ChamberQUEER and Luna Composition Lab are set to introduce the first volume of works from “The Nebula Project” on Nov. 4, 2024.

For each presentation as part of “The Nebula Project,” a minimum of two Luna Lab alums will be commissioned to create new work for ChamberQUEER performers. This inaugural event, titled “Little Gems” will feature a ChamberQUEER-curated ensemble of performers including soprano MaKayla McDonald and tenor Elliott Encarnación, with pianists Isabelle O’Connell and Andrea Christie, and other instrumentalists.

The program features “Solace in a Storm” by Lucy Chen, “Interstitial” by Caleb Palka, Alicia Erlandson’s “Blue,” and “Roses” with text by Ellen Bass, and “First Word” by Jane Meenaghan.  Works commissioned by “The Nebula Project” are “Breaking Glass” by Devon Lee and Gwendolyn Brooks, “Ostoyae” by Lili Namazi, and “Wander” by Sage Shurman.

Following the performance at The DiMenna Center, the evening continues with an open reception where attendees can mingle with composers, curators and musicians to learn more about their artistry and this partnership.

The ongoing partnership made possible by the New York Community Trust aims to foster emerging composers of diverse identities from Luna Composition Lab and cultivate their authentic voices through mentorship and the commissioning of new work.