Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program

In This Section

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The League of American Orchestras’ Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program, a partnership with American Composers Orchestra, is comprised of a national commissioning initiative featuring multiple orchestra consortiums and a separate nationwide repeat performance initiative. In existence for more than a decade, the program seeks to increase the programming of works by women and nonbinary composers on orchestra stages.

The third national consortium of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program was announced in 2025, featuring three new commissions by composers Stacy Garrop, Angel Lam, and Leanna Primiani, for full-length, 25- to 30-minute concert works. World premieres and repeat performances of the new works by a consortium of nine orchestras will occur during the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons. The composer-orchestra pairings are:

• Stacy Garrop and Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra (IN) (lead orchestra); Johnstown Symphony Orchestra (PA); Lexington Philharmonic (KY)
• Angel Lam and Quad City Symphony Orchestra (IA) (lead orchestra); Columbus Symphony (OH); Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra (GA)
• Leanna Primiani and ROCO (TX) (lead orchestra); Symphony of the Rockies (CO); Wheeling Symphony Orchestra (WV)

A newly-established repeat performances initiative will support additional presentations of previously commissioned works by the 16 composers from the original 2014-2019 cohort of program participants. The repeat performances will occur throughout the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons and will feature a new roster of 16 participating orchestras:

• Julia Adolphe Unearth Release (Concerto for Viola and Orchestra) – Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra (NE) (World premiere by the New York Philharmonic in 2016)
• Courtney Bryan Rejoice – Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (OH) (World premiere by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in 2019)
• Cindy Cox Dreaming a world’s edge – North Corner Chamber Orchestra (WA) (World premiere by The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in 2022)
• Melody Eötvös Red Dirt | Silver Rain – Stanford Symphony Orchestra (CA) (World premiere by American Composers Orchestra in 2015)
• Stacy Garrop Goddess Triptych – Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (World premiere by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in 2022)
• Robin Holcomb No Thing Lives to Itself – Central Ohio Symphony (World premiere by the Portland Symphony Orchestra (ME) in 2020)
• Niloufar Iravani Reflections – Valdosta Symphony Orchestra (GA) (World premiere by the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra in 2023)
• Chen-Hui Jen in eternal dusk – The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (MN) (World premiere by the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra in 2018)
• Wang Jie The Winter that United Us – Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes (NY) (World premiere by the Buffalo Philharmonic in 2022)
• Han Lash Double Concerto for Piano, Harp, and Orchestra – Jacksonville Symphony (FL) (World premiere by the Naples Philharmonic in 2019)
• Fang Man Song of the Flaming Phoenix (Symphonic Poem for Sheng and Large Orchestra) – Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra (World premiere by the San Francisco Symphony in 2022)
• Andreia Pinto Correia Ciprés – Princeton Symphony Orchestra (NJ) (World premiere by the Columbus Symphony in 2018)
• Leanna Primiani Neither Man Nor Money Validate My Worth – Seattle Collaborative Orchestra (WA) (World premiere by ROCO in 2022)
• Hilary Purrington Words for departure – Mankato Symphony Orchestra (MN) (World premiere by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in 2022)
• Andrea Reinkemeyer Water Sings Fire – Greenville Symphony (SC) (World premiere by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in 2019)
• Xi Wang Lotus Prayer – Westerville Symphony (OH) (World premiere by Berkeley Symphony in 2023)

The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral 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-eight composers have now received commissions
• Twenty-five premieres have been completed:
  • Julia Adolphe Unearth, Release (Concerto for Viola and Orchestra) premiered November 2016.
  • Courtney Bryan Rejoice premiered November 2019.
  • Anna Clyne This Moment premiered July 2023.
  • Cindy Cox Dreaming a world’s edge premiered May 2022.
  • Melody Eötvös Red Dirt | Silver Rain premiered October 2015.
  • Stacy Garrop Goddess Triptych premiered March 2022.
  • Sarah Gibson* to make this mountain taller premiered March 2023.
  • Brittany J. Green TESTIFY! premiered September 2024.
  • Robin Holcomb No Thing Lives to Itself premiered January 2020.
  • Niloufar Iravani Reflections premiered April 2023.
  • Chen-Hui Jen in eternal dusk premiered January 2018.
  • Wang Jie The Winter that United Us premiered June 2022.
  • Chelsea Komschlies Mycelialore premiered February 2025.
  • Angel Lam Please let there be a paradise… premiered April 2024.
  • Han Lash Double Concerto for Piano, Harp, and Orchestra premiered November 2019.
  • Wang Lu Surge premiered January 2023.
  • Fang Man Song of the Flaming Phoenix (Symphonic Poem for Sheng and Large Orchestra) premiered March 2022.
  • Andreia Pinto Correia Ciprés premiered April 2018.
  • Leanna Primiani Neither Man Nor Money Validate My Worth premiered February 2022.
  • Hilary Purrington Words for departure premiered October 2022.
  • Gity Razaz Methuselah (In Chains of Time) premiered May 2023.
  • Andrea Reinkemeyer Water Sings Fire premiered January 2019.
  • Arlene Sierra Kiskadee premiered October 2023.
  • Meilina Tsui Floridian Symphony premiered December 2024.
  • Xi Wang Lotus Prayer premiered June 2023.

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 linked to EarShot, an initiative of American Composers Orchestra in collaboration with American Composers Forum, the League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA. The commission recipients were selected from women and nonbinary composers who have participated in EarShot Reading sessions.

*The League mourns the passing of Sarah Gibson, 38.

Meet the Composers

2023-24 Consortium Composers

2022-23 Consortium Composers

2014-19 Commission Recipients

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Banner credit: Premiere of Han 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.