Pro Musicis has commissioned new works for winners of the Pro Musicis International Award to premiere in major concert halls, and in recent years for recipients of the Father Eugène Merlet Community Service Award to perform in their outreach projects.
Pro Musicis has funded the following commissions with grants from The Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust and contributions from generous individuals.
1990 commissions
David Leisner (b.1953) On Jazz Terrain, a 3-movement work for flute, clarinet, saxophone and piano, premiered January 22, 1991 by Linda Chesis, Esther Lamneck, Gary Louie and Jon Klibonoff, Miller Theatre at Columbia University. Reviewed by Peter Goodman in Newsday.
Dinu Ghezzo (1941-2011) Prayer, for flute, clarinet and saxophone, premiered January 22, 1991 by Linda Chesis, Esther Lamneck, and Gary Louie, Miller Theatre at Columbia University. Reviewed by Peter Goodman in Newsday.
1991 commission
Sebastian Currier (b. 1959) Entanglement, for violin and piano, premiered March 21, 1992 by Maria Bachmann and Jon Klibonoff, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. Sebastian Currier is the recipient of the 2007 Grawemeyer Award, the Berlin Prize, the Rome Prize and a Guggenheim Fellowship.
1993 commission
Chen YI (b. 1953) Song in Winter, for harpsichord, dizi and zheng, dedicated to Joyce Lindorf, premiered March 23, 1993, by Joyce Lindorff, harpsichord, Wei Lai-Gen, dizi, and Yang Yi, zheng, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall. In 2001 Chen Yi received the Ives Living Award, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award.
2000 commission
Paul Moravec (b. 1957) Ariel Fantasy, for violin and piano, premiered by violinist Maria Bachmann and pianist Paige Hoffman, Theatre Athenee, Paris, France, April 2, 2001. Maria so loved the work she asked Paul to compose a chamber work for the Trio Solisti based on Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. This led to Paul Moravec’s Tempest Fantasy and his Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2004.
2004 commissions
Three new works premiered by BAO Jian, guanzi, and HU Jianbing, sheng, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, April 21, 2004. Reviewed by Edith Eisler in the New York Times.
Lei Liang (b.1972) Motion Parallel, for guanzi and sheng. Lei Liang won the 2011 Rome Prize, received a Guggenheim Fellowship, and was named a finalist for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Music.
Li Binyang, Snow of June, for guanzi, sheng, pipa, cello, percussion. His music was chosen for the 2008 Olympics in China.
Zhou Long (b.1953) Taigu Rhyme II, for guanzi, sheng, pipa, cello, percussion. Zhou Long won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his opera, Madame While Snake.
2020 commission
Timo Andres (b. 1985) Honest Labor for solo piano, dedicated to Gil Kalish “With Admiration.” Required work at the 2021 auditions. Premiered by Robert Fleitz, October 18, 2021, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. Reviewed by Rorianne Schrade in the New York Concert Review.
2021 commissions
Paul Wiancko, Microsuite for solo cello. Required work at the 2022 auditions. Premiere by Alexander Hersh, November 30, 2022, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. Paul Wiancko was featured in the Washington Post’s “22 for 22 Composers and Performers to Watch.”
Four commissions to be performed by flutist Catherine Gregory in her outreach project “Just Breathe”, recipient of a Father Eugène Merlet Award for Community Service.
Timo Andres, new work for solo flute. In process.
Kinan Azmeh, new work for solo flute. In process.
Juhi Bansal, new work for solo flute. In process.
Diane Monroe, new work for solo flute. In process.
2022 commissions
Two commissions to be performed by cellist Annie Jacobs-Perkins in her outreach project “Insert Music Here,” recipient of a Father Eugène Merlet Award for Community Service.
Daniel Temkin, new work for solo cello. In process.
Stratis Minakakis, new work for solo cello. In process.