Commissioning 

Co-Creating
A New Musical Work

Three Questions

1. Do you have an idea for a new piece of music - one that is uniquely shaped by your vision?

2. How expensive will it be to commission the new work?

3. What is the process for commissioning?

Why Commission?

  • You want to commemorate an event, a milestone or make a lasting tribute to a person.
  • You want a new musical work to perform by you or a musical ensemble with whom you manage or perform.
  • You are a poet, or have a poem that you would love to hear as a composition for voice, or a choral ensemble.
  • You want to expand the repertoire for your instrument or group.

What Might It Cost To Commission A New Musical Work?

There are a great many factors that affect the investment in co-creating a new piece of music. Here are a few:

  • The complexity of the piece - A solo instrument, duet, trio, quartet, or a larger ensemble?
  • The instrumentation - Piano, wind, brass, percussion, string, voice, choir, choral, or some other combination of instruments or singers?
  • Timelines
  • The probability of future performances

What are the Steps for Commissioning?

  1. We meet - virtually or in person for a half hour or a little longer.
  2. We discuss your idea including your goals for a new piece, time frames, and budget.
  3. If we agree to move forward, I will create a simple, written agreement and send it to you to make sure I captured what we discussed accurately.
  4. We will have aome correspondence, and another meeting, if wanted, to fine tune the agreement.
  5. Once the agreement is signed, half of the total commissioning fee will be due before I start to work on the piece, and the other half upon the piece's completion.
  6. We will be in communication throughout the compositional process collaborating to create the best work possible.
    If possible,
  7. I will attend one of the final rehearsals - in person or virutually - to help you or your ensemble to better realize our mutual musical intentions for the new work.

Additional Reading On Commissioning Composers

New Music USA has a good resource, including their industry-standard fee chart. Please bear in mind that this document was created over 15 years ago so the suggested amounts have been affected by inflation. Here is their commissioning document:  Commissioning