community thrive.

For more information about this statement, read this announcement.

Carolina Heredia, Director of Artist Support, will conduct two 60-minute 2022 McKnight Composer Fellowship Application Information Sessions online to go over the application process. During the information session, Carolina will review all guidelines and walk through the application process in SlideRoom. Throughout these sessions there will be time to ask questions regarding the application process and its various components. These sessions will be offered online via Zoom.

Video tutorials on how to use the Zoom online meeting system can be found HERE.

2023 McKnight Composer Fellowship Program Information Session Dates & Times via Zoom

• Thursday, February 9th | 5:30-6:30 PM Central | Register HERE for this date
• Saturday, February 18th | 1:00-2:00 PM Central | Register HERE for this date

If you need one-on-one assistance on your application contact Carolina Heredia, Director of Artist Support, at [email protected] to schedule a meeting via phone or Zoom. Please do so before completing the application online.