New Works Program
Under Music Director Ben Simon, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra’s New Works Program has commissioned and premiered 29 compositions for chamber orchestra from a diverse array of primarily Bay Area composers. The orchestra has received awards from the Gerbode Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, the BMI Foundation and many local philanthropic organizations for their commitment to the music of our time. During Ben’s tenure the SFCO has hosted two Composers-in-Residence, Gabriela Lena Frank and Michel Gilbertson, both of whom wrote several works for the orchestra during their three year residencies, most recently Michael Gilbertson’s Denial performed in June 2022 with guest choirs Volti and the East Bay Children’s Choir. In October 2022, Ben will lead the orchestra in a set of performances from our Incredible Shrinking Orchestra Project: a chamber orchestra version of Stravinsky’s groundbreaking Rite of Spring written by five San Francisco Conservatory of Music graduate students under the direction of Gabriela Lena Frank in 2011.
SFCO commissions & premieres
2004-2005
-Harold Meltzer-
commission and world premiere
Full Faith and Credit
Double Concerto for two bassoons and chamber orchestra
-Paul Dresher-
commission and world premiere
companion work:
Copland’s Appalachian Spring,
original 13-instrument version
-Wang Xi-Lin-
North American premiere
“Untitled” for chamber orchestra
San Francisco International Arts Festival
2005-2006
-Richard Aldag-
commission and world premiere
Elegy for cello and chamber orchestra
companion work: Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony No. 1
-Gabriela Ortiz-
Bay Area premiere
Altar de Neon
performed June 06
@ Brava Theater, San Francisco
San Francisco
International Arts Festival
2006-2007
-Kurt Rohde-
commission and world premiere
Viola Concerto
for Madeline Prager and SFCO
companion work:
Stravinsky’s Dumbarton Oaks Concerto
-Valerie Coleman-
commission and world premiere
Concertino for Piano
and Chamber Orchestra
companion work:
Classical Mozart orchestra
-Wayne Wallace-
commission and world premiere
Cuban Variations
for trombone and string quintet
2007-2008
-Yu-Hui Chang-
commission and world premiere
Mountain is Mountain
for Tod Brody and SFCO
-Belinda Reynolds-
commission and world premiere
companion work:
Brahms’ Serenade No. 2 in A Major
2008-2009
-Richard Festinger-
commission and world premiere
Clarinet Concerto
for Dimitri Ashkenazy and SFCO
-Michael Gilbertson-
West Coast premiere
Concertino for Oboe
and String Orchestra (2006)
for Peter Lemberg and SFCO
2009-2010
-Gloria Justen-
commission and world premiere
The Spirit is Alive
for solo violin, solo cello
and string orchestra
for Gloria Justen, Eric Gaenslen
and the SFCO
-Gabriella Lena Frank-
commission and world premiere
SFCO Composer in Residence
Haílli Lírico
a concerto for violin
and chamber orchestra
for Robin Sharp and the SFCO
Wayne Wallace
Amy X Neuburg
Gabriela Lena Frank
Michael Gilbertson
Evan Price
Cindy Cox
2010-2011
-Cindy Cox-
commission and world premiere]
Cañon
companion work:
Stravinsky’s Octet for Wind Instruments
-Donald Sosin-
commission and world premiere
Now or Never
To accompany the 1921 Harold Lloyd film of the same name
- Incredible Shrinking Orchestra Project 1.0-
A re-orchestration of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring for 14 Players
Elizabeth Kimble, Noah Luna, Anthony Porter, Jonathan Russell, Winton Yuichiro White
2011-2012
-Wayne Wallace-
commission and world premiere]
Rancho San Miguel
a jazz concerto for trombone and chamber orchestra
-Incredible Shrinking Orchestra Project 2.0-
A re-orchestration of Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet for 14 Players
Mark Ackerly, Red Bennett, David Gottlieb, Noah Luna
2012-2013
-Harold Meltzer-
commission and world premiere
Sinfonia Concertante
for Scott St. John, Sharon Wei and the SFCO
companion work:
Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante K. 364
-Michael Gilbertson-
commission and world premiere
Concerto for Guitar and String Orchestra
for Ben Pila and SFCO)
-Gabriela Lena Frank-
commission and world premiere
SFCO Composer in Residence
Isicha and the Pistaqo
for narrator and chamber orchestra
2013-2014
-Laurie San Martin-
commission and world premiere
layover/overlay:
Concerto for Two Marimbas
and Chamber Orchestra
for Mayuma Hama and Chris Froh, marimbas
2014-2015
-Amy X Neuburg-
commission and world premiere
Hunger Strike
for voice, electronics,
Squid Inc and the SFCO
2016-2017
-Evan Price-
commission and world premiere
Concerto for Jazz Violin
and Chamber Orchestra
-Peter Josheff-
commission and world premiere
The Dream Mechanic
for the SFCO
Jonathan Bingham
Jessica Hunt
Carlos Simon
Sumi Tonooka
Peter Josheff
Darcy Rindt
2017-2018
-Michael Gilbertson-
SFCO Composer in Residence
commission and world premiere
Graffiti
Commissioned by thhe BMI Foundation and the SFCO
2018-2019
-Michael Gilbertson-
SFCO Composer in Residence
commission and world premiere
The Beautiful and the Good
-Michael Gilbertson-
commission and world premiere
Jigsaw
-Darcy Rindt-
commission and world premiere
Positively Sinful
for string orchestra
2019-2022
-Carlos Simon-
commission and world premiere
Breathe
Commissioned by GLFCAM for the SFCO
-Jessica Hunt-
commission and world premiere
Heat
commissioned by GLFCAM for the SFCO
-Michael Gilbertson-
SFCO Composer in Residence
commission and world premiere
Denial
for Volti, Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir and the SFCO
2022-2023
-Jonathan Bingham-
commission and world premiere
String Quartet
with the NEA and Emerging Black Composers Project
-Sumi Tonooka-
commission and world premiere
For the SFCO
with the NEA and Emerging Black Composers Project