Minnesota Symphony Project

When studying music in college, the bulk of repertoire we learn revolves around the orchestra. The symphonies of the “great composers” are highly revered and studied. Similarly, composing for orchestra continues to be a benchmark for achievement, but commissions from orchestras are rare and often reserved for composers of an elite stature. For me, composing for orchestra is almost always tied to composing for orchestra AND choir. This hasn’t been awful for me. In fact, my skills as a composer for choirs led to these commissions and gave me a chance to try out my ideas in a less stressful environment.

For example, when I’m commissioned by a community choir, I know how different the resulting piece should be compared to a commission from a professional choir, or a high school choir. They all have their own strengths and quirks, from the difficulty of chromatic passages to the flexibility they have in splitting into more parts. I know what’s hard for high school singers but easier for adults who have sang a long time. I know what to avoid in composing for a church choir, and how much I can stretch a professional ensemble. I know these things because I’ve written over 100 choral works and workshopped them with many choirs.

What’s particularly exciting about this grant is that not only will I have the opportunity to compose a multi-movement work for orchestra (something I’ve never been commissioned to do), but I get to workshop this piece FOUR times with different conductors and ensembles within a short time frame across the state of MN. I am partnering with conductor Erik Rohde and the Winona Symphony Orchestra, Hannah Schendel and the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra, Bradley Lamprecht and the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra (Alexandria), and Chung Park and the St. Olaf College Philharmonia (Northfield). Working with each of these 4 conductors will provide diverse perspectives and interpretations.

This model creates a great learning experience for me. It is helpful because each ensemble and conductor will teach me something new about the music. I look forward to better understanding how an orchestra comprised of undergraduates differs from an adult community orchestra, and how an orchestra from a larger city differs from a smaller one. I look forward to knowing what kind of difference it makes to have a few professional musicians within the ensemble, which is the case with the Winona Symphony Orchestra. The strength of their performances will be indicators of how idiomatically their parts are written. As a composer, it can be sometimes hard to tell, especially when a piece is only performed once, if the line I wrote was too challenging, problematic for the instrument, or if it was simply too hard for that level of player. Pinpointing these tricky sections will be wonderful during the workshopping process, for I will have time to revise for the next regional premiere and perfect the score.

I love engaging with musicians and audiences, but I especially adore Minnesotans. Nearly all of my musical education was here, for I attended St. Olaf College and the University of Minnesota. And as a woman living in rural Minnesota, I’m excited to have an opportunity to work with other musicians who choose to live in a rural or small town setting.

The symphony is underway, and I plan on completing the work by the end of the summer of 2026. The orchestras will have the entirety of the 2026-27 academic season to give their regional premieres.