The Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress has awarded commissions for new musical works to seven composers. The commissions are granted jointly by the foundation and the performing organizations that will present the world premiere of each work.
Winning composers for 2022 and the groups co-sponsoring their commissions are Marcos Balter and the New York New Music Ensemble; Oscar Bettison and loadbang, a New York City-based chamber ensemble; Eric Chasalow and Sound Icon; Amy Beth Kirsten and Sandbox Percussion; Nico Muhly and Nois; Jeffrey Mumford and the String Orchestra of New York City (SONYC); and Tyshawn Sorey and Yarn/Wire.
The Koussevitzky Foundation has once again granted a commission in memory of composer Andrew W. Imbrie (1921-2007), long-time member of the Koussevitzky Board. This commission, inaugurated in 2021, is made possible through a gift from Barbara Cushing Imbrie and Andrew Philip Imbrie. Composer Eric Chasalow, sponsored by Sound Icon, is the 2022 recipient of the Imbrie commission.
Serge Koussevitzky, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949, was a leading champion of contemporary music. Throughout his distinguished career, he played a vital role in the creation of new works by commissioning composers such as Béla Bartók, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky. He established the Koussevitzky Foundation in 1942 and passed operations to the Library of Congress in 1949 to continue his lifelong commitment to composers and new music. Original manuscripts of works commissioned by the Koussevitzky Foundation comprise an integral part of the Library’s unparalleled music collections.
IMAGE: Tyshawn Sorey headshot. Photo credit: John Rogers