The Crossing Announces Major New Commission From Caroline Shaw

Grammy-winning choir The Crossing, led by conductor Donald Nally, today announces a major new commission from Pulitzer Laureate Caroline Shaw, made possible by the Ann Stookey Fund for New Music (ASFNM). The ASFNM grant of $30,000 will underwrite the commissioning of a new work by Shaw, winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for her work Partita for Eight Voices. The Crossing's previous premiere with Caroline, To the Hands, from Seven Responses (2016), has become its most widely-performed commission.

The new work is commissioned by a consortium of choirs composed of The Crossing (Philadelphia), Cantori New York (New York), Volti (San Francisco), and Notre Dame Vocale (South Bend); all will give the regional premieres of the new work, intended for the 2021-2022 season.

Composer, violinist, and singer Caroline Shaw is the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Music. She appears regularly as a vocalist with Roomful of Teeth and as a violinist with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble. Her works have been performed by The Crossing, the Baltimore Symphony, Roomful of Teeth, So Percussion, the Brentano String Quartet, and many other leading ensembles. She has also co-produced and contributed vocals to several Kanye West tracks.

"We are delighted to work with a consortium of highly regarded, leading edge choral organizations to identify the next generation of great choral composers and to support efforts to bring their work to audiences," said Joe Waz, chair of the Ann Stookey Fund for New Music. "With this latest commission to Caroline Shaw, who has been hailed for her 'exquisite, distinctive (compositional) voice', the Fund is pleased to help expand the choral arts in Ann's memory."

Donald Nally, conductor of The Crossing, commented, "I had an amazing conversation with Caroline about the direction of this project and feel that she knows us so well, having worked together intimately a couple of years back. We share similar interests in why art "is" and I know that the consortium ensembles all have these directions, concerns, abilities, and commitment. We are, of course, ever grateful to Joe Waz and the Ann Stookey Fund for New Music for another new-music gift to the world - one that will surely honor Ann's legacy."

The commission was proposed by members of the Fund's advisory board and chosen by the board of ASFNM (http://annstookeyfund.org/boards/).

The Ann Stookey Fund for New Music was established in celebration of the life of Ann Stookey, an avid choral singer and strong supporter of new music, who passed away in 2012. A number of works commissioned by the Fund have received their world premieres. Learn more at http://annstookeyfund.org/our-work/. Follow the Fund on Facebook (Ann Stookey Fund for New Music) or Twitter (@AnnStookeyMusic).

The announcement comes following the weekend of Ann Stookey's birthday, February 2.