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| Society of Composers, Inc. | |
|---|---|
| Name | Society of Composers, Inc. |
| Abbreviation | SCI |
| Formation | 1965 |
| Type | Nonprofit music organization |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Leader title | President |
Society of Composers, Inc. is an American organization dedicated to the promotion and performance of contemporary classical music and new composition by living composers. Founded in the mid-20th century, the organization connects universities, conservatorys, chamber ensembles, and professional orchestras through concerts, publications, commissions, and awards. Its activities intersect with festivals, academic conferences, recording projects, and regional chapters across the United States and internationally.
The organization was formed in the 1960s amid a surge of interest in contemporary serialism and experimental practices exemplified by figures associated with University of California, Berkeley, Juilliard School, and Princeton University. Early conferences included presentations alongside composers affiliated with New Music America, Tanglewood Music Center, and the American Composers Forum. Over decades the group held annual meetings and regional festivals at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and university halls at Indiana University Bloomington, Yale University, and University of Michigan. Its development paralleled the establishment of institutions like Bang on a Can, The Juilliard School, and the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States. The organization expanded during the late 20th century with increased commissioning modeled after practices at Guggenheim Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and MacArthur Fellows Program-supported initiatives.
The society's mission emphasizes advocacy for living composers, dissemination of new works, and education through workshops and panels featuring representatives from ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. Activities include organizing concerts curated by artistic directors with backgrounds at institutions such as Curtis Institute of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, and Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto). It collaborates with presenters like Bang on a Can, International Society for Contemporary Music, and regional presenters including Spoleto Festival USA, Santa Fe Opera, and Festival d'Automne à Paris. The organization also hosts masterclasses led by artists connected to New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Metropolitan Opera.
Membership comprises professional composers, academic faculty from institutions such as Columbia University, Harvard University, and Stanford University, performers affiliated with ensembles like The Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and administrators with connections to funding bodies like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts. Governance follows a volunteer board model with officers elected by membership; past officers have held positions at University of Southern California, Eastman School of Music, and Rutgers University. Committees oversee programming, commissions, publications, and awards, liaising with peers from American Composers Forum, International Music Council, and Broadcast Music, Inc..
The organization programs annual national conferences and regional festivals featuring performances by Kronos Quartet, Ensemble Modern, Juilliard String Quartet, and university ensembles from Northwestern University, University of California, Los Angeles, and Boston Conservatory. Commissioning partnerships have involved presenters and funders such as Carnegie Mellon University, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Zankel Hall, and private foundations modeled on the Rockefeller Foundation and Ford Foundation. Works premiered through the society have been subsequently programmed by New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and contemporary series at Lincoln Center and Royal Albert Hall.
The society issues catalogs, proceedings, and scores that circulate among libraries at Library of Congress, Yale University Library, and Harvard University Library, and it has partnered with record labels and distributors including Naxos Records, New World Records, and Deutsche Grammophon-backed contemporary series. Publications include directories of members, program notes, and edited volumes with contributors from Oxford University Press, Routledge, and university presses at Princeton University and University of Chicago Press. Recordings of commissioned works have been archived in collections such as the Smithsonian Folkways-adjacent contemporary catalogs and digital platforms used by ensembles like Bang on a Can All-Stars and Ensemble InterContemporain.
The organization administers awards and competitive grants for emerging and established composers similar in scope to distinctions from Guggenheim Fellowship, Pulitzer Prize for Music, and Rome Prize-style residencies. Partnership grants have been co-funded by agencies and foundations including the National Endowment for the Arts, Canada Council for the Arts, and philanthropic programs of institutions like Carnegie Corporation of New York. Prize winners have received commissioning support, residency placements at centers such as Yaddo, MacDowell Colony, and performance guarantees through networks at Tanglewood Music Center and Bard College.
Members and alumni encompass a wide spectrum of composers, performers, and academics associated with major institutions and ensembles: individuals linked to Aaron Copland School of Music, Earlham College, Columbia University, and conservatories producing laureates of competitions such as the Gaudeamus International Composers Award, and the Leone d'Oro-affiliated festivals. Alumni have held appointments at Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, New England Conservatory, and have collaborated with orchestras and ensembles including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, and Los Angeles Philharmonic. Their works have been recognized by prizes such as the Pulitzer Prize for Music, Guggenheim Fellowship, and MacArthur Fellows Program.
Category:Music organizations based in the United States