New York Philharmonic Very Young Composers Program Premieres Nine New Compositions On WQXR

*The Following Press Release Was Issued By NY Philharmonic*

New York Philharmonic Very Young Composers Program Premieres Nine New Compositions on WQXR

Airs September 27–October 3 on WQXR 105.9 FM and Streaming On Demand at WQXR.org

From September 27 to October 3, WQXR will air the world premieres of nine new compositions by students in the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers Program (VYC). VYC students composed short pieces for small ensembles exploring the theme of reconnecting and reuniting after a challenging year apart. The participating composers are Owen Berenbom (age 11), Nicholas Hutfilz (15), Larissa Lakner (11), Devon Lee (14), Grace Moore (12), Clement Neveux (14), Matilda Surla (11), Gil Vardi (12) and Olivia Williams (11).

The ensemble performing the new works includes three Philharmonic musicians: Flute / Piccolo Mindy Kaufman, Acting Associate Principal Horn Leelanee Sterrett and Associate Principal Bass Max Zeugner. Violist Jordan Bak and mezzo-soprano Kara Dugan round out the group of performers. Dugan and Bak are members of WQXR’s Artist Propulsion Lab, an initiative founded this past April to support emerging artists in the New York City area who have been impacted by the pandemic. 

The New York Philharmonic Very Young Composers Program — founded by Jon Deak, composer and former Philharmonic Associate Principal Bass — is an after-school program that celebrates children’s creativity by providing them with the tools they need to transform their musical ideas into finished compositions. The Philharmonic celebrates the 25th anniversary of VYC during the 2021–22 season.

Visit WQXR.org for composer biographies, descriptions of their works and to listen to the compositions on demand.