Berkeley Sounds Composer Fellows

In 2017, three young composers were selected from a national candidate pool to participate in the inaugural Berkeley Sounds Composer Fellows program. The new Fellows include Aiyana Tedi Braun, currently a student at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia; Ursula Kwong-Brown of New York City; and Peter Shin of Kansas City. The composers will receive mentorship from Music Alive Composer-in-Residence Anna Clyne while developing two compositions to be performed by Berkeley Symphony. During the first season (2017-18), each composer will develop a new work for chamber ensemble, while in the second season (2018-19), they will produce a new work for chamber orchestra. Each season culminates in a public reading session as part of the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) Full series, where the composers will have their music rehearsed, performed, and professionally recorded for personal, archival and non-commercial use. The first of these sessions will take place on Sunday, April 29, 2018 at BAMPFA. In addition to being mentored by Ms. Clyne, the Fellows will receive artistic and career guidance from the Symphony artistic staff, orchestra musicians, and renowned mentor-composers and industry professionals to further develop professional skills. The goal for participating composers is to develop a composition style that is deeply personal and artistically true, yet designed to enter the standard orchestra repertory.

History

Established in 1993 as the Under Construction New Music Program, the Berkeley Sounds Composer Fellowship signifies a unique commitment to emerging composers and new music. Designed as a reading session to showcase the Bay Area’s composing talents, the program engages the community in contemporary music and its making, as well as provides a rare and invaluable opportunity for emerging composers to further develop their skills and gain practical experience writing for a professional orchestra.  Since its inception, the program has grown into a nationally recognized forum for composers to bring freshly penned works to the stage under the guidance of Music Director Joana Carneiro, mentor composers, and members of the orchestra.