The Cross-Country Chamber Consortium Announces The First Winner Of Its Black, Latinx And Indigenous Commission Award

In 2021, Atlanta Chamber Players (Atlanta), Decoda (New York), Fifth House Ensemble (Chicago), Musiqa (Houston) and SOLI Chamber Ensemble (San Antonio) announced the creation of a new consortium aimed at increasing diversity in modern chamber music repertoire. Now we are proud to announce that Benjamin Horne has been awarded its first ever Black, Latinx and Indigenous Emerging Composer Commission.

Benjamin Horne (b.1995) is a composer/ arranger, low brass performer, and conductor residing in Bloomington, Indiana. He is currently pursuing his Masters degree in Music Performance at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. He earned his Bachelor's at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University (GA) with degrees in Music Education, Music Performance, and a Certificate in Music Composition. Horne is an accomplished euphonium player and trombonist. He currently performs with the Sequence Euphonium Quartet and the Albireo New Music Collective. As a composer, Horne has written for various styles and instrumentations from large ensembles to solo and chamber works. Horne also spent time as a band director in Atlanta, Georgia.

Mr. Horne will create a new work for clarinet, violin, cello and piano to be performed by each of the five Consortium members during their 2022/2023 seasons, and will receive a $5000 cash award and the combined artistic and administrative support of five chamber music ensembles committed to providing an outlet for new voices in modern music.

The Cross-Country Chamber Consortium is made up of ensembles from around the country who are committed to the cultivation and performance of works by up-and-coming creators in the chamber music field. The 2021 Black, Latinx and Indigenous Emerging Composer Commission competition was judged by a panel of representatives from the artistic leadership of these ensembles, joined by guest judge Anthony R. Green. This first round of the competition received applicants from around the country, and the Cross-Country Chamber Consortium is proud to honor three finalists for their exceptional submissions:

Composer J.E. Hernández (b.1993) is a Mexican-born, Houston-based composer focusing on elevating personal and cultural narrative through his work. J.E.'s music has been featured by distinguished ensembles and organizations such as the Kennedy Center for the Arts, American Opera Project, Apollo Chamber Players, Foundation for Modern Music, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, American Composers Forum, the Brazil National Orchestra, and in a wide variety of films, both in the United States and abroad. You can hear his work here.

Known for his compelling, expressive and socially aware music, Puerto Rican composer Julio Elvin Quiñones writes works that are imbued with passion, intuition and represent every aspect of his identity. He focuses on developing a craft grounded on his Puerto Rican cultural background, interacting with folk and popular music, as well as literature and art from disparate, unconnected places. You can hear his work here.

Sofía Rocha writes music of uncompromising emotional intensity while exploring cognition, randomness, rhythm, and counterpoint in post-tonal frameworks. Sofía received a Masters in Composition at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, studying primarily with Chen Yi and Yotam Haber and received her BA from Gettysburg College, studying composition with Avner Dorman. You can hear her work here.

Applications for the next round of the Black, Latinx and Indigenous Emerging Composer Commission will be accepted in the fall of 2022.

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