2022 Composers Now Festival Opening
The Composers Now Visionary Award recognized members of the arts community who, through their own creative practice and advocacy for others, have made a profound, positive and lasting impact in our culture. This year, the 2022 Composers Now Visionary Award were presented to:
David Del Tredici
(video courtesy of Boosey & Hawkes)
photo by Susan Johann
Mary D. Watkins
"Mamie's Lament" from
Emmet Till: The Opera
Lucia Bradford, mezzo-soprano
"Pap's Song" from
Dark River: The Fannie Lou Hamer Story
Philip Lima, baritone
Andrea Chinedu Nwoke, soprano
Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra
Ng Tian Hui, conductor
Darryl V. Jones, director
(dress rehearsal, April 2014)
The First Commission Award provides young composers with support aimed to encourage artistic potential and creative development. Selected composers receive a Composers Now commission and world premiere. This annual award is generously made possible by Michael Minard. The 2022 First Commission Award was presented to:
Ebun Oguntola
Interim for trio and electronics (2022)
World Premiere
Performed by the
New Thread Quartet
Jonathan Hulting-Cohen, soprano saxophone
Erin Rogers, alto saxophone
Zach Herchen, baritone saxophone
Erin Rogers, mentor
award made possible through the generosity of
Michael Minard and Phyllis Ross
Performance of a new work by composer Seong Ae Kim and visual artist Andre Veloux created during their December 2021 Composers Now Composers Creative Residency, co-produced with the Pocantico Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
The evening also included a 2021 Rohan Chander work performed by pianist Vicky Chow, a performance by Joy Guidry, and composer/trumpeter Jonathan Saraga.
Rohan Chander - The Tragedy of Hikikomori Loveless for electronics (2021)
Vicky Chow, keyboards
Joy Guidry - Face to Face (2022)
Jonathan Saraga - Recurring Dream (2012, arr. 2021)
Jonathan Saraga, trumpet
Chris Pattishall, piano
James Robbins, bass
Mark Whitfield, Jr., drums
January 11, 2022; Douglas Recording, NYC
Scott Chiu, audio-video recording, mixing & mastering and production
2022 First Commission
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Interim for trio and electronics (2022)
New Thread Quartet
Jonathan Hulting-Cohen, soprano saxophone
Erin Rogers, alto saxophone & mentor
Zach Herchen, baritone saxophone
The recipient of the 2022 Composers Now First Commission Award is Ebun Oguntola. Ebun is a 16-year-old contemporary classical composer, violinist, pianist and saxophonist living in upstate New York. Her music was brought to the attention of Composers Now by the founders of Luna Composition Lab, Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid. With mentorship from composer/saxophonist Erin Rogers, Ebun will create a chamber work for the New Thread Quartet that received its world premiere as part of the Opening Event of the 2022 Composers Now Festival.
