ACO Selects Five Emerging Composers for 18th Annual New Music Readings

American Composers Orchestra has announced the winners of its 18th annual Underwood New Music Readings. Five composers in the early stages of their professional careers have been selected from more than 100 submissions received from around the country. This year’s winners/selected works are:

• Ivor Francis: The Isle of Eriska
• Jesse Jones: Toccata for Orchestra
• Eric Nathan: Icarus Dreamt
• Wang Jie: Symphony No. 1
• Reiko Yamada: When a Cardinal Fell from the Sky

The readings, which are free and open to the public, will be held May 7-8, 2009, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Columbia University’s Miller Theatre under the direction of ACO Artistic Director Robert Beaser. Guest conductors are Delta David Gier and José Serebrier; mentor composers are Derek Bermel, ACO’s Music Alive Composer-in-Residence, Margaret Brouwer, and John Corigliano. The conductors, mentor composers, and principal players from ACO serve as liaisons and provide critical feedback to each of the participants during and after the sessions. Following the readings, one composer will receive a $15,000 commission to write a new work to be performed by ACO. —Condensed from the press release