Aaron Jay Kernis to Direct Nashville Symphony's Composer Lab & Workshop
20th March 2015
© Richard Bowditch
It was developed and guided by Nashville Symphony Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Aaron Jay Kernis. Kernis will serve as Workshop Director and chair of the selection panel. The program aims to discover the next generation of outstanding American composers by providing them with the opportunity to develop their talents, gain hands-on experience working with a major American orchestra, and showcase their work for local audiences.
"Creating and promoting new American orchestral music is at the very core of the Nashville Symphony's artistic mission," stated Guerrero. "What better way to fulfill that mission than with a program that gives the next generation of composers a chance to develop their talents and gain wider exposure? Nashville is already home to a vibrant and diverse music scene, so it is only fitting that we should play host to some of the nation's best and brightest composers, and we are all incredibly excited to hear the results."
"I am delighted to again be working closely with the terrific Nashville Symphony in my new role as director of its Composer Lab and Workshop. Giancarlo Guerrero and the orchestra show tremendous dedication to and passion for new American orchestral music through their programming and award-winning recordings," said Kernis. "Now they are taking this next bold step, engaging with musical creativity in America by going to its source — young composers — and creating this program, which will hone young artists' skills in writing for the most complex and glorious instrument I know: the orchestra. I look forward with pleasure to helping the Nashville Symphony find the most talented composers of the new generation."
The Composer Lab & Workshop has a nationwide call for submissions to its inaugural session. Participating composers' works will potentially be selected for a performance during the Symphony's 2016/17 Classical Series. The Symphony will provide airfare, hotel accommodations and a $1,000 stipend for all participants. In collaboration with Copland House — the award-winning creative center for American music based at Aaron Copland's National Historic Landmark home near New York City — one participating composer may also be selected for a coveted Copland House Residency Award or a fellowship at Copland House's CULTIVATE emerging composers institute.
More information on the Nashville Symphony’s Composer Lab & Workshop, including a full listing of submission guidelines and eligibility requirements, is available online at NashvilleSymphony.org/ComposerLab.
