BMI Foundation Partners with American Composers Orchestra and International Contemporary Ensemble to Present BMI Composer Award-Winning Works
New York, NY - February 18, 2025 - BMI Foundation, Inc. has announced two new four-year partnerships with award-winning organizations American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) to present works receiving honors at the BMI Composer Awards. Each year, one chamber work and one orchestral work will be performed in an ICE concert and an ACO EarShot Reading respectively, as permitted by each ensemble’s schedule.
Each organization has enjoyed a longtime relationship with BMI Foundation through the Foundation’s New Music Grants program, which awards annual grants to 501(c)3 non-profit organizations with the mission to further the creation, performance, and study of contemporary music. However, this partnership marks the first time that recipients of BMI Composer Awards will have their works performed as part of the competition.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with these high-caliber ensembles, each of which has been performing and advocating for living composers and their music for decades,” said BMI Foundation President Deirdre Chadwick. “ACO and ICE feel like family to us in our shared mission of championing new music. The chance for a young composer to have their work performed at such a high level is rare, and we are excited to offer this invaluable opportunity to our winners.”
About the BMI Composer Awards
The BMI Composer Awards is an annual competition open to young composers engaged in the creation of classical music. Established by BMI in 1951, the Composer Awards aims to recognize superior musical compositional ability and further the classical music education of young talent. Since its inception, the competition has awarded over 600 awards to musicians, including twenty future Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists, and is widely regarded as the premier recognition for young composers of classical music in the Western Hemisphere.
About the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)
Now in its third decade, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) is a multidisciplinary collective of musicians, digital media artists, producers, and educators committed to building and innovating collaborative environments in order to inspire audiences to reimagine how they experience contemporary music and sound. ICE creates a mosaic musical ecosystem, honoring the diversity of human experience and expression by commissioning, developing, recording, and performing the works of living artists.
About the American Composers Orchestra (ACO)
In 1977, a collective of fearless New York City musicians came together to form the American Composers Orchestra (ACO), an ensemble dedicated to the creation, celebration, performance, and promotion of orchestral music by American composers. Over more than 40 years committed to artistry, creativity, community, and equity, ACO has blossomed into a national institution that not only cultivates and develops the careers of living composers, but also provides composers a direct pipeline to partnerships with many of America’s major symphony orchestras. In addition to its annual concert series at Carnegie Hall, ACO produces national educational programs for all ages, and composer advancement programs to foster a community of creators, audience, performers, collaborators, and funders—all dedicated to American composition. Visit americancomposers.org for more information.
About the BMI Foundation, Inc.
The BMI Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 to encourage the creation, performance, and study of American music. The Foundation’s programs include competitive scholarships for songwriters and composers, operating grants for nonprofit arts presenters, and support for innovative music education initiatives in schools and communities across the country. For more information about the work of the Foundation, please visit our website at www.bmifoundation.org. For exclusive news and content, follow @bmifoundation on Twitter and Instagram, and like BMI Foundation on Facebook.
