#WeAreNewMusic Spotlight:
Gabriela Lena Frank

Gabriela Lena Frank Photo: Mariah Tauger

Gabriela Lena Frank’s unique synthesis of Western classical music with the indigenous traditions of her Peruvian ancestry have made her exciting music a favorite with orchestras all over the country. In the decade since New Music USA has been around, Gabriela has had two three-year Music Alive residencies, a program run by New Music USA with the League of American Orchestras, first with the Annapolis Symphony and then with the Detroit Symphony. In recent years, she has focused on giving back to the community as a mentor and New Music USA has supported her in these endeavors as well.

Gabriela discusses New Music USA’s impact:

“As a disabled woman of color coming of age in the 90s, I feel fortunate to have a good professional life as a composer. There were frustrations, of course — Many instances where I felt I worked harder to receive marginally equal consideration.  But I also encountered many angels: Teachers, agents, colleagues, and forward-thinking institutions. One of those institutions is New Music USA which arose from the merging of two earlier institutions with long histories of supporting contemporary music and its practitioners. On multiple occasions, I have been the beneficiary of financial support from New Music USA and its antecedents.

 

In recent times, as I continue to ply my craft, I founded the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music, a non-profit that idealistically aims to support emerging composers in building a highly individualized and twenty-first century life as an artist and arts citizen. Our industry, after all, is finally having the kinds of conversations on social justice that I honestly never thought would happen in my lifetime. How gratifying it was to be offered grant support by New Music USA for one of GLFCAM’s newest programs, Composing Earth, a climate initiative that affords composers a monthly study group (with stipend) and professional commissions messaging the urgency of the climate crisis. Already we are seeing our composers make significant changes to their lifestyles, including changing their diets and flying much less, as well as addressing the crisis in interviews, classroom visits, and of course, their music. We are very grateful.”

Explore Gabriela’s Work Funded by New Music USA: