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Composers Now, the New York-based organization dedicated to championing living composers and amplifying their diverse creative voices, continues the celebration of its 15th anniversary season, featuring a dynamic lineup of performances, world premieres, new commissions, mentorship initiatives and artist-centered conversations. Taking place in New Orleans, New York City and online, the 2026–27 season brings established and emerging composers into direct conversation with audiences while showcasing the expansive range of music being created today.
The Fall/Winter 2026-2027 season will launch in one of America’s great music cities with Dialogues in New Orleans on Thursday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m. at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. The program brings together three distinctive Louisiana voices - New Orleans native, 2023 MacArthur Fellow and composer-pianist Courtney Bryan; Baton Rouge–born composer and trumpeter Steve Lands; and award-winning composer and violinist Sultana Isham - for an intimate evening of contemporary chamber music shaped by place, imagination and musical discovery. Composers Now Founder and Artistic Director Tania León hosts each Dialogues program, guiding conversations with featured artists about the ideas, influences and creative processes behind their work.
The repertoire will reflect the breadth of the artists’ individual practices and musical perspectives, with Bryan performing an excerpt from her piano concerto House of Pianos, newly arranged for piano and string quintet. Lands will follow with the Prelude and Part 1 of his Draconid Suite for trumpet, piano and strings, a work inspired by the annual meteor shower and featuring Lands alongside pianist Oscar Rossignoli. Isham will contribute a work for string ensemble informed by her interdisciplinary approach to sound and storytelling.
Returning to New York, the anniversary season advances on Monday, November 16 with the Cheswatyr Commissions Premiere at The Forum at Columbia. At the center of the program will be the world premiere of a major new commission by Korean American composer, vocalist and sound artist Bora Yoon, whose immersive work brings together digital devices, voice and instruments from across cultures and historical periods. Created for a 12-piece chamber ensemble, traditional Korean percussion, electronics and a vocalist-narrator, the multidisciplinary work will be presented alongside music by Yoon’s project mentor, acclaimed composer and sound artist Miya Masaoka.
In December, acclaimed composer Jerod Impichcha̱achaaha’ Tate will host a new installment of Composer Curator, Composers Now’s online series exploring the creative processes and influences of three composers selected by the host. The program will premiere on Composers Now’s YouTube channel, with the date and featured composers to be announced.
Opening its 2027 programming, the organization will launch the annual Composers Now Festival on Thursday, January 14, 2027 at National Sawdust with the Composers Now Festival Kick-Off Concert. The concert will showcase cross-genre innovations spanning classical, Latin and jazz composition and beyond, culminating in the presentation of the Visionary Award to pioneering composer Annea Lockwood. First Commission awardee Andromeda Smith, a teenage composer, will premiere a new work for saxophone quartet, with additional performances by composers Tamar Muskal, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, Alexis Cuadrado, Yuhan Su and Daniel Prim.
On Friday, January 15, the Second Stage World Premieres at Americas Society will spotlight the next generation of musical innovators with new works by 2026 Second Stage Commission awardees Abby Harris, Maria Isabel Emiliano and Isabelle Tseng. Each awardee developed her work in close collaboration with an accomplished composer: Harris with Levy Lorenzo, Emiliano with David Virelles and Tseng with Du Yun. Supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, the program encourages emerging composers to expand their creative practices and explore new genres, styles, instrumentation and technology.
“Reaching our 15th anniversary is both an opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary community of composers who have shaped Composers Now and a moment to look toward what comes next,” said León. “This season reflects the full arc of our work - from nurturing emerging artists and commissioning new music to honoring visionary composers and creating spaces where audiences can encounter the people and ideas behind the music. Our annual Composers Now Festival remains a cornerstone of that work, bringing composers and audiences together through performance, conversation and discovery. We are excited to continue the celebration of this milestone with artists and audiences in New Orleans, New York and online.”
For exclusive photos, updates and more, follow us on social: @ComposersNow
Composers Now’s commissioning programs are supported by the Cheswatyr Foundation for the Cheswatyr Commission, the Virginia Touliman Foundation for the Second Stage Commission, and Michael Minard and his wife Phyllis Ross for First Commission.