irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $32KThe Cheswatyr Commissions was created and produced by Composers Now with underwriting for the Cheswatyr Foundation. The award commemorates Cece Wasserman and foregrounds her legacy of empowering living composers. In FY24 the 2023 commission awardee Alyssa Regent presented her world premier "The Island Before Open Waters" at the Forum Columbia University in October 2023. Bora Yoon served as her mentor. Composers Now awarded Spanish composer Milena Casado with the commission. She will present her world premier in November 2024 at the Forum at Columbia University.
- #2 $75KDialogues is an innovative initiative hosted by the orgs Founder & Artistic Director Tania Leon. Each Dialogue opens with inspiring performances followed by thought-provoking town-hall style conversations culminating in meaningful exchanges among composers performers and audiences. The composers highlight the rich cultural diversity of NYC. In FY24 CN brought Dialogues to audiences in Queens The Bronx and Brooklyn. Dialogues No. 12 showcased composers Wang Lu Fernando Otero and Laurie Spiegel. Bargemusic in Brooklyn hosted this Dialogue. Dialogues No. 13 featured Victoria Cheah Susie Ibarra and Kamala Sankaram. CN partnered with Bronx Arts Ensemble and the Van Cortlandt Part Alliance. With the support of a grant from the Mellon Foundation CN took Dialogues on the road - Dialogues 14 was hosted at the Miami Light Project in Miami Florida. This Dialogue was co-hosted by Orlando Garcia and featured Yissy Garcia Juraj Kojs and Milly Turner. Dialogue No 15 was held in Chicago IL at PianoForte. The co-host was Coco Elysees and the featured composers were Edward Wilkerson Jr. Sophie McMillian-Myers and Kari Watson. Dialogues No. 16 held in Sept 2024 was held at LaGuardia Community College featuring Daniel Blake Lisa DeSpain and Anais Maviel.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Composers Now Festival
Annual festival showcasing living composers through concerts and events in multiple cities including New York, Miami, Twin Cities, and Los Angeles
Dialogues
Series of events featuring performances and town-hall style conversations hosted by Artistic Director Tania León, presented in NYC boroughs and on tour in cities like Miami and Chicago
First Commissions
Program that awards young composers with mentorship and premiere opportunities at the Composers Now Festival, in collaboration with Luna Lab
Second Stage
9-month commissioning opportunity for emerging composers, including mentorship, world premiere performances, and professional development sessions
The Cheswatyr Commissions
Commissioning program that awards living composers to create new works, with world premieres presented at venues like the Forum at Columbia University
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Commissioning New Musical Works 2 activities
- Commissions new works from living composersCommissions original musical works from emerging and established composers through initiatives such as the Cheswatyr Commissions and the Second Stage Commission program. Recent commissions include works by Akua Dixon, Ellen Reid, Alyssa Regent, and Milena Casado, with premieres held at venues including Columbia University and the Composers Now Festival.
- Provides commissioning and mentorship programs for young composersOffers structured programs that combine commissions with mentorship for emerging composers, including the Second Stage program and the First Commission initiative. These programs provide emerging composers with professional development, mentorship from established artists, and world premiere performances of their works in New York City.
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Classical and Chamber Music Performances 2 activities
- Hosts the Dialogues performance-and-conversation seriesProduces the ongoing "Dialogues" series, featuring live performances followed by town hall–style discussions between composers, performers, and audiences. The series has been held at venues including the Queens Botanical Garden, National Opera Center, and Columbia University, and has expanded to multiple boroughs and cities including Miami and Chicago.
- Organizes performances of contemporary music across diverse venuesProduces and presents live performances of new and contemporary music in a variety of settings including concert halls, opera stages, museums, and experimental spaces across New York City and beyond. Events include multi-city festivals, site-specific concerts, and collaborations with local arts organizations.
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Music Education and Training Programs 1 activity
- Hosts educational and community engagement eventsOffers virtual masterclasses, hands-on music classes for youth, and lecture-recitals featuring contemporary composers. Events include a virtual masterclass with Camila Barrientos Ossio, a creative drumming class for young musicians, and guest lectures on music by Black composers.
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Digital Music and Performance Archiving 1 activity
- Produces and streams performance series onlineProduces and streams performance content through its YouTube channel, including the "IMPACT" series featuring works by Stefania de Kenessey and Sol León, and other multimedia performances such as "Seth & Gene’s Excellent Electroacoustic Adventure."
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financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$145K
Contributions & grants$149K103%
Program service revenue$4K3%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$-8K
expenses
Total expenses$274K
Program expenses81%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising10%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$125K
Cash$102K
Investments$0
Liabilities$31K
Net assets$94K
Liquid reserves4.5 mo
3 years on record · 2021–2023 · YoY revenue -59.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tania J Leon | Board Chair Artistic Director | 25 | $34K |
board members · 5
- David Del Tredici — Board Member
- Henry Threadgill — Board Member
- Ingrid Aybar — Board Secretary
- Lisa S Otterly — Board Member
- Michael Minard — Board Member
relationships · 52
Who they work with
- 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY) Partner — Copresents a performance by the Owls with special guest Claire Chase during the festival.
- Alkemie Partner — Co-presented A Worthy Mirror with guest artist Amanda Gookin during the 2024 Composers Now Festival.
- American Mavericks Project (AMP) Partner — Presents a lecture-recital featuring piano works by contemporary Black composers at Newark School of the Arts as part of the festival.
- Americas Society/ Council of the Americas Partner — Co-presented Alyssa Regent: "Mors osculi" Premiere during the 2024 Composers Now Festival.
- Andrés Jiménez Partner — Featured composer and performer in the Dialogues event series
- Arts for Art Partner — Co-presented TRIO: BREW during the 2024 Composers Now Festival.
- Belongó Partner — Partners to present performances by the Arturo O’Farrill Trio and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble at multiple venues.
- Bloomingdale School of Music Partner — Co-presented Love Notes - Voice Faculty Song Recital during the 2024 Composers Now Festival.
- Bronx Arts Ensemble Partner — Partnered with Composers Now to host Dialogues No. 13 in the Bronx.
- Cathy Hung Partner — Executive Director responsible for coordinating accommodations for events.
- Cheswatyr Foundation Funder — Provided underwriting for the Cheswatyr Commissions initiative.
- Cheswatyr Foundation Funder — Underwriter of the Cheswatyr Commissions initiative.
- Columbia University Partner — Hosted a performance at The Forum @ Columbia University on October 2, 2023.
- Composers Concordance Partner — Co-presented multiple events including Violins & Poems 'War', Low Key' #31 Chamber Concert Series, The Orders & In4mation, Memory Palace Ensemble, Tango Prism, Sound Liberation Trio, and Nublu performances during the 2024 Composers Now Festival.
- Composers Concordance Partner — Collaborates on festival programming, presenting concerts including Pizza Pizzicato and Octogenarians.
- Composers Concordance Partner — Collaborates to present chamber and electronic music events during the festival.
- Da Capo Chamber Players Partner — Co-presented Joan Tower at 85! during the 2024 Composers Now Festival.
- Death of Classical Partner — Co-presented "of Love." with Curtis Stewart during the 2024 Composers Now Festival.
- ETHEL Partner — Co-presented ETHEL & Friends Series at The Met during the 2024 Composers Now Festival.
- Fund for the City of New York Partner — Project partner since 2013, providing administrative support and resources.
- Gather NYC Partner — Co-presented Joe Lovano + The Overlook: Douglas Cuomo's "Seven Limbs" during the 2024 Composers Now Festival.
- Harlem School of the Arts Partner — Co-presents the Annual Black History Month Celebration with COMPOSERS NOW INC.
- In Transit: Changing NY & Miolina Partner — Co-presented Composers Interviewing Composers: Mosaic Composers Collective during the 2024 Composers Now Festival.
- JACK Quartet Partner — Co-presented Austin Wulliman: The News From Utopia during the 2024 Composers Now Festival.
- Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning Partner — Co-presented Bakithi Kumalo during the 2024 Composers Now Festival.
- Keyed Up Music Project Partner — Co-presented Celebrating Aaron Jay Kernis during the 2024 Composers Now Festival.
- Luna Composition Lab Partner — Co-presents a virtual masterclass with Camila Barrientos Ossio as part of the festival.
- Luna Composition Lab Partner — Provides nominations for the Second Stage Commission awardees
- Luna Lab Partner — Collaborates with Composers Now in the selection process for the First Commissions and recommends candidates for the Second Stage program.
- Masatora Goya Partner — Featured composer and performer in the Dialogues event series
+ 22 more
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Artist-Audience Dialogue Modelmethodology: artist-audience_dialogueBy integrating performances with structured conversations and idea exchanges around annual themes, we deepen engagement and understanding among composers, performers, and audiences, because shared dialogue fosters relational connection and broadens cultural participation.
- Curatorial Rotation & Inclusive Discoverymethodology: rotating_composer_curationBy rotating artistic curation among diverse composers, we surface underrepresented voices and foster innovation, because decentralized curatorial power promotes equity and encourages creative risk-taking across genres and styles.
- Immersive Interdisciplinary Exchangemethodology: immersive_sensory_experienceBy combining hybrid performances, sensory elements, and cross-genre collaboration, we expand the expressive boundaries of contemporary music, because immersive and interdisciplinary formats stimulate creative discovery and deepen audience connection.
- Mentorship-Through-Practice and Commissioningmethodology: mentorship-through-practiceBy pairing emerging composers with established artists and professionals through mentorship and competitive commissioning, we advance artistic and career development, because guided real-world experience deepens creative capacity and industry integration.