Since 2005, through our Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program we have commisioned 104 new works for orchestra, chorus and chamber ensembles; 101 composers from over 30 countries, two-thirds women and/or composers of color and with a commitment to more representative, international repertoire. Alumni include choral and orchestral composers, both well-established and emerging: John Corigliano, Christopher Rouse, Caroline Shaw, Michael Gordon and Stephen Paulus, as well as Paquito D’Riviera, Tania León, Piret Rips-Laul, two works each by Joan Tower, Bright Sheng and Oscar Escalada and three by Mokale Koapeng. Premiered everywhere from Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center to the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Helms-commissioned composers have won Grammys, Pulitzers, Grawemeyers, as well as an Oscar and MacArthur. Named after Neeta Helms’ late father, the Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program is yet another way Classical Movements demonstrates its commitment to both its clients, as cutting-edge artists, and to the wider world of classical music—promoting the creation of fresh, exciting work that encourages international collaboration.
Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program alumni include…
Kinan Azmeh | John Corigliano | David Del Tredici | Paquito D’Rivera | Oscar Escalada | Ēriks Ešenvalds | Reena Esmail | Sydney Guillaume | Mokale Koapeng | Lori Laitman | Libby Larsen | Tania León | Jonathan Leshnoff | Stephen Paulus | Andrea Ramsey | Christopher Rouse | Greg Sandow | Caroline Shaw | Bright Sheng | Gabriella Smith | Christopher Theofanidis | André J. Thomas | Joan Tower | Therese B. Ulvo | Bernat Vivancos
View All Our Composers and WorksFor the Taki-Alsop Conducting Fellowship,
Laura Jackson, conductor:
- Ukrainian Iryna Aleksiychuk – Go where the wind takes you…
Based on the poetry of Olena Stepanenko.
World Premiere: Friday, July 5, 2024 at Smetana Hall, (Prague, Czech Republic) by the Prague Summer Nights Festival Orchestra James Ross, conductor
For the Toronto Beaches Children’s and Youth Chorus and the Medicine Hat College Girls’ Choir,
Justine Wilks, Conductor:
- Canadian First Nations Composer Karen Sunabacka– Pîsimwak – Moons
World Premiere: Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at the Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church (Medicine Hat, Alberta); Justine Wilks, conductor
For the San Francisco Girls Chorus 2024 South Africa Tour,
Valérie Sainte-Agathe, Artistic Director:
- South African Mokale Koapeng – Toro Ya Alkebulan
World Premiere: Sunday, May 19, 2024 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (San Francisco, CA); Valérie Sainte-Agathe, conductor
In honor of the 80th anniversary of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, James Ross, conductor:
- Cuban Jorge Amado – Shuffle and Deal
World Premiere: Saturday, April 20, 2024 at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Hall, George Washington Masonic Memorial (Alexandria, VA); James Ross, conductor
For the New Orchestra of Washington, Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez, conductor:
- Ukranian Victoria Poleva– Turn the River
World Premiere: Saturday, November 18, 2023 at The Terrace Theater
at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, DC)
In honor of the 80th anniversary of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, James Ross, conductor:
- American Lester Green – Toast
World Premiere: Saturday, September 30th, 2023 at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Hall, George Washington Masonic Memorial (Alexandria, VA); James Ross, conductor
In honor of the 80th anniversary of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, James Ross, conductor:
- Mohawk Dawn Avery- Tscenacomoco
World Premiere: Saturday Nov 4th, 2023 at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Hall, George Washington Masonic Memorial (Alexandria, VA); James Ross, conductor
For the Classical Movements 30 Year Anniversary:
- American Derek Maseloff – Fanfare for an Uncommon Company
World Premiere: Sunday, October 30, 2022 at the Belle Haven Country Club (Alexandria, VA) by musicians of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera.
Classical Movements 30th Anniversary
For the Chorus America Commission Consortium:
- American Karen Thomas – Alchemy
Virtual World Premiere: Sunday, April 25, 2021
For the William & Mary Choir and Botetourt Chamber Singers, Jamie Armstrong, conductor:
- South Korean Hyowon Woo – Jubilate Deo
World Premiere: Sunday, March 1, 2020, at the Williamsburg Presbyterian Church (Williamsburg, VA) - Japanese Teruaki Suzuki – Two Postcards
World Premiere: Sunday, March 1, 2020, at the Williamsburg Presbyterian Church (Williamsburg, VA)
For the Haitian Orchestra Institute, Thierry Fischer, conductor:
- Haitian Sydney Guillaume – Lavil Okap in honor of the 250th birthday of Beethoven
World Premiere: Monday, Apr 3rd, 2023 at the Notre-Dame of Cap-Haitian Cathedral (Haiti)
For the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra and ASO Sympatico, James Ross, conductor:
- American Brian Prechtl – Tribute in honor of the 250th birthday of Beethoven
World Premiere: Saturday, April 23, 2022 at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall (Alexandria,VA)
For the Minnesota Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä, conductor:
- Vietnamese Do Hong Quan – Ruoc Truong for orchestra and dan bau
- Vietnamese Tran Manh Hung – Khai Xuân Mở Hội
- In honor of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the USA and Vietnam
For the 2020 Prague Summer Nights: Young Arts Music Festival:
- Czech Sylvie Bodorová – Silymabum for string quartet
World Premiere: Wednesday, July 6, 2022 at Suk Hall, Rudolfinum
For the Serenade! Washington, D.C. Choral Festival’s “World Voices for Women,” works by American composers in honor of 5 suffragists whose contributions have often been overlooked:
- Brittney Boykin– Stand Up in honor of Mary Church Terrell
World Premiere: Friday, June 4, 2021 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (Alexandria, VA); Scott Tucker, conductor
- Arianne Abela – Now We Can Begin in honor of Crystal Eastman
World Premiere: November 2021 at Woolsey Hall, Yale University, by Yale Glee Club (Fullerton, CA); Jeff Douma, conductors - Melissa Dunphy – Mabel Lee, 1912
World Premiere: Sunday, 23 Apr, 2023 at The Great Hall, Sir Christopher Wren Building, College of William & Mary, (Williamsburg, VA); Dr. Jamie Bartlett, conductor - Evelyn Simpson-Curenton – Ode to Ida B. Wells
World Premiere: TBD - Adolphus Hailstork – Greatness of Nations in honor of Mary Burnett Talbert
World Premiere: TBD
American Gabriella Smith – f(x) = sin²x – 1/x
- For the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, co-commissioned with the Curtis Institute of Music
- World premiere: Saturday, September 28, 2019 at Cincinnati Music Hall (Cincinnati, Ohio); Eun Sun Kim, conductor
3 works for the Serenade! Washington, D.C. Choral Festival’s “The Human Journey: Music, Migration & Identity” July 8, 2019
- American Patrice Michaels – Refuge for Serenade! mass choir; Dr. Doreen Rao, conductor
- Odawa First Nations Barbara Assiginaak – Waaboos N’gamwin (Rabbit Song) for Toronto Beaches Children’s and Youth Chorus; Bronwen Low, conductor
- Mexcian Rodrigo Cadet – Xon ahuiyacan (Be Joyful) for Túumben Paax; Rodrigo Cadet, conductor
American Reena Esmail – The Love of Thousands
- For the San Francisco Girls Chorus
- World premiere: Saturday, June 8, 2019 at Mission Dolores Basilica (San Francisco, CA); Valérie Sainte-Agathe, conductor
English Lauren Braithwaite – Hamsafar: A Musical Journey Through South Asia
- For the South Asian Symphony Orchestra
- World premiere: Friday, April 26, 2019 at Tata Theatre, NCPA (Mumbai, India); Viswa Subbaraman, conductor
American Stacey Gibbs – I feel like my time ain’t long and Shut De Do’
American Johnie Dean – Three American Hymns
- For the Lexington Singers
- World premiere: Sunday, March 10, 2019 at First United Methodist Church (Lexington, KY); Jefferson Johnson, conductor
Syrian Kinan Azmeh (Classical Movements Composer-in-Residence) – Clarinet Concerto
- For the Seattle Symphony Orchestra
- World premiere: Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at Benaroya Hall (Seattle, WA); Ludovic Morlot, conductor
2018: Norwegian Therese B. Ulvo – I am I am I am (“Wild of Spring,” “My Heart,” “Rest Now, Heart,” “My Cradle”)
- For Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, in honor of Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson’s 22nd and final season
- World premiere: Thursday, June 28, 2018 at Pasadena Presbyterian Church (Pasadena, California); Anne Tomlinson, conductor
10 works for the Serenade! Washington, D.C. Choral Festival’s “Mandela at 100: Songs of Hope, Justice & Unity” in June-July
- Syrian Kinan Azmeh – Ibn Arabi Recitation for Serenade! mass choir and clarinet
- South African Qinisela Sibisi – Let the New Age Dawn for Serenade! mass choir
- Indians Vedanth Bharadwaj and Manjula Ponnapalli – நம்ம பாடு for Chennai Children’s Choir
- Madagascan Talike Gellé – Heagnen-Tsy Tratse for Tiharea
- Canadian Hussein Janmohamed – Rise Children, Let’s Rise to Peace for Nai Syrian Children’s Choir
- Canadian Aaron Jensen – Long Road to Freedom for Countermeasure
- Dutch Anne-Maartje Lemereis – A Requiem in Quotes for Olga Vocal Ensemble
- Venezuelan Betsayda Machado – Arriba Mandela for Parranda El Clavo
- Dutch Carlijn Metselaar – Well, Actually for Olga Vocal Ensemble
- Tuvan Choduraa Tumat – Дагын катап дарлатпас бис for Ensemble Tyva Kyzy
American Greg Sandow – The Remembered Song
- For Prague Summer Nights String Quartet (Cindy Lin, violin; John Lee, violin; John Petrey, viola; Sonya Nanos, cello)
- World premiere: Wednesday, July 4, 2018 at the Rudolfinum (Prague, Czech Republic)
2 works for the Ihlombe! South African Choral Festival’s “Mandela at 100: Songs of Hope, Freedom & Unity” in July
- South African Phelelani Mnomiya – It’s In Your Hands Now for Ihlombe! mass choir
- South African Sibusiso Njeza – Uthando Nomculo (Love and Music) for Ihlombe! mass choir
South African Bongani Ndodana-Breen – Harmonia Ubuntu
- For the Minnesota Orchestra‘s historic tour to South Africa
- World premiere: Saturday, July 21, 2018 at Orchestra Hall (Minneapolis, Minnesota); Osmo Vänskä, conductor and Goitsemang Lehobye, soprano
American Julian Wachner – An Alleluia Flourish!
- For Encore Chorale
- World premiere: Wednesday, December 26, 2018 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, D.C.); Jeanne Kelly, conductor
2017: Syrian Kinan Azmeh becomes Classical Movements’ first-ever Composer-in-Residence
Argentinian Oscar Escalada – Misa para el Tercer Mundo (Mass for the Third World)
- For Quinto de Cantares, to perform during Melodia! South American Choral Festival
- World premiere: July 12, 2017 at Municipalidad de La Plata-Salón Dorado (La Plata, Argentina)
9 works for the Serenade! Washington, D.C. Choral Festival: A JFK 100 Celebration in June-July
- Haitian-American Sydney Guillaume – Ansanm Ansanm
- Latvian Ēriks Ešenvalds – High Flight
- Spanish Bernat Vivancos – L’ametller (The Almond Tree)
- Indian Madhup Mudgal – Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam (The World is One Family)
- American Con Fullam – Under One Sky
- Bulgarians Milena Jeliazkova and Milena Roudeva – Orissiya (Destiny)
- Mongolians Egschiglen – Freedom of the Steppe
- Zimbabweans Insingizi – Bom Bom Jeys (It is important to know who we are…)
- Indians Madras Youth Choir – Musical Tribute to JFK
American Billy Childs – In Gratitude
- For Los Angeles Master Chorale, in honor of the 20th anniversary of Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna
- World premiere: June 17, 2017 at Chorus America (Los Angeles, California); Grant Gershon, conductor
South African Mokale Koapeng – Wings of Peace and Love: Reflections on Bheki Mseleku
- For Choir of the College of William and Mary and Botetourt Chamber Singers
- World premiere: May 19, 2017 at University of Pretoria-Musaion Theatre (Pretoria, South Africa); James Armstrong and Jamie Bartlett, conductors
2016: 10 works by American composers for Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s 100th anniversary season
- Kristen Kuster – Moxie (February); Marin Alsop, conductor
- Christopher Rouse – Processional (April); Marin Alsop, conductor
- Joan Tower – Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman #6 (May); Marin Alsop, conductor
- Libby Larsen – Earth (Holst Trope) (May); John Storgårds, conductor
- James Lee III – Thurgood’s Rhapsody(June); Marin Alsop, conductor
- Caroline Shaw – Baltimore Bomb (September); Marin Alsop, conductor
- Lori Laitman – Unsung (September); Marin Alsop, conductor
- TJ Cole – Double Play (November); Marin Alsop, conductor
- Jonathan Leshnoff – Dancin’ Blue Crabs (Feb, ‘17); Marin Alsop, conductor
- Christopher Theofanidis – The Game (June, ‘17); Marin Alsop, conductor
American Andrea Ramsey – The Gift to Sing
- For Children’s Chorus of Washington, in honor of the retirement of Founding Artistic Director Joan Gregoryk
- World premiere: May 22, 2016 at George Washington University-Lisner Auditorium (Washington, D.C.); Joan Gregoryk, conductor
2015: American Jim Papoulis – Sounds of a New Generation
- For Miami Children’s Chorus
- World premiere: May 2015 at New World Center (Miami, Florida); Timothy Sharp, conductor
5 works for American Choral Directors Association High School Honors Choir at ACDA National Conference (Salt Lake City, Utah) on February 28
- American André Thomas – Gloria (Glory to God); André Thomas, conductor
- Spanish Emilio Solé Sempere – Hearts Beat Together; Cristian Grases, conductor
- Canadian Sarah Quartel – Wide Open Spaces; Bob Chilcott, conductor
- English Will Todd – Gloria; Elena Sharkova, conductor
- American Jay Broeker – Peace Like A River; Angela Broeker, conductor
2014: Estonian Piret Rips-Laul – Salve Regina
- For Choir of the College of William and Mary and Botetourt Chamber Singers
- World premiere: April 2014 (Williamsburg, Virginia); James Armstrong and Jamie Bartlett, conductors
Eric Daniel Helms (1921-2001)
Learning to sing and play the piano was mandatory in the Helms family, remembers Classical Movements’ Founder and President Neeta Helms: “Eric Daniel Helms, my father, was a ‘natural’ musician. He had a splendid ear, taught himself the piano, studied choral scores and could sight-read and transpose anything. Music was a total joy for him, and if he had been born in any European country or the U.S. or Canada, he would have almost certainly become a musician.”
However, studying or being exposed to what was called Western Classical Music was not easy in India, even while Neeta was growing up during the 1960’s and 70’s. When Neeta started taking piano lessons, at age 4, the only piano teachers in Agra, home to the glorious Taj Mahal, were the nuns in the nearby convent or Miss Schroeder, an Austrian lady who struggled to make a living by teaching piano lessons at a local school and in private homes.