How to Apply

1. Read the program guidelines for instructions about the materials you must send with your proposal. Please note that 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.Your materials will be returned only if a pre-addressed envelope of sufficient size and with sufficient postage is included with your proposal.

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.

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

Please use the required application form available on this web site to apply for a commission. 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. Your materials will be returned only if a pre-addressed envelope of sufficient size, and with sufficient postage, is included with your proposal.

IMPORTANT: Please note address for all 2010 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. Submissions must be postmarked no later than March 1, 2010.

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. July 2009

Required Application Form

The application form for the Foundations' Commissioning Program is available online in three different formats:

HTML - This is the web page version of the application form that you can view and print from your browser. The size of this form and how it displays will depend on the settings for your browser.

Word 6/95 Document - This is the same form in Microsoft Word format. You can download this file and it should open as a word-processing document in either the Windows or Macintosh 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"; Macintosh 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.