The Department of Music is pleased to share that Hans Thomalla, Professor of Composition, has been awarded a Koussevitzky Commission from the Library of Congress.
Thomalla is among eight composers to receive this prestigious award, granted jointly by the Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation and the performing organizations that will present the world premiere of each work. The ensemble co-sponsoring Thomalla's commission is ~Nois, a Chicago-based saxophone quartet.
Serge Koussevitzky, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949, was a leading champion of contemporary music. Throughout his distinguished career, he played a vital role in the creation of new works by commissioning composers such as Béla Bartók, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Arnold Schoenberg, and Igor Stravinsky. He established the Koussevitzky Foundation in 1942 and passed operations to the Library in 1949 to continue his lifelong commitment to composers and new music. Original manuscripts of works commissioned by the Koussevitzky Foundation comprise an integral part of the Library’s unparalleled music collections.
Learn more about the 2024 Music Commissions from the Koussevitzky Foundation here.