The American Composers Orchestra (ACO) has announced the schedule for its spring 2025 “EarShot Readings” and “CoLABoratory Workshops.”

The Readings and Workshops, which support emerging composers and push the boundaries of American orchestral music,  will commence from March 26–28 at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, IN, featuring eight selected composers, including Corey Chang, Xinyuan Deng, Natalia Camargo Duarte, Wenxin Li, Alexey Logunov, Gabriel Novak, Laura Pacheco, and Emre Sener. These composers will participate in workshops guided by mentor composers David Dzubay, Han Lash, Curtis Stewart, and Augusta Read Thomas. From there, four participants will be selected to return in the fall of 2025 for further “EarShot Readings,” and their works will be rehearsed, performed, and recorded by musicians from the Jacobs School of Music.

Meanwhile, ACO’s second spring reading, in collaboration with Lawrence University, will take place from May 12–13, 2025, in Appleton, WI. This iteration will explore scores that deviate from traditional Western notation, including graphic scores, improvisational works, and open instrumentation compositions. Selected composers include Alicia Castillo, Matthew Mason, Lila Meretzky, and Logan Rutledge will work under the mentorship of Marcos Balter, Joanne Metcalf, and Asha Srinivasan. These composers will return in January 2026 for EarShot Readings with the Lawrence University New Music Ensemble.

Complementing the readings are ACO’s CoLABoratory Workshops, which will take place on March 5 and 7, 2025, at The DiMenna Center in New York. These will culminate in a special CoLABoratory Event on March 22, 2025 at the Esperanza Arts Center in Philadelphia, PA. These workshops provide a platform for innovative experimentation, furthering ACO’s dedication to fostering new voices and expanding the sonic possibilities of orchestral music.

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