Commissioning

If you are an individual musician, member of an ensemble, concert producer, music patron—or simply a music-lover—consider commissioning me to write a new work for your next recital, concert, tour, CD project or for a special occasion (e.g. wedding, anniversary, birthday). I welcome proposals of any size—even a two-minute piano prelude.

Funding can come from public or private sources. Applications made through the public granting agencies (e.g. Canada Council for the Arts) use the commissioning rates recommended by the Canadian League of Composers to determine fees. These rates are also a good reference for privately-funded initiatives.

One way to keep costs down is the process of joint-commissioning whereby two or more individual musicians or ensembles jointly commission a new work; each is entitled to a local premiere. This considerably reduces the fee for each commissioner.

To find out more about the commissioning process or to explore an idea you may have, send me an email.

List of Commissions

2011 The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) commissioned a work for string sextet inspired by The Tempest.

2011 The Canadian Music Centre (Ontario region) commissioned a work for youth string orchestra as part of its Norman Burgess New Music for Young Musicians project.

2011 The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra commissioned two works for its 2011/12 season.

2011 The Windermere String Quartet (Toronto, Ontario) commissioned a string quartet, Traces of a Silent Landscape, inspired by a snowshoeing trip in Algonquin Park.

2010 Trevor Pittman (Windsor, Canada) commissioned Sonata "Muskoka" for Clarinet & Piano.

2010 The Elanée Ensemble (Hobart, Australia) commissioned a Sonata for Viola & Double Bass with at least one movement that can be performed independently.

2008 The Talisker Players (Toronto, Canada) commissioned the chamber arrangement of Red Moon & Other Songs of War for Festival Vancouver.

2006 The Ottawa Youth Orchestra (Ottawa, Canada) commissioned Maya the Bee to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

2003 The Ottawa Youth Orchestra (Ottawa, Canada) commissioned The Great Northern Diver for its joint tour with the Newfoundland Symphony Youth Orchestra to Wales and Ireland.

1999 The University of Ottawa Department of Theatre (Ottawa, Canada) commissioned original songs for its production of Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan.