Commissions and Collaborations (in hard times)
One of the best things about being a composer is having the opportunity to work with artists and presenters who choose to ask me to me to write a new composition. In the current economy, however, commissioning music has become increasingly challenging. Private funding for a commission, if it is available at all, often comes with a very particular focus of some kind. And the very existence of public funding for the arts is currently threatened in many places. In the current economic climate, the amount of money that may be available for any commission can vary wildly. But we need to continue to make music. And I am always very interested in meeting and working with serious professional artists and presenters who know my work and would like to collaborate on presenting a new work.
I have provided many audio samples of my music, in a wide variety of genres, on my Compositions page. And there are many examples of the kinds of commissions and collaborations I have been involved with on the Events, Projects, and Recordings pages on this site. These can serve as models for some of the kinds of collaborations that I'm always seeking. The less funding that is available for a traditional commissioning fee, the more specific the project will need to be, of course, as a way to guarantee that everyone involved has the benefit of the thoughtful realization of the new composition, in the performance(s) (or recording) intended from the beginning. Several of the projects I have been involved with recently have involved artists, ensembles and presenters in Europe or South America, so geography is not necessarily a factor. I'm particularly interested in working with artists and presenters with planned or scheduled performances in university, conference, or professional concert series venues and/or with recording projects in the planning stages.
The crucial issue in all such projects is mutual commitment, based on familiarity with each other's past work and shared artistic goals. If you would like to explore a possible commission/collaboration, please use the contact link to write and describe your interest, your situation and your project plans.
