ProMusica is proud to be a leader in championing the contemporary and commissioning new works. Over four decades, the orchestra has commissioned 68 pieces and programmed over 120 world and regional premieres.
A list of compositions we have commissioned and/or premiered over the past decade is shared below to highlight the works of today’s living composers, and to offer ideas for ensembles exploring repertoire for future seasons in which programming for chamber sized orchestras may be a necessity, especially in the wake of COVID-19 and its social distancing limitations.
Composer: Clarice Assad
Title: Album de Retratos (Concerto for two guitars and chamber orchestra)
Commissioned by: ProMusica
Premiered: October 14, 2012 (World Premiere)
The Assad Brothers, guitars
Composer: Modest Mussorgsky/Clarice Assad
Title: Pictures at an Exhibition (for string orchestra, piano, and percussion)
Premiered: October 10, 2010 (Regional Premiere)
Composer: W.A. Mozart/Lera Auerbach
Title: A Twofold Dream Concerto for Violin, Piano, and Orchestra (after Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp, K. 299)
Commissioned by: ProMusica
Premiered: April 22-23, 2017 (World Premiere)
Katherine McLin, violin
Lera Auerbach, piano & composer
Composer: Derek Bermel
Title: A Shout, A Whisper, and A Trace (for chamber orchestra)
Commissioned by: ProMusica and the American Composers Orchestra for the Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress, and dedicated to the memory of Serge and Natalie Koussevitzky
Premiered: February 6-7, 2010 (Midwest Premiere)
Composer: Evan Chambers
Title: Hestia’s Fire for Orchestra with Solo Flute
Commissioned by: ProMusica
Premiered: April 9, 2010 (World Premiere)
Katherine DeJongh, flute
Composer: Michael Daugherty
Title: Letters from Lincoln (for baritone and orchestra)
Premiered: February 7, 2010 (Regional Premiere)
Composer: Gabriela Lena Frank
Title: Five Scenes (for strings, harp, piano, and percussion)
Premiered: November 12-13, 2016 (Ohio Premiere)
Composer: Korine Fujiwara; Librettist: Stephen Wadsworth
Title: The Flood (Opera)
Commissioned by: ProMusica and Opera Columbus
Premiered: February 8, 9, 10, 2019 (World Premiere)
Composer: David Fulmer
Title: Jubilant Arcs (for violin and orchestra)
Commissioned by: ProMusica, the Internationales Musikfestival Heidelberger Frühling and Art Works
Premiered: December 13-14, 2014 (U.S. Premiere)
Stefan Jackiw, violin
Composer: Helen Grime
Title: Percussion Concerto
Premiered: December 14-15, 2019 (Ohio Premiere)
Colin Currie, percussion
Composer: Aaron Jay Kernis
Title: Dreamsongs for Solo Cello and Chamber Orchestra
Commissioned by: ProMusica
Premiered: April 20-21, 2013 (World Premiere)
Joshua Roman, cello
Composer: Gabriela Montero
Title: Babel (for piano and string orchestra)
Commissioned by: ProMusica and the Scottish Ensemble
Premiered: November 10-11, 2018 (World Premiere)
Gabriela Montero, piano
Composer: Kevin Puts
Title: How Wild the Sea (for string quartet and chamber orchestra)
Commissioned by: ProMusica, the Texas Performing Arts at the University of Texas in Austin, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society, City Music Cleveland, and the Naples Philharmonic
Premiered: January 24-25, 2015 (Regional Premiere)
Miro String Quartet
Composer: Rodney Rogers
Title: Iridescent Prairies (for chamber orchestra)
Premiered: November 14-15, 2009 (World Premiere)
Composer: Joshua Roman
Title: Awakening – Concerto for Cello and Chamber Orchestra
Commissioned by: ProMusica and Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra
Premiered: January 23-24, 2016 (Regional Premiere)
Joshua Roman, cello
Composer: Peter Schickele
Title: Six Studies for Clarinet and Bassoon
Commissioned by: ProMusica
Premiered: October 9, 2011 (World Premiere)
Composer: Kurt Schwertsik
Title: Now You Hear Me, Now You Don’t (for marimba and strings)
Premiered: January 26-27, 2013 (U.S. Premiere)
Colin Currie, marimba
Composer: Richard Scofano
Title: IBERÁ Concerto for Bandoneon and Orchestra
Premiered: November 2-3, 2019 (U.S. Premiere)
Richard Scofano, bandoneon
Composer: Conrad Tao
Title: Over (for piano and orchestra)
Commissioned by: ProMusica
Premiered: October 8, 2017 (World Premiere)
Conrad Tao, piano
Composer: Huw Watkins
Title: Little Symphony (for string orchestra)
Premiered: April 18-19, 2015 (U.S. Premiere)
Composer: Wolfgang Zamastil
Title: Homage to Piazzolla (for chamber orchestra)
Premiered: October 11, 2015 (World Premiere)
