Announcing the 2017 Cone Institute composers

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra announces the composers of the 2017 NJSO Edward T. Cone Composition Institute: Saad Haddad, Noah Kaplan, Sam Lipman and Alyssa Weinberg.

From July 10–15 at Princeton University, the four emerging composers will have their works rehearsed and performed by the NJSO, participate in masterclasses with Institute Director Steven Mackey, receive feedback from conductor JoAnn Falletta and NJSO musicians and have career-enriching sessions with music-industry leaders.

The NJSO and Falletta perform Haddad’s Takht, Kaplan’s Forest Through Forest, Lipman’s Song of the Bhagavan and Weinberg’s Tereza Slumbers on Saturday, July 15, at 8 pm at the Richardson Auditorium in Princeton. The concert program, “Scores: New Orchestral Works,” also includes Mackey’s Four Iconoclastic Episodes.

Mackey says: “The applicant pool was particularly strong this year. There were many scores that JoAnn and I would have liked to present, which enabled us to consider not only the quality of each work but the program as a whole as well. Saad Haddad’s Takht has Middle Eastern influences which translate into a beautifully unconventional approach to the symphony orchestra. Sam Lipman’s Song of the Bhagavad has a more traditional approach to the orchestra with lush string writing and a strong narrative. Noah Kaplan’s Forests Through Forests views traditional notions of thematic development, climax and narrative through a microtonal prism. Alyssa Weinberg’s Terza Slumbers foregrounds texture and ranges from delicate to dense.

“The Cone Institute takes a holistic approach to the elements that go into a successful career as a composer. Beyond the opportunity to polish their orchestral works with professional musicians, the composers will meet with industry leaders for insight into the practical elements of publishing and promoting their music.”

A collaboration between the NJSO and Princeton University Department of Music, the Institute is funded in part by the Edward T. Cone Foundation and Princeton University.

» Read more about the 2017 composers and their works

» See details for the 2017 Institute concert, “Scores: New Orchestral Works”

» Learn more about the Institute