Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program

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Thirty orchestras will take part in the League of American Orchestras’ Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program. The unprecedented national consortium ensures that new works by women composers, each commissioned by the League, will be infused in orchestra seasons to come, with multiple performances throughout the country. The consortium’s initial six lead orchestra-composer pairings were previously announced, with more than eighty orchestras applying for the additional twenty-four spots.

The new consortium, comprised of orchestras from nineteen U.S. states and Canada, includes the following orchestra-composer pairs (lead orchestras in bold):

Akron Symphony Orchestra (OH) and Gity Razaz
Aspen Music Festival and School (CO) and Wang Lu
Berkeley Symphony (CA) and Gity Razaz
Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa, ON) and Gity Razaz
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (OH) and Wang Lu
Columbus Symphony (OH) and Anna Clyne
Dallas Symphony Orchestra (TX) and Arlene Sierra
Des Moines Symphony (IA) and Wang Lu
Detroit Symphony Orchestra (MI) (lead orchestra) and Arlene Sierra
Idaho State-Civic Symphony and Sarah Gibson
Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and Arlene Sierra
Jacksonville Symphony (FL) and Angel Lam
Kansas City Symphony (MO) (lead orchestra) and Angel Lam
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra (TN) and Sarah Gibson
Lansing Symphony Orchestra (MI) and Sarah Gibson
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Arlene Sierra
National Symphony Orchestra (DC) and Anna Clyne
New York Philharmonic (lead orchestra) and Wang Lu
Orchestra Lumos (CT) and Angel Lam
Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra (FL) and Anna Clyne
Pensacola Symphony Orchestra (FL) and Wang Lu
The Philadelphia Orchestra (PA) (lead orchestra) and Anna Clyne
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PA) and Sarah Gibson
Portland Columbia Symphony (OR) and Anna Clyne
Quad City Symphony Orchestra (IA) and Angel Lam
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (NY) and Gity Razaz
San Diego Symphony (CA) (lead orchestra) and Gity Razaz
Sarasota Orchestra (FL) (lead orchestra) and Sarah Gibson
Utah Symphony & Opera and Angel Lam
Wheeling Symphony Orchestra (WV) and Arlene Sierra

Learn more about the 2022 commission recipients.

The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program for women composers (formerly the Women Composers Readings and Commissions program) is an initiative of the League of American Orchestras, in partnership with American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

The Program

Since its inception in 2014, the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program has shown impressive results:

• More than forty women composers benefitted from career development via the EarShot Readings
• Twenty-two composers have now received commissions
• Twenty premieres have been completed: works by Julia Adolphe, Courtney Bryan, Anna Clyne, Cindy Cox, Melody Eötvös, Stacy Garrop, Sarah Gibson, Robin Holcomb, Niloufar Iravani, Chen-Hui Jen, Wang Jie, Hannah Lash, Wang Lu, Fang Man, Andreia Pinto Correia, Leanna Primiani, Hilary Purrington, Gity Razaz, Andrea Reinkemeyer, and Xi Wang.

Many of the composers have received additional commissions and career opportunities as a direct result of participating in the program. Networking, mentoring, career development, and community engagement opportunities are built into the program, and the composer cohort meets annually at the League’s National Conference.

The program is embedded in EarShot Readings, an initiative of American Composers Orchestra in collaboration with American Composers Forum, the League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA. Commission recipients are selected from women and nonbinary composers who have participated in EarShot Readings.

Meet the Composers

2022 Commission Recipients

Previous Commission Recipients

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Banner credit: Premiere of Hannah Lash’s Double Concerto by the Artis-Naples Philharmonic, Arvo Volmer conducting, with Lash and Jeremy Denk as soloists. Courtesy of Artis-Naples.

Photos courtesy of composers, credits available on individual links.