ChamberQUEER is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Luna Composition Lab!
Founded in 2016 by composers Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid, Luna Composition Lab provides mentorship, education, and resources for young female, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming composers ages 13-18. Luna Composition Lab is the only initiative of its kind in the United States. It has achieved national recognition as a program that not only celebrates underrepresented voices but also shapes music’s future by providing a support system for continued success.
As part of our collaboration, we collectively invited alumni of the Luna Lab fellowship to submit pieces to be considered for performance and new commissions. After a competitive application process, Luna Lab and ChamberQUEER have commissioned Lili M. Namazi (2022–23 Luna Lab alum) and Sage Shurman (2019–20) to write new works for ChamberQUEER to be premiered in New York City in Fall 2024. The evening-length performance of works by Luna Lab alumni will also feature an arrangement by Devon Lee (2020–21), commissioned by Luna Lab and CQ, alongside works by Lucy Chen (2022–23), Alicia Erlandson (2021–22), Jane Meenaghan (2018–19), and Caleb Palka (2017–18). Lili, Sage, and Devon’s new works will be presented in an open workshop at ChamberQUEER 2024: Constellation, our annual festival during Pride month, taking place at MITU580 in Brooklyn from June 11-16, 2024.
In addition to the commissioning project, ChamberQUEER artists will offer three virtual master classes for the Luna Lab community each year. This will expand the Luna Lab series from three to six sessions annually.
Our first class for the Luna Lab community will feature Brooklyn-based performing artist Aviva Jaye on Thursday, May 2 from 7:30–9:00 PM EST. Aviva will speak about her background, career in the arts, and perform short excerpts written by our 2023–24 fellows for folk/lever harp and voice. She will also offer insights for young composers in an engaging Q&A.
This partnership is made possible through the generous support of the New York Community Trust.