How to Apply

IMPORTANT! Please note that the Foundation's grant-making procedures have changed significantly. Before applying to the 2012 Commissioning Program, please read these revised program guidelines carefully, especially regarding eligibility and how to apply. Note that all organizations must first submit a letter of intent to apply to the Commissioning Program before being invited to apply.

As noted, a qualified organization interested in submitting an application must first send a letter of intent to apply for a commission along with other materials. This letter must be sent only via e-mail to info@koussevitzky.org by 5:00 p.m. Thursday, March 1, 2012.

In the body of the e-mail, please provide up to three links (URLs) to which the directors may go to hear recent audio samples of works by the composer for whose commission you are intending to apply. Under each URL, please list the works to which you wish the directors to listen. Letters of intent without the required audio samples will not be accepted.

As an attachment to your email, please submit a PDF of your letter of intent, which should not exceed two pages. Such a letter should be typed on the organization's letterhead, signed by the contact person, and should include the following items. Please copy and paste this list into your letter of intent and provide your information next to each item.

The Foundation will respond by Thursday, March 29. If invited to apply, the applicant should mail a full application, including all materials as stated below. All materials must be sent in one package to the Foundation's Washington DC address with a postmark no later than April 30, 2012.

For those organizations that are invited to submit a proposal, please use the following guidelines:

  1. Read the program guidelines for instructions about the materials you must send with your proposal. Please note that late or incomplete proposals are unlikely to be funded.
  2. Complete the required application form.
  3. Submit all application materials in one package to:

    Koussevitzky Music Foundation
    611 Pennsylvania Avenue SE #118
    Washington DC 20003-4303

  4. Please note a new guideline: no materials submitted by applicants will be returned. Please do not send valuable or irreplaceable materials.

The Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundations
Commissioning Procedure

The Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress and The Koussevitzky Music Foundation, Inc. will consider applications from performing organizations from any country for the joint commissioning of composers.

PLEASE NOTE NEW APPLICATION PROCESS FOR 2012:

 Please note that the receipt deadline this year for intent to apply letters via email is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time March 1, 2012.

If your organization is invited to apply for a commission, the postmark deadline for applications is April 30, 2012.

After receiving an invitation to apply, please send all application materials in one package to:

Koussevitzky Music Foundation
611 Pennsylvania Avenue SE #118
Washington, DC 20003-4303.

Please do not send to the New York City office or to the Library of Congress.

This commissioning program is designed primarily for orchestras and chamber groups that have a record of excellence in the performance of contemporary music. Commission fees for works for chamber groups range from $12,500 to $17,500. The Koussevitzky Foundations will fund the entire commission fee in the case of a work for a chamber group. The Foundations will fund up to $20,000 for a symphonic work, of which the submitting performing organization must provide at least 50% of the amount funded by the Foundations as a minimum matching grant. The performing organization may raise the matching funds from any source available, provided that the dedication to the foundations, which is required to be printed on the score of each commissioned work, is placed in first position of all dedications or acknowledgments appearing on that score. The commissioned works will be performed by the sponsoring organizations and the manuscripts, or original computer generated scores in hard copy, will be deposited with the Library of Congress as part of the Music Division's permanent collection. We recommend that a copyright notice be placed on the submitted item.

A performing organization may propose only one composer for a joint commission each year. PLEASE NOTE: Beginning with the 2010 round, the Foundations will accept applications only for composers who have received no more than one prior Koussevitzky Commission, provided that the prior commission was not awarded within the past ten rounds of the program. Please see the bottom of the Grants page of this web site for a list of commissions awarded during the last ten rounds. (Note that there was no Commissioning Program during 2009.)

United States citizenship is not required for consideration, nor is the sponsoring performing organization required to be based in the United States.

After receiving an invitation to apply for a commission, please use the required application form available on this web site. Additionally, all applications must include the following:

  1. The name, mailing address, phone number, e-mail and biographical information of the composer, as well as his or her written consent to undertake and complete the composition if a commission is awarded.

  2. The proposed instrumentation of the planned work and its anticipated duration.

  3. Scores and recordings of up to three representative recent works of the composer, indicating the year of composition of each work. Recordings should be in the form of CDs or DVDs. Be sure to omit any preliminary non-musical materials that are part of the recording. Works on the recordings must be correctly identified. Please indicate on the CD or DVD the index numbers and titles of the tracks, and specify which track(s) are to be reviewed. In addition, include a separate cue sheet with CD or DVD name or number, the index numbers and titles of the tracks and specify which track(s) are to be reviewed. If the performing organization wishes the Foundations to begin listening to a work at a point other than the beginning of a work, please indicate the track number and starting time for a CD or DVD on both the recording and the cue sheet. At least two of the three works submitted should have been composed within the ten years prior to the application date.

    The Foundations recognize that a suitable recording may not be available for each work that an applicant may wish the Foundations to review. However, any application that does not include a recording of at least two of the works submitted will be deemed incomplete and will not be considered.

  4. Copies of the performing organization's publicity material; its programs for the past two seasons, listing works performed; and a copy of its most recent IRS Form 990 financial report (for U.S. not-for-profit entities) or best available financial statement, audited if available (for performing ensembles that are not U.S. not-for-profit entities).

  5. A firm commitment from the performing organization to present the premiere performance of the commissioned work in the organization's regular concert series within two years after receiving the completed score.

Incomplete applications are unlikely to be funded.

Since the Koussevitzky Foundations cannot assume responsibility for the loss of, or damage to, material submitted for consideration, only duplicate copies of all material should be forwarded. Please note the Foundations’ new policy that no materials submitted will be returned.

IMPORTANT: Please note address for all 2012 applications: All submissions should be mailed to The Koussevitzky Music Foundation, 611 Pennsylvania Avenue SE #118, Washington, DC 20003-4303. Please do not send materials to the Foundation's New York City office or to the Library of Congress. Unfortunately, application materials sent to the Library of Congress cannot be returned. For ensembles that are invited to apply for a commission, submissions must be postmarked no later than April 30, 2012.

For questions about the application process, please telephone the Music Division of the Library of Congress at 202-707-5503 or send a fax to 202-707-0621.

All other inquiries and correspondence should be directed to:
Foundation Administrator
Koussevitzky Music Foundation
254 West 31st Street, 15th Floor
New York NY 10001

Fax 212-810-4567
E-mail: info@koussevitzky.org

Rev. Jan 2012

Required Application Form

The application form for the Foundations' Commissioning Program is available online in Word and PDF format:

PLEASE NOTE ADDRESS FOR 2012 APPLICATION MATERIALS:

After receiving an invitation to apply for a commission, please send all application materials in one package to the

Koussevitzky Music Foundation
611 Pennsylvania Avenue SE #118
Washington, DC 20003-4303

Also, please do not send to the New York City office or to the Library of Congress.

Please note that the receipt deadline this year for intent to apply letters via email is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time March 1, 2012.

If your organization is invited to apply for a commission, the postmark deadline for applications is April 30, 2012.

Word - You can download this file and it should open as a word-processing document in either the Windows or Mac versions of Microsoft Word. This will allow you to complete the form in your word processor.

Portable Document Format - You can download the application to your computer as a PDF file where it can then be viewed and printed using Adobe's free Acrobat Reader.

Note: If you have trouble downloading the Word or PDF files, Windows users try clicking on the link with the right mouse button and selecting "Download to disk"; Mac users try clicking on the link while holding down the "Control" key and selecting "Download to disk".

If you need Acrobat Reader, download it here.