Commissioning New Work

You don’t have to be a modern-day Catherine the Great . . . or a Prince Esterházy to commission new artistic work!

Throughout my career, I have enjoyed the support of individuals, arts organizations, small businesses, educational institutions, corporations, governmental agencies, and foundations. Commissions have included musical works for virtually every medium, music for dance, and numerous other special projects. These artistic endeavors have enabled me to build an international career that continues to be energizing and gratifying.

There are many reasons to commission new work. Some people want to add repertoire for specific instruments or performers. Others want to celebrate a birth, personalize a wedding, mark an anniversary, give a unique gift, honor a friend, or memorialize the passing of a loved one. Still others want to assist arts organizations they regularly support by funding an exciting new initiative.

Projects have ranged from hymn tunes to symphonies . . . solo piano pieces to large-scale chamber music works . . . art song to opera. A number of the commissioned works have involved my poems or the poetry of others. Each piece has its own story. Each piece has allowed me to make an artistic statement.

If you would like to commission a new work, please contact me via email at larryalansmith@gmail.com.

The cost of commissioning a work depends on the duration of the piece and the size of the forces involved. No two commissions are alike. Every situation is unique, and I prefer to be extremely flexible when setting the terms for a commission.

In addition to composing new works, sufficient funding will allow me to use my network of artists and my company, Berg Associate, Inc., to facilitate public or private performances, make and issue audio and/or video recordings, publish scores and parts, and promote/market commissioning projects. My lifetime of experience as an artist and arts entrepreneur makes it possible for me to streamline the process.

It should be noted that some projects may also benefit from affiliations with not-for-profit arts and educational entities. Carefully structured, these relationships can sometimes yield useful tax-deductible opportunities for the person funding the project.

The following PDF (Copyright © 2009 Meet The Composer, Inc.) includes excellent (and still relevant) information about the intricacies of commissioning music: https://newmusicusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Commissioning-Music-A-Basic-Guide.pdf