Alumni Support Network
Expand your network. Find your community.
We are thrilled to partner with other local organizations to offer continuing opportunities to Wildflower alumni through our Alumni Support Network. We strive to develop opportunities that are thoughtfully designed and catalytic in their impact. All Wildflower program participants are eligible for any and all opportunities listed below.
Do you run an ensemble or presenting organization?
Are you interested in working with our alumni?
Opportunities for Wildflower Alums
University Choir at Penn State University Commission
The winner will receive $500 to compose a new piece for the University Choir at Penn State University, which will be premiered in fall 2023. The piece should be for SATB choir (+ optional piano or other instrument/s) and should be approximately 3–8 minutes in duration. There are no restrictions on text (sacred or secular) or language. The winning composer will also receive several virtual composition lessons with Wildflower faculty and consultation sessions with University Choir director Meghan Nardella Konkle.
2026
Winner: TBA
Runner Up: TBA
2024
Winner: Jill Wilson “Hold On”
Runner Up: Hannah Cai Sobel
2023
Winner:Gabriella Carrido “Come to Me”
Runner Up: Veda Hingert-McDonald
Rowan University Wind Ensemble Commission
The Rowan University Wind Ensemble will commission three Wildflower alums to compose new works for wind band. Each winner will receive $1,000, lessons from Wildflower faculty, and the recorded premiere of their new work on the 26/27 Rowan University Wind Ensemble season. Winners to be announced. This commission is possible due to support from Rowan University and the Steven R. Gerber Trust.
2026
Winners: TBA
Women’s Sacred Music Project Commission
The Women’s Sacred Music Project (WSMP) offers an annual commission and $500 prize to a Wildflower alum from any year. The commission is open to those who plan to or who are currently studying music at the collegiate level. Any alum fitting this description is invited to apply regardless of compositional experience or location. The winning composer will write a new work for SSAA or SATB choir (with or without piano accompaniment) to be premiered by the WSMP choir during their annual season. The winner will also receive virtual composition lessons with Wildflower faculty.
2025
Winner: Ksenia Stetsenko - “The Star Song” for SATB
Runner Up: Bridget Bourne
2024
Winner: Gabriella Cariddo “Pierced by the Light” for SATB + organ
Runners Up: Lux Onigman, Chloe Smith
2023
Winner: Hope Salmonson, “Ubi caritas” for SATB
Runner Up: Hannah Cai Sobel
2021
Winner: Audrey Wu, “The Earth Melts” for SATB + piano
Runners Up: Grace Coberly, Madeline Grass Doss
2019
Winner: Sarah Kitten, “I Cannot Dance, O Love” for SATB
Rutgers University Rainbow Symphony performance
Rainbow Symphony at Rutgers University will select 1–2 works by Wildflower alums to perform on their regular concert series. Rainbow Symphony is a non-auditioned pride band at Rutgers University that acts as a safe community in which performers celebrate and explore their identities and highlight art created by those from the LGBTQ+ or other underrepresented communities. They are a fully student run organization and are proud to work with Dr. Julia Baumanis and Dr. Todd Nichols as faculty advisors here at Mason Gross School of the Arts. Their concert band performs two concerts per year primarily featuring music by queer composers, or composers from other underrepresented communities. The Rainbow Symphony accepts Rutgers students of any major as well as members from our surrounding communities.
2026
Winners: TBA
UUCWC Crossing Chorale Commission
The Crossing Chorale is a volunteer choir of the Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing. The Chorale offers up a commission and $500 prize to a Wildflower alum from any year. The winning composer receives Zoom composition lessons from Wildflower Executive Director, Erin Busch, as well as a recorded and live-streamed premiere performance during a Sunday morning service.
2025
Winner: Anika-France Forget - Farewell, says the fox
2024
Winner: Addison Hill “roots to rails to pomegranate tales”
Runner Up: Clare Howard
2023
Winner: Madeline Cheng “Love Loved Love”
2022
Winner: Lux Ezra Onigman, “A Welcome Thought” for SATB
Network for New Music Performance
Network for New Music (NNM) will program one to two works by a Wildflower Composers alum on their annual season. Selected work/s will be performed by members of the Network for New Music Ensemble, a flexible, 20-member group whose players also perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Ballet, and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Works will be selected by Erin Busch (Executive Director, Wildflower Composers) and Thomas Schuttenhelm (Artistic Director, Network for New Music). The Network concert will be professionally recorded and live-streamed.
2024
Cece Olszewski - contribution to Exquisite Corpse project in honor of Network’s 40th year
2023
Nat Penn “Nocturne”
2022
Danity Pike “Cassandra”
American Mavericks Project Performance
The American Mavericks Project (AMP) celebrates seldom-heard, recently discovered and contemporary piano music by Black American composers 1900-present, with emphasis on 21st century composers, through performances, commissions, education and research. AMP regularly commissions composers for curated projects, offers young composers under 25 paid commissioning and performance opportunities through the Next Generation Initiative and Next Generation Prize, runs a bi-annual Call for Scores, and presents the AMP Concert Series, which spotlights music by multigenerational Black composers, performed by renowned guest artists. AMP proudly partners with mission-aligned organizations including Luna Composition Lab, Wildflower Composers, Bloomingdale School of Music’s A4TY program, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and Newark School of the Arts.
2025
Mena Williams' "Modern Prelude and Minuet"
KiMani Bridges' "Pith"
Chloe Clarke Smith “The Forest”
Musicopia String Orchestra Performance
Founded by Musicopia in 2005, the Musicopia String Orchestras program is based on the philosophy that participating in serious, long-term musical endeavors can have a transformative impact on students, encouraging discipline, teamwork, and personal and creative development. The Musicopia String Orchestra is a tuition-free program, and it serves students throughout the greater Philadelphia region. Wildflower alums are invited to submit works for string orchestra for consideration for inclusion in MSO’s performance season.
2025
Nat Penn “Hoist Your Sails”
EXTENSITY Commission (discontinued)
EXTENSITY was a musician-founded series based in New York that presents innovative programming by emerging and established artists working across a range of disciplines, with an emphasis on underrepresented and new voices. The winner of their commission contest received a $500 award to compose a piece for EXTENSITY’s 2023 EXT Pop-Ups Series spotlighting talented, emerging composers and a premiere in Brooklyn, NY. The winner also received a high-quality video and audio recording of the concert.
In addition, EXTENSITY offered one to two performances of previously-composed works by Wildflower alums on a series concert. This opportunity included a $200 prize for each winning composer, in addition to a high-quality recording of the performance.
2023 - Commission Winner
Hannah Chen
2022 - Performance Winners
Grace Coberly "Prima Respira" for piano
Hannah Sobel "A Nocturne" for piano
Relâche Ensemble Commission Competition (discontinued)
2019
Winner: Emily Ta
Resources
There are many other organizations that are doing important work for young artists. The resources, opportunities, and communities below may be helpful in exploring the various subsets of the contemporary music community. If you know of other organizations whose work aligns with those listed below, please reach out via our Contact page to let us know.
Festivals / Programs
Fortissima at Colburn
Luna Composition Lab
Boulanger Initiative - Mentorship Program
Funding / Opportunities
New Music USA
American Composers Forum
Composer’s Site
Send us an email via our Contact Page to let us know about other opportunities or resources not listed above.
Header photo: Wildflower alum Hannah Cai Sobel at the Wildflower Composers 5 Year Anniversary Concert in October, 2022. Photo by Rec.Today.