Festival Commissions

One of the Festival’s most distinctive features is its long, celebrated history of bringing new music to life through its championing of living composers—from the most important and influential to the most intriguing up-and-comers.

Since 1980, when the Festival presented its first commissioned work—Pulitzer Prize winner Ned Rorem’s The Santa Fe Songs, scored for baritone, violin, viola, cello, and piano and featuring settings of 12 poems by Santa Fe poet Witter Bynner—the Festival has presented at least one commissioned work almost every year.

By the end of its 51th season in 2024, the Festival will have presented the world, US, or New Mexico premieres of 120 commissioned works.

1980-1989 Commissions

1980

Ned Rorem, The Santa Fe Songs: 12 Poems of Witter Bynner for Baritone, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

1981

John Harbison, Piano Quintet (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

1982

Ned Rorem, Winter Pages (Festival Co- Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

Yehudi Wyner, On This Most Voluptuous Night: Five Songs for Soprano and Chamber Ensemble on texts by William Carlos Williams (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

1983

Leon Kirchner, The Twilight Stood (Festival Co-Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

1984

Ivan Tcherepnin, Explorations (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

1985

Ned Rorem, Scenes from Childhood for Oboe, French Horn, String Quartet, and Piano (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

1986

Stephen Paulus, Letters from Colette for Soprano, String Quartet, Piano, and Percussion (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

1987

Tobias Picker, New Memories (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

1988

Morton Subotnick, And the butterflies begin to sing (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

1989

Bruce Adolphe, Sharéhi (Dancing Stories) (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Edgar Meyer, Quartet (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Ned Rorem (1923 – 2022)

Mark O’Connor, Edgar Meyer, and Dave Taylor in Santa Fe's Alto Park in 1987

Tobias Picker (b. 1954)

1990-1999 Commissions

1990

Edgar Meyer, Quintet (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

Mark O’Connor, Quartet for Violin, Viola, Cello, and Double Bass (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Ned Rorem, The Auden Poems (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet (Festival Co- Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

1991

John Harbison, Between Two Worlds (Festival Co-Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

Vassily Lobanov, Quintet for Piano and Strings (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

1992

Jacob Druckman, Come Round (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

1993

Charles Wuorinen, A Winter’s Tale (Festival Co-Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

1994

Richard Danielpour, Sonnets to Orpheus, Book II for Baritone and Chamber Ensemble (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

1995

Tomiko Kohjiba, The Transmigration of the Soul (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

1996

Lee Hoiby, Rain Forest (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

1997

Feliu Gasull, Contra-xions (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Bright Sheng, The Silver River (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

1999

Mario Lavista, String Quartet No. 6 (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Mark O’Connor, Edgar Meyer, and Dave Taylor in Santa Fe's Alto Park in 1987

Mark O’Connor, Edgar Meyer, and Dave Taylor in
Santa Fe’s Alto Park in 1987

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939)

2000-2009 Commissions

2000

Augusta Read Thomas, Invocations (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2001

Peter Lieberson, Rilke Songs (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Marc Neikrug, Petrus (Festival Co-Commission; US Premiere)

Per Nørgård, Into the Source: Quartet No. 9 for Two Violins, Viola, and Cello (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2002

Annie Gosfield, Lightheaded and Heavyhearted (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Dave Grusin, Three Latin American Dances for Violin, Cello, and Piano (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

John Harbison, Quartet No. 4 for Two Violins, Viola, and Cello (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

2003

Morton Subotnick, Release for Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano, and Computer- Generated and -Controlled Surround Sound (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

Charles Wuorinen, Fenton Songs II (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2004

Chick Corea, String Quartet No. 1, The Adventures of Hippocrates (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

Marc Neikrug, Piano Quintet (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

2005

Mark O’Connor, String Quartet No. 2, Bluegrass (Festival Co- Commission; World Premiere)

Lalo Schifrin, Letters from Argentina (Festival Co-Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

2006

Leon Kirchner, String Quartet No. 4 (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

David Lang, Work (Festival Co- Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

Magnus Lindberg, Konzertstück for Cello and Piano (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

Marc Neikrug, Three Wine Pieces (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2007

Marc Neikrug, Ritual for Cello, Piano, and Percussion (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

John Wyre, Quartet: Music for 16 Gongs (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2008

Huang Ruo, Real Loud: Trio for Cello, Percussion, and Piano (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

Kaija Saariaho, Serenatas (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

Roberto Sierra, Concierto de cámara (Festival Co-Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

Joan Tower, A Gift for Piano, Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn (Festival Co-Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

2009

Gunther Schuller, Quintet for Horn and Strings (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

George Tsontakis, Stimulus Package (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

Mark-Anthony Turnage, Grazioso! (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Peter Lieberson (1946 – 2011)

Chick Corea (1941 – 2021)

Joan Tower (b. 1938)

George Tsontakis (b. 1951)

2010-2019 Commissions

2010

Brett Dean, Epitaphs for String Quartet (Festival Co-Commission; US Premiere)

Steven Stucky, Piano Quintet (Festival Co-Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

Chinary Ung, AKASA: Formless Spiral (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

Cynthia Lee Wong, Piano Quartet (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

2011

Marc-André Dalbavie, Piano Quartet (Festival Co-Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

Christopher Rouse, String Quartet No. 3 (Festival Co-Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

Sean Shepherd, Quartet for Oboe and Strings (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

2012

David Del Tredici, String Quartet No. 2 (Festival Co-Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

Helen Grime, Snow and Snow for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Aaron Jay Kernis, Perpetual Chaconne (Festival Co-Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

Magnus Lindberg, Acequia Madre (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2013

Thierry Lancino, Falling Angels for String Quartet (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Reena Esmail, String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

David Hertzberg, Méditation boréale for String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Elizabeth Ogonek, String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2014

Julian Anderson, String Quartet No. 2, 300 Weihnachtslieder (300 Christmas Songs) (Festival Co-Commission; US Premiere)

Brett Dean, String Quartet No. 2, And Once I Played Ophelia (Festival Co-Commission; US Premiere)

Lowell Liebermann, Four Seasons, Op. 123 (Festival Co-Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

Ryan Chase, Songs the Monsters Sang for String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Tonia Ko, String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2015

Alexander Goehr, Seven Impromptus for Two Pianos, Op. 96 (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Sean Shepherd, String Quartet No. 2 (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Katherine Balch, With Each Breathing for String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Max Grafe, The Palace of the Windowed Rocks (Tanguy Responses I) (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2016

Gideon Lewensohn, Movements and Gestures for Clarinet and String Quartet (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Elizabeth Ogonek, Lightenings: A Set of Variations for Four Players (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Poul Ruders, Occam’s Razor (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Loren Loiacono, Waxing Cerulean for String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Christopher Stark, Spring Music (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2017

Julian Anderson, Sensation for Solo Piano (Festival Co-Commission; US Premiere)

William Bolcom, Sextet (Festival Co- Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

Brett Dean, Rooms of Elsinore (Festival Co-Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

Phil Taylor, of embers and aspen leaves for String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Freya Waley-Cohen, Snap Dragon for String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2018

Alexander Goehr, after “The Waking,” Op. 101 (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

Max Grafe, Quintet for Clarinet, Strings, and Piano (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Magnus Lindberg, Maguey de Tlalcoyote (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Binna Kim, Stacked Emotions for String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Michael Seltenreich, Stalactite and Stalagmite for String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2019

Michael Gandolfi, String Quartet: Dissembling the Essential (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

John Harbison, IF, Monodrama for Soprano and Ensemble (Festival Co- Commission; New Mexico Premiere)

Matthew Ricketts, Ember for String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Alex Stephenson, Bloom for String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Cynthia Lee Wong (b. 1982)

David Del Tredici (1937 – 2023)

Elizabeth Ogonek (b. 1989)

Sean Shepherd (b. 1979)

Katherine Balch (b. 1991)

William Bolcom (b. 1938)

John Harbison (b. 1938)

Commissions 2020 – 2025

2021

Brett Dean, Imaginary Ballet—Dances and Interludes for Piano and String Trio (Festival Co-Commission; US Premiere)

Helen Grime, String Quartet No. 2 (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

Michael Seltenreich, Sextet for Piano and Winds (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Sean Shepherd, Old Instruments for Flute and Percussion (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Augusta Read Thomas, Filigree of the Sun for String Quartet (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Huw Watkins, Seven Inventions for Marimba and Piano (Festival Co-Commission; US Premiere)

Jack Hughes, Jubilate PM for String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Lara Poe, Dialetheia for String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2022

Detlev Glanert, String Quartet No. 3 (Festival Co-Commission; World Premiere)

Shulamit Ran, All Roads Leading for Flute, Viola, and Harp (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

 

Marco-Adrián Ramos, Woven clay for the death of Mario Lavista or Quartet II (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Benjamin Scheer, The Funambulist’s Double for String Quartet (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2023

Charlotte Bray, Ungrievable Lives (Festival Co-Commission; US Premiere)

Ryan Chase, Piano Quintet (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Magnus Lindberg, Quintet for Piano and Winds (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Christopher Stark, Other Pines for Piano Trio (Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Ryan Lindveit, Small Things (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

Angela Elizabeth Slater, Where skies aflame (Young Composers String Quartet Project; Festival Commission; World Premiere)

2024

Outi Tarkiainen, Sensory Flashbacks for Clarinet, Piano, and String Trio

Xinyang Wang, 清梦压星河 / Plodding into A Starlit Dream for Flute, Harp, Percussion Violin, Cello, and Piano

Jesse Reuben Jennings, Eyes Full of Absence (Young Composers String Quartet Project, Festival Commission, World Premiere)

David Clay Mettens, Lightscapes: Incandescent | Bedimmed (Young Composers String Quartet Project, Festival Commission, World Premiere)

2025

Julian Anderson, String Quartet No. 4 (Co-Commission, US Premiere)

 Sean Shepherd, Latticework for Violin and Cello (Co-Commission, New Mexico Premiere)

 Freya Waley-Cohen,  Stone Fruit for Percussion Quartet (Co-Commission, US Premiere)

 Tyson Gholston Davis, New Work for String Quartet ((Young Composers String Quartet Project, Festival Commission, World Premiere)

 Ania Vu, New Work for String Quartet ((Young Composers String Quartet Project, Festival Commission, World Premiere)

Helen Grime (b. 1981)

Detlev Glanert (b. 1960)

Charlotte Bray (b. 1982)

Outi Tarkiainen (b. 1985)