A partnership program of the American Symphony Orchestra League and Meet The Composer, Music Alive offers support for composer residencies with professional and youth orchestras of all sizes. There are two types of Music Alive composer residencies: the Short Term Residencies offer support for residencies of two to eight weeks within one season; the Extended Residencies offer support for multi-year, full-season residencies of up to three years. Funding is available for composer fees, travel expenses, musician fees and other orchestra expenses related to residency activities. Funding amounts range from $7,000 to $28,000 for Short Term Residencies, and from $30,000 up to $100,000 per year for Extended Residencies.

MUSIC ALIVE: Short Term Residencies

The Music Alive Short Term Residencies Program is designed to provide orchestras with resources and tools to support their presentation of new music and build support for new music within their institutions. Drawing on the creative strengths of composers as artistic collaborators, teachers and new music advocates, Music Alive Short Term Residencies advance today's music at orchestras of all budget sizes and in communities nationwide. During residencies of two to eight weeks, composers guide their host orchestras' presentation of new music and assist in the performance of their own works. Composers also serve as advocates for new music in the organization by interacting with board members, musicians, administrative staff, and the community in education and outreach activities.

Music Alive Short Term Residency funding includes assistance with composer fees (up to $2,500 per residency week), composer travel and per diem expenses, and orchestra production expenses related to the residency up to $1,000 per week).

·Music Alive 2004 Guidelines and Application
(Short Term Residencies)
Application Deadline: August 20, 2004

For assistance in filling out this form on-line or to request a paper copy by mail, please contact MTC at (212) 645-6949 x102

MUSIC ALIVE: Extended Residencies

Music Alive Extended Residencies are intended to encourage orchestras to experiment, to stretch their creative work, to enhance the new music opportunities they provide for their constituents and their communities, to imagine strategies and identify promising practices for sustained partnerships with composers, and to enrich orchestral repertoire with fresh, new music of our time. The Program seeks orchestras that plan to build upon their prior new music activity, stimulate new activity beyond the residency, and establish relationships with new audiences.

Music Alive will support extended, structured relationships between orchestras and composers that reflect the unique dynamics of the host orchestra's history, community, aspirations, and synergies with the designated composer(s).

Guidelines/application available late 2004 for 2006-2007 orchestra season

Music Alive is made possible with support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, and The National Endowment for the Arts.