October 2009 Composer Assistance Program Grants Announced

$31,000 Awarded to Composers for the Realization of their Work in Performance

NEW YORK ’Äì The American Music Center (AMC) is pleased to announce grant awards totaling $31,000 to 28 composers through the October 2009 round of the Composer Assistance Program (CAP). The awardees are American composers ranging in age from 24 to 78 residing in 12 states.

AMC annually awards grants that assist composers by helping them realize their music in premiere performances. As of the October 2009 round, composers are now able to receive travel assistance to attend the premiere of the awarded work. The grants are intended to help composers take full advantage of performance opportunities that will enhance their careers. This round’Äôs ensembles and organizations premiering or featuring public readings of CAP-supported works include: Ethel, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Metropolis Ensemble, and Earplay.
’ÄúThe CAP program aims to help composers who are AMC members at a critical point in their careers. The range of styles of these composers’Äô work, the geographical breadth of their locations, and the quality of performing ensembles performing these new works demonstrates the vibrancy of new music performance our members are engaged in,’Äù said Joanne Hubbard Cossa, Chief Executive Officer of the American Music Center.
Since 1962, the Composer Assistance Program has provided over $2 million in support to American composers. Over 1,420 composers have received a CAP award at some point in their career, including Gordon Beeferman, Eve Beglarian, David Del Tredici, Gabriela Lena Frank, and Steve Reich. Composers must be members of the American Music Center to apply for an award. The Composer Assistance Program has been endowed by The Helen F. Whitaker Fund and The Aaron Copland Fund for Music. Current funding for CAP is provided by the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, The Edward T. Cone Foundation and the Reed Foundation. For more information, contact Jennifer Clarke, Grants Manager.

The American Music Center is dedicated to building a national community of artists, organizations, and audiences creating, performing, and enjoying new American music. Since its founding in 1939 by composers Marion Bauer, Aaron Copland, Howard Hanson, Harrison Kerr, Otto Luening, and Quincy Porter, AMC has been a leader in providing field-wide advocacy, support, and connection. AMC advocates for the community through NewMusicBox (www.newmusicbox.org), its award-winning web magazine, and CounterstreamRadio (www.counterstreamradio.org), a 24-hour online station broadcasting music by a broad range of United States composers. AMC supports the community by making grants to composers and ensembles each year, and by offering professional development programs for artists. AMC connects the community with an array of information services designed to facilitate performances, including the AMC Online Library, a vast, searchable database of 45,000 works by American composers; publications compiling opportunities in new music and other information useful to industry professionals (at Explore American Music at www.amc.net); and benefits and services for nearly 2,500 members in all fifty states and around the world. For more information on the American Music Center and its activities, please go to www.amc.net.