recent tmf commissions • "a radical answer to the silence"

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Jeremiah Klarman
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Tyson Gholston Davis
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Bosba Panh
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Milad Yousufi. Photo by Virginia S. Friere.
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Nico Muhly c. Matt Murphy
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Lubica Cekovská
Rehearsing the Pablo Otriz Commission.
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Clint Needham
TMF Commissions are "a radical answer to the silence." 
—TMF commission composer Nico Muhly
“The foundation's mission, and its active commissioning of young composers, is in tribute to the composers who perished in the Terezín during WWII. Having their legacy inspire the creation of new works is truly beautiful and was a continual motivation for me as I worked on this commission.” 
—TMF commission composer Clint Needham

SPONSOR A COMMISSION:

Add a piece of music to the chamber repertoire and help fulfill the unrealized work of the lost Terezín artists. Your commission will be written by an emerging composer and premiered by a celebrated artist in one of the world's great venues. Call us at 857-222-8263 or write us at [email protected] to start the conversation.

TMF COMMISSIONS & PREMIERES • THE COMPLETE LIST

Tyson Gholston Davis is composing a solo piano work for a 2024 premiere by Jonathan Biss. Davis is a student at Juilliard and winner of numerous distinctive prizes and fellowships. Contact us if you wish to explore sponsoring this exciting work.

Ari Sussmann: "Anne Frank" and "Steve Ross," inspired by portraits of the famed memoirist and a Boston leader of Holocaust remembrance, is a setting for piano and EBO of poems about these individuals by Richard Hoffman. World premiere performed by Virginia Eskin October 26, 2022 at Bristol Community College Concert Hall in New Bedford, Massachusetts.       

Jeremiah Klarman: His TMF commission is a setting of our LiberArte poems by Rita Dove and Almog Behar, titled "Sketch for Terezín/Does Grace." Coro Allegro and the Arneis String Quartet premiered it at our 2022 gala. Jeremiah graduated from New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Michael Gandolfi and Hankus Netsky.

Bosba Panh: Her TMF commission, "Clouds," will premiere in 2023. Ms. Panh is an acclaimed Cambodian composer studying at New England Conservatory of Music with Michael Gandolfi and Ken Schaphorst.

Milad Yousufi: His second TMF commission, "In Search of Home," premiered at our 2020 Virtual Gala (watch/listen here). His first was "Refuge." The world premiere was performed by the Hawthorne String Quartet October 8, 2018 at Boston's Symphony Hall.

Ellis Ludwig-Leone: "Sanctuary." World premiere performed by Simone Dinnerstein October 8, 2018 at Boston's Symphony Hall. 

André Previn: Quintet for Horn and String Quintet. Sponsored by The Omer Foundation. World premiere May 19, 2018  as part of the Prague Spring International Festival Concert, in Bohuslav Martinu Hall of Leichtenstein Palace. Performed by Jan Viboril, Principal Horn of the Czech Philharmonic, and the Graff Quartet. North American premiere November 2019 at Symphony Hall Boston.
"Exquisite . . . Achingly beautiful . . . a gift." — The Horn Call. Read the full review:
Previn Quintet Review in The Horn Call
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TMF LiberArte commissions
Jiri Gemrot: "A Lament for Military Secretaries/Rune". Settings of poems by, respectively, Jiri Dedecek and Richard Hoffman. World premiere May 20, 2018 as part of the Prague Spring International Festival, in the Spanish Synagogue. Performed by the Martinu Voices. Read poet Richard Hoffman's extraordinary essay about having his poem set to music in a LiberArte commission and attending the world premiere in Prague

Sivan Eldar: The texts of her choral works are Agi Mishol’s poem “Mother Tongue" and Salman Masalha’s poem “The Song About the Child." World Premiere June 29, 2016 at the Spanish Synagogue in Prague and North American/U.S. Premiere October 5 at Symphony Hall, Boston. Performed by the Boston Children's Chorus.

Elaine Agnew: The text of her choral work is Justin Quinn’s poem, “Regreen.” World Premiere June 29, 2016 at the Spanish Synagogue in Prague. Performed by the Boston Children's Chorus.

Pablo Ortiz: The text of his choral work is Richard Blanco’s poem, “Leaving Limerick in the Rain.” World Premiere October 5, 2016 at Symphony Hall, Boston, following Mr. Blanco's debut reading of the poem. Performed by Coro Allegro.

David Post: The text of his choral work is Ernesto Santana's poem, "The Day of Light." World Premiere June 29, 2016 at the Spanish Synagogue in Prague. Performed by the Boston Children's Chorus.
Lubica Cekovská: Solo piano work for GARRICK OHLSSON premiered in May 2013 at the Prague Spring Festival. Commissioned in partnership with the Prague Spring Festival. Published by Barenreiter Verlag.

Nico Muhly: “You Can’t Get There from Here,” for solo piano, premiered by SIMONE DINNERSTEIN November 12, 2012 at Symphony Hall, Boston. Published by Dunvagen/St. Rose Music. "A brilliant piece." —David Wright, Boston Classical Review
Clint Needham: “Voices” for solo string quartet and chamber orchestra premiered October 2012 at Joslyn Hall, Omaha, Nebraska, with the Hawthorne String Quartet and Omaha Chamber Ochestra conducted by Thomas Wilkins. Sponsored by TMF and the Institute for Holocaust Studies, Omaha. Published by Theodore Presser.
Vit Zouhar: "Days," for harpsichord, flute, and string trio, premiered May 15 at the 2012 Prague Spring Festival with Mark Kroll, harpsichord; Jan Ostry, flute; Marina Baková, violin; Mark Ludwig, viola; Petr Nouzovsky, cello. Commissioned in partnership with the Prague Spring Festival. 

Pablo Ortíz: "Perpetuo Moto," for harpsichord, violin, and cello. Premiered May 15 at the 2012 Prague Spring Festival with Mark Kroll, harpsichord; Marina Baková, violin; Petr Nouzovsky, cello. (View video at left.) Commissioned in partnership with the Prague Spring Festival. Mr. Ortiz has also composed a song cycle for DAWN UPSHAW, set to poetry of US Poet Laureate Louise Glück. 

Andre Previn: Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet, premiered at Symphony Hall, Boston in 2011 with clarinetist Thomas Martin and the Hawthorne String Quartet. Tanglewood premiere August 2012. Published by G. Schirmer. [Listen] Available on CD.

Miroslav Srnka: “Escape Routines” for harp, clarinet, and string trio, commissioned in partnership with the Prague Spring Festival. World premiere at Symphony Hall, Boston, with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra September 26, 2010. Tanglewood Festival performance August 26, 2011. 

Stephen Feigenbaum: incidental music for “The Last Cyclist” premiered in New York in 2012. His “Songs of Sorrow and Hope” for chorus and piano, a Krasa-Schaechter Commission, premiered 2009 in Lobkowitz Palace, Prague; American premiere in Symphony Hall, Boston 2009; a 2009 prize-winner in the Vancouver Chamber Choir’s Biennial Young Composer’s Competition.

Pavel Zemec: String quartet premiered at the 2009 Prague Spring International Music Festival by the Hawthorne String Quartet.

Anthony Holland: "Meditation on Terezín" for solo viola and orchestra. Premiered in 2009 by violist and TMF Executive Director Mark Ludwig and the Skidmore College orchestra, Mr. Holland conducting.

Dominique Gesseney-Rappo: "L'Aube dérobée" for string quartet. Premiered at Boston College in 2008 by the Hawthorne String Quartet.