Music Composition Commissions

COMMISSIONS

As part of the ensemble's ongoing commitment to bringing new music to audiences, we established an annual commissioning and residency program. Each year we commission one or more significant composers to create a work for us, which is then premiered during the academic year. We are deeply involved in all stages of the process--from selecting and commissioning the composer, to conversations and workshops with the composer as they write, to shaping the piece as drafts come in, to rehearsing with the composers, and finally, to performing the world premiere performance. To date we have commissioned 99 works, and have also commissioned and premiered over 250 GVSU student composer works.

2024/25 Commissions

Olivia Kieffer
New work, stay tuned for details!

Rebekah Marvin
New work, stay tuned for details!

Frank Nawrot
New work, stay tuned for details!

Justin Rito
New work, stay tuned for details!

2023/24 Commissions

Richie Arndorfer
Monument (or Dirty Woman Creek Park) (flute, oboe, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, piano, percussion)

2022/23 Commissions

Judd Greenstein
Dark Sky, inspired by Lassen Volcanic National Park (flute/pic, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, piano, percussion)

Molly Herron
Journey Through a Redwood, inspired by Redwoods National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, piano, percussion, narrator)

Viet Cuong
Man of the Lake inspired by Crater Lake National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion)

Ashlee Busch
Breath of Stone, inspired by Yosemite National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto/tenor saxophone, piano, percussion, electronics)

Sean Schafianski
Hardline, inspired by Theodore Roosevelt National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion, percussion)

Nick Photinos
Meditation, (solo cello, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone, electronics)

Reese Rehkopf
Blessed Are Those, (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, piano, marimba)

2021/22 Commissions

Stephen Lias
Blue True Dream of Sky, inspired by Great Basin National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, piano, percussion)

Pamela Z
Spirited Conversation, inspired by Rocky Mountain National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion plus electronics)

Annika Socolofsky
Sheer, inspired by Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (piccolo, clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, piano, percussion)

Hannah Boissonneault
Murmuring, inspired by Bryce Canyon National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion, electronics)

Connor Piotrzkowski
Five Peaks, inspired by mountain ranges in Rocky Mountain National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion)

Nate Bliton
(re)generate, inspired by Canyonlands National Park (solo cactus plus electronics)

Noah Braley
Lapse, inspired by Canyonlands National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, piano, percussion plus electronics)

Christian Glascock
Reflection, Acceptance, Hope, inspired by Bryce Canyon National Park (flute/bass flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, piano, percussion plus electronics)

2020/21 Commissions

Lake Michigan Project
New music celebrating Lake Michigan

Nathan Hudson
Melt. Or, what it means to be a reflection. Inspired by Lake Michigan (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion)

Tony Manfredonia
Snow • Wind • Ice • Tranquility, inspired by Lake Michigan (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion)

Olivia Kieffer
Retreat of the Laurentide, inspired by Lake Michigan (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion)

Logan Rutledge
Different Bodies, inspired by Lake Michigan (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion)

Elena Specht
Fresh, inspired by Lake Michigan (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion)

New music for our continuing National Parks project

Eve Beglarian
Not My Home, inspired by Mammoth Cave National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion, electronics, stereo playback)

Pascal Le Boeuf
The Blue of Distance, inspired by Shenandoah National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion)

Zoe Keating
Summer on Mount Desert Island, inspired by Acadia National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion, stereo playback)

Marc Mellits
Dune, inspired by Indiana Dunes National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion)

Paola Prestini
Cuyahoga Breathing, inspired by Cuyahoga Valley National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion)

Shara Nova
A Rhododendron’s Bloom, inspired by Great Smoky Mountains National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion)

2018/19 Commissions

Rachel Grimes
Aerial Glacier, inspired by Glacier National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano/tenor saxophone, violin, piano, vibraphone)

Kristin Kuster
Wildflower Report, inspired by Mount Rainier National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, violin, piano, vibraphone)

Jennifer Jolley
Blue Glacier Decoy, inspired by Olympic National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, piano, vibraphone)

Michael Laurello
Mosaic, inspired by Voyageurs National Park (flute, alto saxophone, violin, piano, vibraphone)

John Jansen
Earth Song, inspired by National Parks of the Pacific Northwest (solo percussion, electronics, and found object instruments)

Alexander Miller
Blue Glacier, inspired by North Cascades National Park (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, violin, piano, vibraphone)

2017/18 Commissions

Adam Cuthbert • Matt Finch • Daniel Rhode
15 compositions, 78 minutes, of electronic/acoustic hybrid landscapes (flutes, clarinets, saxophones, violins, cellos pianos, percussion + electronics)

Adam Cuthbert
location sharing, background refresh, elegant, there are no gradients, in the manner of her operations

Daniel Rhode
daily limits lie, glass surface, dearest rewinder these, ash, airport for light, return

Matt Finch
with a hint of blue, glacier, under its own colorless weight, in a clear wall

2016/17 Commissions

Betsey Biggs
Teewinot, inspired by Grand Teton national park (flute, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, violin, cello, piano, percussion)

Alexandra Gardner
Vixen, inspired by Yellowstone national park (flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, violin, cello, piano, percussion)

Rob Deemer
Firehole Mists, inspired by Yellowstone national park (flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, violin, cello, piano, percussion)

Patrick Harlin
Wind Cave, inspired by Wind Cave national park (flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, violin, cello, piano, percussion)

Molly Joyce
Bite the Dust, inspired by Badlands national park (flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone, violin, cello, piano, percussion, electronics)

Jeff Herriott
Heat curls up from the dust, inspired by Grand Teton national park (flute, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, violin, cello, piano, percussion, electronics)

Phil Kline
Dawn Chorus, inspired by Badlands national park (flute, clarinet, soprano saxophone, violin, cello, piano, percussion)

Niko Schroeder
Canvas the Bear, inspired by a family national park road trip incident (flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, violin, cello, piano, percussion)

Paula Matthusen
on the analogical interpretations of space, inspired by Wind Cave national park (flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, violin, cello, piano, percussion, electronics)

2015/16 Commissions

Anna Clyne
Just As They Are (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, conch shell, and the voice of John Cage)

Michael Lowenstern
Mr. Dynamite (flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano, drum-set, and the voice of James Brown)

Marc Mellits
Processations (flute, clarinet, violin, piano, vibraphone/marimba, and the voice of Steve Reich)

Gyan Riley
Ahs, Wahs, and the Goddess (flute/alto flute, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano, vibraphone, and the voice of Terry Riley)

Dan Rhode
Four compositions for ensemble and dance (flute, clarinet/bass clarinet, alto/bari saxophone, trumpet, tenor trombone, bass trombone, violin, cello, piano, two percussion, and electronics)

Sarah Kirkland Snider
We Are Free (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, marimba and the voice of Arvo Pärt)

2014/15 Commission

Paul Steinberg
The Inevitability of Change (flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone, violin, cello, piano, marimba)

2013/14 Commissions

Armando Bayolo
Wide Open Spaces (flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion)

David Biedenbender
Red Vesper (flute, clarinet, alto sax, violin, cello, piano, percussion plus stereo playback)

Thad Anderson
Within (four non-percussionists plus stereo playback)

Dan Rhode
Fingerpainting (flute, clarinet, alto sax, violin, cello, piano, percussion plus stereo playback and audience iPad performer)

Ashley Stanley
Night Sketches (solo flute, live processing, and stereo playback)

2011/12 Commission

Dan Rhode
Flickering Pixels (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion plus stereo playback and optional video)

2009/10 Commissions

Rob Smith
Kicking & Screaming (8 players plus piano, 2 percussion)

In C Remixed Commissions
(bass flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, English horn, bassoon, soprano/tenor saxophones,
piano, accordian, 5 percussion, guitar, violin, cello plus whatever...)

Jad Abumrad
Counting In C (also arranged for live ensemble by Adam Cuthbert)