Presenting the winners of our 2023 Seed Money Grants! This year we have awarded eight grants of $1,000 each to a diverse group of performers. Unusually, for this period all of the grants were made for focused concerts; most performances will take place in the New York City area, including several in Brooklyn and one in Queens as well as Manhattan. We will also look forward to a concert in Brazil in 2024. All the projects will include open calls for some or all of the NYWC composers to be represented.
The winners are listed alphabetically:
The Astoria Music Project (chamber ensemble): The Astoria Music Project will present a concert titled “Women of New York: Then and Now,” in a concert to take place in Queens as well as a planned second one in a different location, either in Queens or another borough. The group’s instrumentation is flexible, with its core group comprised of soprano, violin, horn, and piano. For more information on the group, visit their website at https://www.astoriamusicproject.com/, their Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/theastoriamusicproject/, and their YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/@theastoriamusicproject9811.
Tessa Brinkman and Kathleen Supové (flutist and pianist): Here is Tessa and Kathleen’s intriguing description of their proposal: “We are proposing an experience of flute and piano that feels like an imaginative immersive journey rather than a series of separate pieces. We’re interested in the concert experience as a kind of surrealist speculation, often employing fixed media (audio and video) which are by their nature “world-making”, as well as the breadth of our own instruments (as listed above).” The concert will take place in Manhattan at a venue to be confirmed later. For more information on this duo, visit their detailed individual websites at www.supove.com and www.tessabrinckman.com .
Cobalt Quartet (saxophone quartet): This saxophone quartet (or subsets of the group, depending on the works chosen) is well-known for its performances of the music of today’s composers. Their concert will take place either in New York or New Jersey. Their website can be found at https://cobaltquartet.com/ and their Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/cobaltSaxophoneQuartet.
Conservatorio Villa Lobos, São Paulo, Brazil (symphonic band): The conservatory will offer a concert by the Conservatory’s students and faculty, featuring its Symphonic Band (Banda Sinfônica) and Dance Ensemble. Works that utilize piano, guitar, or female voice (in English or Portuguese only) are also encouraged. Members may submit works for full wind ensemble, or smaller ensembles drawn from within its instrumentation, as well as works that include piano, guitar, female voice, multimedia, or live dance as added elements. The Conservatorio’s website can be found at https://fito.edu.br/conservatorio-villa-lobos/
Dall’Ombra Ensemble (chamber ensemble): Dall’Ombra takes a contextual approach in their curated concerts, engaging audiences by sharing each composer’s life story, the personal inspirations they felt as they composed each piece, and the historical circumstances that influenced their work. They will feature NYWC composers in a concert that also honors Dutch composers Henriette Bosmans and Rosy Wertheim, notable for their activities and organization of clandestine concerts in Amsterdam during WWII. Their website is currently under construction, but you can visit Dall’Ombra clarinetist member Morrie Sherry’s site at www.morriesherry.com.
The Nu Quintet (woodwind quintet): The quintet will present a concert in September 2024 at the DiMenna Center in Midtown Manhattan. They live-stream their concerts as an integral part of their performance approach. You can view their website at https://www.nuquintet.com.
Josh Perry and Dennis Sullivan (percussion duo): The duo will present a concert combining the works of NYWC composers and their own compositions, featuring music that incorporates the use of electronics and/or multimedia, including (but not limited to) works with: fixed audio media, live audio electronic processing (analog or digital), fixed video media, and/or live video processing. The concert will take place at MISE-EN_PLACE in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Josh Perry’s website is https://joshperry-music.com/ and Dennis Sullivan’s Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/dennis.sullivan.75248.
Ginevra Petrucci (flutist): Supplementing her prior concert with NYWC composers featuring the flauto d’amore, Ginevra will present a recital for flutes (C flute, alto, piccolo, flauto d’amore) and piano, with the support of her colleague Amir Farid, who is himself a keen champion of repertoire of women composers. They plan a recital and recording in New York City in the Fall 2023 with works by women from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, as well as world premieres. Ginevra and Amir’s websites are found at www.ginevrapetrucci.com and www.amirfarid.com.