Los Angeles - (April 7, 2015) – The Los Angeles Philharmonic welcomes acclaimed composer Andrew Norman as the new Director of the Composer Fellowship Program (CFP). Norman is already actively involved in the application and selection process for the next class of high school-aged Composer Fellows, who will begin the two-year fellowship with the LA Phil in the fall of 2015.

Building on the legacy of CFP Founder Steven Stucky and outgoing/current Program Director James Matheson, Norman will cultivate the talent of young composers through intensive, firsthand experiences, including lessons, reading sessions, lectures, LA Phil concerts and encounters with today’s most notable composers. Additionally, Norman will guide each of the Fellows during the composition process of their new works for orchestra, a process that culminates with each work being premiered in concert by the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

“The LA Phil has been a huge, influential part of my musical life for many years, and it is thrilling for me to join them, this most forward-looking of orchestras, in fostering the next generation of musical creators,” says Andrew Norman. “The Composer Fellowship Program is a unique opportunity for young composers to dive deep into the rich tradition of orchestral composition. We're training bold thinkers, innovators of the future of our art form, and nothing could be more exciting.”

Los Angeles Philharmonic President and CEO Deborah Borda commented, “Andrew Norman has been an integral part of the LA Phil family, with three LA Phil-commissioned works since 2011, and a world premiere of his new work in 2016. As one of the leading composers of his generation, Andrew brings his expertise, singular artistic vision, and leadership to the Composer Fellowship Program, and to each of the four high school-aged Fellows, during an important time in their artistic development.”

The CFP Class of 2013-15 will have their works premiered by the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Thursday, April 23, and Friday, April 24, alongside Dvořák’s New World symphony. Each of the Fellows was assigned to discover their own “new worlds” in unfamiliar neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles, and respond musically with a short work for orchestra. The Fellows have written works inspired by San Marino, Old Pasadena, Skid Row, and Watts.

These concerts are part of the LA Phil’s Symphonies for Schools program, which offers free concerts for selected schools throughout LA County. http://www.laphil.com/education/symphonies-for-schools. These performances are not open to the public.

The LA Phil will premiere a new work by Andrew Norman, February 25 – 28, 2016, as part of the 2015/16 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall. This same work will be performed in New York, Paris, Amsterdam, Luxembourg and London during the LA Phil’s international tour taking place March 2016.

The Composer Fellowship Program is an innovative two-year program that gives passionate young composers the tools and the freedom to shape the future of music. Founded in 2007 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Steven Stucky, the Composer Fellowship Program (CFP) provides private and group composition lessons, seminars presented by LA Phil musicians, and encounters with professionals in the field, propelling Fellows to excellence. Graduates of CFP have gone on to study composition at the University of Southern California, Harvard, Yale, the New England Conservatory, University of California-Los Angeles, and many others. Students experience the creative process from start to finish with the help of accomplished composers. A unique program among American orchestras, CFP also provides these young composers with the remarkable opportunity to hear their works performed in concert by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under the vibrant leadership of Music Director & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, presents an inspiring array of music from all genres – orchestral, chamber and Baroque music, organ and celebrity recitals, new music, jazz, world music and pop – at two of L.A.’s iconic venues, Walt Disney Concert Hall (www.laphil.com) and the Hollywood Bowl (www.hollywoodbowl.com). The LA Phil’s season at Walt Disney Concert Hall extends from September through May, and throughout the summer at the Hollywood Bowl. With the preeminent Los Angeles Philharmonic at the foundation of its offerings, the LA Phil aims to enrich and transform lives through music, with a robust mix of artistic, education and community programs.

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