American Composers Orchestra Email Format
MusiciansNew York, United States11-50 Employees
American Composers Orchestra (ACO) is a New York-based organization dedicated to creating, performing, and promoting orchestral music by American composers. Since its founding in 1977, it has supported a broad ecosystem of composers, performers, educators, and funders through concert production, education programs for students from middle school through college, and composer advancement initiatives. The organization has premiered works by hundreds of American composers, including many world premieres and commissioned pieces, with recordings distributed on multiple labels. ACO also operates EarShot, a program that stages orchestral readings and related fellowships and professional development, and has expanded to publishing in 2023, aiming to broaden the role of the composer and foster collaboration with community partners. In addition to its Sonic Spark initiative, which places teaching artists and composers in New York City public schools, ACO has received recognition from major arts organizations for its commissioning and education work. Recent collaborations and leadership appointments reflect ongoing partnerships and program growth across the field.