Composing Our Tomorrow: A Celebration of the League’s Youth Orchestra Division at 50

• Composers may be teens, emerging composers, or established professionals with a pre-existing relationship with your orchestra or community.
• If a teen composer is selected, the orchestra should be prepared to provide substantial mentorship and professional development (such as guidance from a professional composer and/or the music director) to ensure the piece is performance-ready and the composer feels supported.
• Composers do not need to be alumni of the commissioning orchestra, though we suggest preference is given to those connected with the organization (e.g., alumni, faculty, or members of the local community).
• Level of difficulty and instrumentation are determined by the individual orchestra making the commission
• Commissioned works may be orchestral, chamber, jazz, or other genres.
• Works are encouraged to be under 5 minutes in length and celebratory in nature, suitable as an overture or concert opener. Longer works may be considered if they connect with organizational projects or programmatic goals.
• Each score should include the acknowledgment: “Commissioned and premiered by [Name of Orchestra] for Composing Our Tomorrow: A Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Youth Orchestra Division of the League of American Orchestras.”
• Youth orchestras should recognize their participation in this project in all program books and concert advertising for the work, including a provided logo and the text: “[Commissioned Work] is premiered as part of Composing Our Tomorrow: A Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Youth Orchestra Division of the League of American Orchestras.”
• Commissioning orchestras should make best efforts to arrange with the composer that performance rights and reduced rental fees will be extended to other participating youth orchestras.
• Commissions already in progress that meet the spirit of these guidelines are welcome, provided the composer agrees to the acknowledgment language and submission requirements.
• Premieres may occur anytime between 2026–2029.
• Participating youth orchestras must be member orchestras of the League of American Orchestras. Not a member? Learn more about member benefits.

• November 17, 2025 – Youth Orchestra Division Peer Call: Composing Our Tomorrow: Commissioning 101
• November 2025 – May 2026 – Youth orchestras consider how to participate. Orchestras with significant commissioning experience are encouraged to mentor those new to the process.
• May 1, 2026 – Deadline for youth orchestras to commit to participation in the project by filling out a simple form.
• June 2026 Conference – League announces list of participating youth orchestras.
• 2026–2029 – Performances of commissioned works take place. All premieres should conclude by the end of the 2028–29 season. Each year, selected pieces will be highlighted on the League’s website, social media platforms, and at youth orchestra sessions at the League’s National Conference.

After the performance, each commissioning orchestra should submit the following to the YOD Board:

• A PDF of the score
• The composer’s biography
• Program notes or a written description about the piece, including suggested educational grade level(s), if applicable
• A recording of the performance (archival or live)

All submissions will be added to an existing database of orchestral works for youth orchestras and listed on the League’s website.

A standing committee of YOD Board members will review the submissions and recommend selected works to be highlighted on the League’s website and social media platforms, further amplifying their visibility and encouraging continued performances.

• Enable youth orchestras new to commissioning to gain the skills and confidence needed to carry out successful commissions in the future
• Expose this generation of music students to the process of commissioning and premiering new works, leaving a lasting impact by teaching them how to listen to and embrace new music through the act of creating it
• Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Youth Orchestra Division through a collective artistic statement led by youth orchestras themselves
• Expand the repertoire available to youth orchestras, adding a substantial number of entries to a database of new works
• Increase national visibility for young and emerging composers

This project will shine a spotlight on both youth orchestras and the composers contributing to the field, ensuring that the next generation’s voices are heard loud and clear.

We recognize that the role of AI in composition is constantly evolving, and each participating organization may set its own guidelines for their composer. Composing Our Tomorrow expects, at minimum, the following from orchestras and composers:

• Transparency: Clearly disclose any AI tools used in the compositional process.
• Ethical Use: Ensure that AI-generated content does not infringe on existing copyrights, and that proper permissions are obtained for any training data used.
• Human Oversight: Maintain human authorship and oversight throughout the creative process to preserve artistic integrity.

By following these guidelines, we honor the skill and creativity of composers while leaving space for orchestras that wish to explore experimental AI projects. Throughout history, composers have challenged musical norms—consider the “diabolus in musica,” parallel fifths and octaves in part-writing, cross-rhythms, atonality, or the introduction of electronic instruments. While we are not in a position to issue a blanket “No AI” rule, we ask that youth orchestras and composers engaging with AI do so with full transparency regarding its use.