The Green Bay Symphony Orchestra is pleased and proud to be the recipient of a four year extended Composer-in-Residence grant from the American Symphony Orchestra League and Meet the Composer. This grant affords the Symphony, for the first time, an opportunity to share with the community the creative process of composing music. This grant also allows the GBSO to commission from each of the composers over the course of the grant, an original piece of art music to be premiered by the GBSO. Each member of the community will be potentially touched by this project. Not only will they gain an insight into the creative process but they will also experience the spirit and pride of a community investment.

One of the expectations of the Composer-in-Residence program is to excite the community with new and rich ideas aswell as, also to foster a deeper understanding and to embrace the creation of new art. Our second composer, Jennifer Higdon, conceived the Light Project program while collaborating with GBSO staff on the composition project for our Youth Orchestra. Very quickly, the scope of this project became apparent and the GBSO staff soon realized light could become the continuous thread that would bind together the four years of the residency program. The symbolic richness of the word light addresses and combines many aspects of this creative process. We will outline below the important relationships and exciting opportunities created so far around the Light Project theme. More are sure to come. Our mission is to cast the light of creativity into the future.

• Student Composition Project continuous mentoring and interaction with Resident Composer
• Rehearsal Time for Youth Orchestras with Resident Composer
• Statewide Poetry Contest poems based on a light theme
• Light Inspired Commissions
  • David Dzubay 05/06, commission Light Fantastick
  • Jennifer Higdon 06/07, commission Light (inspired by the poem Light by Ellen Kort, Wisconsin Poet Laureate 00-04)
  • Daniel Kellogg 07/08, commission using text from winning Light Project poetry contest of previous year
  • Philip Rothman 08/09, commission to be determined and relationship to Light Project to be discovered
• GBSO Commission Club created to perpetuate opportunities for this community to commission new works of art music after the grant period ends
• Teacher-Training Seminar given by Resident Composers annually
• Resident Composers are Guest Speakers at GBSO’s Up Close and Personal series
• Community Outreach Events involving composer in residence at area businesses, clubs and schools

The World Premiere Student Recital culminates the yearlong composition efforts of the student composers and the Resident Composer. The student compositions are performed by members of the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra with the Resident Composer in attendance. This recital and the opportunity for the student composers to hear their pieces played by professional musicians are invaluable and unique. Many young composers never have the chance to hear their music performed live. This recital completes the cycle of creation in a way that is satisfying to both the students and all those in attendance beyond measure.