The American Composers Orchestra has launched its 2025/26 season, marking the organization’s 49th year. One of the signature programs is the EarShot Readings, a series that collaborates with orchestras and composers across North America, including the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa.
The organization supports innovation in the sphere of orchestral music, and the works of living composers.
EarShot Readings
EarShot Readings is described as a professional development process for composers who have completed orchestral scores. Composers who have been accepted into the series are given the rare opportunity to workshop their music with a professional orchestra.
The benefits of the program to emerging composers is invaluable. Along with rehearsals, composers can,
- Create relationships with and get feedback from experienced mentor composers, conductors, and performers;
- They receive an archival audio recording of their piece;
- Prior to the actual readings, they can participate in workshops on score preparation, copyright, and other relevant issues;
- Receive training in public speaking skills.
More than 360 composers have participated in the program over the last 35 years, including Julia Adolphe, Carlos Simon, Courtney Bryan, Jennifer Higdon, and others, and more than half have reported receiving a commission or performance of their work as a result of their participation.
EarShot Ottawa
The program comes to Ottawa November 17 and 18, 2025. Henry Kennedy will conduct the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
Mentor Composers for the Ottawa sessions include Ana Sokolovic, Ian Cusson, and Kelly-Marie Murphy.
Featured Artists and Works
Luis Ramirez, Chido
Mexican-Canadian composer Luis Ramirez was born and grew up in Aguascalientes, Mexico. He earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in piano performance from Brandon University, and a Master’s in composition from Brandon as well. He subsequently earned a PhD in composition at Toronto’s York University, and today serves as an Assistant Professor of Music Theory at Brandon.
His music blends elements of Mexican folklore into his intricately textures compositions, creating a unique voice. His work has been performed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Luis served as a NextGen Composer with the TSO, and as a Composer Fellow with The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.
His piece Chido comes from Mexican slang, a term that describes something cool, epic or bussin’, and was part of his Master’s thesis.
Brian Awad, Claveles de Pasión
Brian Awad was born in Miami to Venezuelan parent. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in composition from the New World School of the Arts/University in Florida, and a Master’s degree from the Frost School of Music. He is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Miami and Florida International University.
His compositions have been performed at the Chicago Electroacoustic Music Festival, Frost Emerging Composers Concert, Art Music Society Chamber Series, 15-Minutes Of Fame, and the Alba Music Festival.
His piece Claveles de Pasión is a 12-minute work for chamber orchestra. The title refers to a line from the song Alma Llanera, a piece often dubbed the second national anthem of Venezuela.
Inga Chinilina, Pagan Peal
Inga Chinilina is a composer, improviser, and pianist based in Providence, Rhode Island. Her music has been performed by prominent ensembles such as ICE, Dal Niente,Yarn/Wire, and Talea, and presented at festivals such as MATA (NYC), the Composers Conference, ClarinetFest (Dublin), Zeitströme Tage für aktuelle Musik (Darmstadt), the Darmstädter Ferienkurse, and Mise-En (NYC).
Her work Pagan Peal blends elements of pagan tradition with the Eastern European bell-ringing practice.
Kathryn Knowles, A Strange and Preposterous Affair
Composer Kathryn Knowles is based in Toronto. She served as a Composer Fellow with The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra for 2023/24, where her work A Strange and Preposterous Affair was premiered in October 2023. She also participated in the Explore The Score Reading Session with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 2019.
Her music has been performed by SlowRise Music VC2 Cello Duo, Joseph Petric, and Martin Carpentier, among other artists. Kathryn is currently working with Morgan-Paige Melbourne on writing a musical titled Between Fires.
Along with her work in the classical field, she has worked with JUNO-nominated artist Lindsay Schoolcraft and OKAN. She is Music Director of Music4Life String Orchestra and the Development and Community Outreach Officer with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.
The event (not open to the public) takes place at the National Arts Centre.
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