MusicaNova’s Composition Fellows doesn’t merely seek out new work by promising young composers. It offer intensive, hands-on mentoring that may be unique world-wide.
After identifying exceptional works that resonate with MusicaNova’s mission, Music Director Warren Cohen works with the composer to prepare their score for performance. The composer is invited to attend orchestra rehearsals and work directly with the Maestro Cohen and the musicians to further refine the piece.
The Composition Fellows Program has welcomed composers from a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities. Fellows have come from the United States, Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore, China, and Canada, delivering works that tell stories and convey emotions from around the world.
MusicaNova’s educational outreach and collaboration program, in place since the orchestra was founded in 2003, uses three simple practices to ensure effective interaction with educational partners:
We visit you: MNO conductors, composers, and musicians visit partner schools to introduce upcoming concerts, play some of the repertoire, lead workshops and talk in depth with students about their musical inspirations, aspirations, and potential careers.
You visit us: Students and faculty from educational partners may attend orchestra rehearsals to see how a concert comes together, COVID-19 precautions allowing.
We perform together: Outstanding student-musicians from educational partners join the MNO orchestra in a concert at their school), where they are mentored by MNO teaching artists and get practical experience in playing with a professional orchestra. (On hold during the pandemic.)
MusicaNova Orchestra is Artist-in-Residence at Tempe High School.
MusicaNova musicians created a series of videos to help Tempe High School students continue their musical studies when the school closed because of the pandemic. Because the videos are helpful for any young musician, we post them here for your use and study. Thank you to the City of Tempe arts grants program for underwriting this project.
