In 2021, five chamber music ensembles — Atlanta Chamber Players (Atlanta), Decoda (New York City), Fifth House Ensemble (Chicago), Musiqa (Houston) and SOLI Chamber Ensemble (San Antonio) — from around the country announced the creation of a new consortium aimed at increasing diversity in modern chamber music repertoire.
The Cross-Country Chamber Consortium is made up of ensembles from around the country who are all committed to the cultivation and performance of works by up-and-coming creators in the chamber music field. Each of these groups has a history of supporting emerging composers, but this new consortium was established to better amplify the voices of artists in Black, Latinx and Indigenous communities, voices which have traditionally been under-represented in the world of modern music. By joining forces to present five performances of the commissioned work, this consortium will provide a broader platform for these emerging composers than a traditional commission might. At the same time, this consortium model will provide composers with a valuable learning environment in which they can fine tune their new creations in a variety of settings.
ANNOUNCING THE WINNER OF THE 2022 Black, Latinx and Indigenous Emerging Composer CommissioN
Kyle Rivera is a composer and MM student at the Yale School of Music. He earned a BM in Music Composition from the University of Houston. His principal for composition teachers were Katie Balch, Rob Smith, and David Ludwig. Kyle was a recipient of the Druckman Prize as a fellow at the 2022 Aspen Music Festival. He has collaborated with the Houston Symphony, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Musiqa, Fifth House Ensemble, KINETIC Ensemble, the AURA Contemporary Ensemble, Houston Grand OperaCo, Opus Illuminate, 10th Wave Chamber Music Collective, the Chelsea Music Festival, and Bent Frequency.
Mr. Rivera will create a new work for clarinet, violin, cello and piano to be performed by each of the five Consortium members during their 2023/2024 seasons, and will receive a $5000 cash award and the combined artistic and administrative support of five chamber music ensembles committed to providing an outlet for new voices in modern music.
Announcing the winner of the cross-country chamber consortium’s first ever Black, LatinX, and Indigenous Emerging Composer Commission.
Benjamin Horne (b.1995) is a composer/ arranger, low brass performer, and conductor residing in Bloomington, Indiana. He is currently pursuing his Masters degree in Music Performance at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. He earned his Bachelorʼs at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University (GA) with degrees in Music Education, Music Performance, and a Certificate in Music Composition. Horne is an accomplished euphonium player and trombonist. He currently performs with the Sequence Euphonium Quartet and the Albireo New Music Collective. As a composer, Horne has written for various styles and instrumentations from large ensembles to solo and chamber works. Horne also spent time as a band director in Atlanta, Georgia.
Mr. Horne will create a new work for clarinet, violin, cello and piano to be performed by each of the five Consortium members during their 2022/2023 seasons, and will receive a $5000 cash award and the combined artistic and administrative support of five chamber music ensembles committed to providing an outlet for new voices in modern music.
Applications for the first round of this commission will be accepted in November of 2021, and the winner’s commission will be presented in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York and San Antonio during the 2022/2023 season. Applications will be judged blind by a panel representing the member organizations and joined by rotating guest judges.
Application information and more can be found here HERE.