A core of my musical philosophy is around commissioning new music. Here are five reasons I think commissioning music is worthwhile for any music conductor.
5. It’s important for furthering the art! Your commission might be the next piece everyone is singing or playing – moving the community forward.
4. It’s great for your students! Being the first ensemble to sing or play a piece is a novel experience, and one they won’t forget.
3. It’s great for your musical development! Any time you work with new works, you are expanding your own musical sphere.
2. You build fantastic relationships. Working with a composer is generally a rewarding and fun process. Each composer is different for what kind of relationship they want to build, but in every case, you’ve made a new musical relationship.
1. You get to be the second person in the world to know a piece. The thrill of getting a new piece in the (e)mail never fails to excite me. No one else has heard it, has sung it, has played it. It’s a secret to the world. What a special moment!
There are so many more reasons to commission new music. Commissioning is both a privilege and a necessity. It’s also accessible to all – by commissioning aspiring composers, by joining consortiums, by negotiating with friends or joining forces, by applying for grants.