Steven Mackey, Orchestra and Chamber Music chair
               Rufus Reid, Jazz Band Classic chair

"The most impressive record for championing new music of any ensemble in the United States."

-The New York Times

“When it comes to making new music a natural part of the concert going experience, few orchestras in the United States can match the record of the New York Youth Symphony.”

“ . . . commissioned works rehearsed and performed by some of the most talented young instrumentalists and conductors around.”


First Music, the New York Youth Symphony's highly acclaimed commissioning program, has awarded commissions to 102 of America’s best young composers since 1984. The winner of numerous awards and accolades, this ongoing project introduces traditional audiences, as well as the musicians themselves, to new trends in music. Three awards are given seasonally for orchestral compositions and one each for chamber music and jazz. Steven Mackey, Professor of Music at Princeton University, succeeds John Corigliano as chair of the First Music Advisory Committee for orchestra and chamber music. Rufus Reid, a leading string bass player with over 250 recordings in his discography, chairs the advisory committee for jazz.

Orchestra

Selected composers will be awarded a commission of $1,500 each and premières in Carnegie Hall. The commission includes a stipend for travel to New York City. The commissioned works must be previously unpublished and unperformed.

Chamber Music

The selected composer will be awarded a commission of $1,500. The Director of the Chamber Music Program in conjunction with the awardee will determine the instrumentation of the commissioned piece. The commissioned work must be previously unpublished and unperformed, and it will be given its première in Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall.

Jazz Band Classic

The selected composer will be awarded a commission of $1,500. The work must be previously unpublished and unperformed, and it will be given its première in the Allen Room of Jazz at Lincoln Center.