♪ >> COMING UP ON NYC ARTS, A PROFILE OF THE AMERICAN COMPOSER'S ORCHESTRA.

THE ONLY ORCHESTRA DEDICATED TO THE CREATION, PERFORMANCE, AND PROMOTION OF MUSIC BY AMERICAN COMPOSERS.

>> YOUR HEARING WHAT HAS BEEN IN A COMPOSER'S MINE.

THEY PUT IT IN FRONT OF A CONDUCTOR AND THE CONDUCTOR WILL BE CONDUCTING IN FRONT OF 60 MAGICIANS WHO ARE MAKING MUSIC HAPPEN LIVE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

>> I THINK THIS PROGRAM IS FANTASTIC BECAUSE COMPOSERS NOT ONLY GET FEEDBACK FROM THE MENTOR COMPOSERS BUT FROM THE PLAYERS.

I THINK THAT IS IMPORTANT.

>> AB HELLO MORE PIANO?

>> A VISIT TO THE NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL, THE PHOTOGRAPHY.

>> A VERY IMPORTANT PERIOD OF HISTORY WAS DOCUMENTED IN JAZZ, WOMEN'S CLOTHING, HAIR, ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH BLACK EXPRESSION.

THESE WILL LIVE ON IS VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS AND VERY WONDERFUL PHOTOGRAPHS.

>> FUNDING FOR THE NYC ARTS IS MADE POSSIBLE BY --.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO NYC ARTS.

I AM ON LOCATION.

WE ARE LOCATED AT MADISON AND 75th STREET.

THE COLLECTION RESIDES HERE WHEN THIS DARK ALE BUILDINGS UNDERGO RENOVATION.

ONE OF THE ROLE THE SCOPE FOREMOST COLLECTIONS OF EUROPEAN FINE ARTS AND DECORATIVE ARTS, THEY HAVE GROWN OVER THE DECADES MORE THAN DOUBLING IN SIZE SINCE THE OPENING OF THE MUSEUM IN 1935.

THE COLLATION ORIGINATED WITH INDUSTRIALIST HENRY FLICK WHO BEQUEATHED HIS MANSION ALONG WITH THE PAINTINGS, SCULPTURES AND THE DECORATIVE ARTS TO THE PUBLIC.

ALONG WITH OTHER CULTURAL VENUES, HE HAD TO ADAPT TO THE SUDDEN SHUTDOWN IN MARCH OF 2020 TWO TO THE PANDEMIC.

>> IN MANY CASES, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS FOUND THEMSELVES TURNING TO CREATIVE ONLINE EVENTS AND RESOURCES TO CONNECT WITH THE PUBLIC.

NOW, WITH MOST VENUES REOPENED, THESE VIRTUAL CONNECTIONS HAVE CONTINUED TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH GLOBAL AUDIENCES.

THEY BEGAN PRODUCTION OF SERIOUS CALLED "WHERE IN THE WORLD?"

IT PREVENTS CONNECTIONS BETWEEN MATERIAL SUCH AS GOLD, PEARLS AND MAHOGANY WOOD.

>> IN 1631, REMBRANDT MOVED FROM HIS NATIVE CITY TO AMSTERDAM.

THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST PORTRAITS THAT REMBRANDT PAINTED WHEN HE MOVED TO AMSTERDAM.

IT IS PAINTED ON A PIECE OF WOOD.

ON MAHOGANY, A TREE NOT NATIVE TO EUROPE.

HOW DID A DUTCH ARTIST COME TO PAIN ON WHAT THAT GREW OCEANS AWAY?

BACK ALSO NOTABLE IS THE CENTENNIAL YEAR OF THE ART REFERENCE LIBRARY.

VIDEO CONTENT GUIDE SPHERES THROUGH THE COLLECTIONS THAT HAVE MADE THE LIBRARY A LEADING CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF ART HISTORY.

>> THE SCRAPBOOKS, FIVE VOLUMES GOT DOCUMENT THE HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY AS IT HAPPENED.

BECAUSE IN YEARS 1920-1999, THROUGH THESE SCRAP BOOKS WE CAN TRACK THE PURGATION OVER THE YEARS.

FOR EXAMPLE, I LOVE THIS DRAWING OF THE LIBRARY BUILDING BUILT BY JONAS IN 1935.

IN 1955, IT INSPIRED THESE DRAWINGS.

IT SHOWS THE PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIOS WHICH LATER BECAME THE CONSERVATION STUDIOS WHERE THE SCRAPBOOKS WOULD BE EVENTUALLY CONSERVED.

>> PRE-DIGITAL COLLECTIONS ARE A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR THE STUDY OF WESTERN ART COLLECTIONS WORLDWIDE.

UNDER PROGRAM TONIGHT, WE GO BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE AMERICAN COMPOSER'S ORCHESTRA, THE ONLY ORCHESTRA IN THE WORLD THAT IS DEDICATED TO THE CREATION, PERFORMANCE, AND PROMOTION OF MUSIC BY AMERICAN COMPOSERS.

>> THE ACO SCUFFLE ESSAY IS TO GIVE VOICE TO COMPOSERS OF VARYING MUSICAL STYLES ALLOWING AUDIENCES TO EXPERIENCE NEW HYBRIDS.

WRITING FOR SYMPHONY, IT REMAINS ONE OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES FOR THE ASPIRING COMPOSER AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCE, WORKING WITH AN ORCHESTRA ARE RARE.

ACO'S ANNUAL READINGS, FORMALLY UNDERWOOD MUSIC READINGS, GIVE AUDIENCES A CHANCE TO LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES BRINGING NEW, DIVERSE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC TO LIFE.

EACH YEAR, A HANDFUL OF EMERGING COMPOSERS ARE SELECTED FROM HUNDREDS OF SUBMISSIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE READINGS RECEIVING VALUABLE MENTORING AND FEEDBACK FROM PROFESSIONAL COMPOSERS, CONDUCTORS AND THE ORCHESTRA PLAYER THEMSELVES.

IN 2018, NYC ARTS CAPTURED THESE FINAL READINGS WHICH ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

AT STAKE, WITH TWO $15,000 COMMISSIONS TO WRITE NEW WORKS FOR ACO.

NEXT YEAR, IN ADDITION TO THE READINGS IN JUNE IN NEW YORK, THE READINGS WILL PARTNER WITH THE ALLOTTED 70 ORCHESTRA, THE DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND MORE.

>> MY NAME IS LILY.

I AM FROM PAKISTAN BUT I'M ALSO HAVE FRESH AND A HALF KOREAN AND HAVE BEEN IN THIS COUNTRY FOR EIGHT YEARS.

VERY OFTEN, I WRITE MUCH MORE RUSSIAN STYLE DRAMATIC PIECES.

THIS ONE, "RHAPSODY IN COLOR", I DECIDED TO WRITE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE LIGHT AND PLAYFUL .

IN CERTAIN WAYS, IT IS LIKE, FOR ME, IT IS BEING INFLUENCED BY AMERICAN MUSIC.

♪ >> IT ALWAYS FEELS INCREDIBLE BECAUSE I LIKE PAINTERS WHO CAN JUST PAINT THE PICTURE WITH ALL THE COLORS.

WE, AS COMPOSERS, MADE OUR SOUNDSCAPE BUT WE CAN NOT HEAR IT LIVE.

>> YOUR HEARING WHAT IS BEEN IN A COMPOSER'S MIND WHICH THEY PUT INTO A BIG ORCHESTRAL SCORE.

THEY WROTE IT DOWN AND THEY PUT IN FRONT OF THE CONDUCTOR AND THE CONDUCTOR WISZÃME CONNECTING THIS IN FRONT OF 60 MUSICIANS ARE MAKING MUSIC HAPPEN LIVE FOR VERY FIRST TIME.

>> IT CAN BE DIFFICULT NOT TO FEEL NERVOUS AND NOT TO NOT NOTICE MISTAKES OR SMALL THINGS AND JUST TO RECEIVE IT THE LIST OR WHAT.

>> I FEEL FOR EVERY COMPOSER IS GETTING A FIRST PERFORMANCE.

I KNOW HOW I FELT THE FIRST TIME I HAD AN ORCHESTRA I I PLAYED IN.

IT WAS INCREDIBLY FRIGHTENING AND YET EXHILARATING.

IT WAS LIKE A GREAT FREIGHT TRAIN RAN OVER YOU.

♪ >> WELL, I THINK THIS PROGRAM IS FANTASTIC BECAUSE COMPOSERS NUNNALLY GET FEEDBACK FROM THE MENTOR COMPOSERS BUT THEY HAVE FEEDBACK FROM THE PLAYERS FROM THE ORCHESTRA.

THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

>> I NEED A LITTLE MORE FORTE AND PIANO.

>> AS FAR AS THE READINGS GO, WE ENCOURAGE THESE YOUNG, NEW COMPOSERS.

AND, OFTEN, THE MARKS THEY PUT ON THE PAPER ARE NOT AS CLEAR AS THEY NEED TO BE AND SO IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A TEACHING ROLE TO SAY WELL THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR, THEN THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO SEE.

>> HELLO EVERYONE.

MY NAME IS LILY.

MY PIECE WAS INSPIRED BY BEAUTIFUL SONGS, AND SOME TERRIFYING MOMENTS.

♪ >> LILY CHEN IS A WONDERFULLY CREATIVE COMPOSER FROM TAIWAN WHO NOW LIVES IN THE BAY AREA.

AND, IS ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY.

HER MUSIC USES MANY, MANY EXTENDED TECHNIQUES.

SO, YOU WILL SEE THE STRING PLAYERS TAPPING.

YOU'LL SEE SOME STYROFOAM CUPS BEING USED.

SO, SHE IS EXTREMELY CREATIVE AND SHE HAS A SENSIBILITY OF AN EXPERIMENTAL COMPOSER.

SHE IS TRYING TO SQUARE THAT WITH WRITING FOR A LARGE ORCHESTRA.

>> GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

MY NAME IS RYAN AND I'M EXCITED FOR YOU TO HEAR MY PIECE.

>> RINUS GO PIECE IS BEAUTIFULLY ORCHESTRATED AND IS A PIECE ABOUT ROBOTS.

YOU WILL HEAR A MECHANICAL QUALITY ABOUT THIS PIECE.

WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT THIS ORCHESTRA IS THESE PLAYERS, THESE MUSICIANS ARE SO QUICK TO CATCH ON WITH THE GESTURES.

THE AMERICAN COMPOSER'S ORCHESTRA IS UNIQUE AND SPECIAL WITH THIS THING WE DO WITH EMERGING COMPOSERS.

>> ARE FIRST PIECES BY SOPHIA.

>> WE ARE ALL ABOUT GIVING COMPOSERS ACCESS AT DIFFERENT PHASES.

AT THE VERY YOUNGEST PHASE WHEN THEY'RE STILL IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL.

WHEN THEY ARE STARTING TO WRITE MUSIC AND THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO.

THAT IS WHEN WE HAVE OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS LIKE COMPOSE YOURSELF.

>> YOU NEED TO REVISE THE PIECE.

>> AT THE PHASE ONE COMPOSERS ARE JUST ABOUT TO EMBARK ON A PROFESSIONAL CAREER, WE HAD THE UNDERWOOD READINGS.

>> THAT IS A GREAT SUGGESTION.

>> THAT IS ONE OF THE GRATIFYING THINGS ABOUT THE UNDERWOOD READINGS IS YOUNG COMPOSERS WHO ARE HERE TO LEARN AND WE GIVE THEM THIS POSITIVE FEEDBACK, HOPEFULLY POSITIVE.

BUT, CRITICISMS WE CAN CERTAINLY BE FRANK ABOUT WHAT'S WORKING.

>> CARLOS HAS BEEN REALLY INTERESTED IN DIVIDING THE ORCHESTRA INTO A THIN CURTAIN OF SOUND.

HE COMES FROM AN INTERESTING MUSICAL BACKGROUND BECAUSE HE WAS INTO HEAVY METAL WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER.

HE DRAWS FROM A VERY WIDE PALLET OF SOUND.

>> CARLOS?

YOU WON THE PRIZE FOR THE LARGEST SCORE.

I WILL TURN AROUND TO SEE THE TEMPOS WHERE YOU WANTED TO BE.

>> THOMAS WANTED THIS PIECE TO BE A BIG RUSH OF SOUND.

AND, HE WANTS TO SEE THE ORCHESTRA FUNCTIONING AT THEIR MOST INTENSE LEVEL AND I THINK YOU REALLY HEAR THAT IN HIS PIECE.

>> THE BASS CLARINET, IS IT TOO LOUD?

OKAY.

PERFECT.

♪ >> THE REAL QUESTION IS WHY WRITE FOR AN EXTRA?

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA AND WHAT CAN YOU SAY UNIQUELY?

WHAT CAN YOU BRING IS AN ARTIST?

>> ONE OF THE COMPOSERS WILL GET A COMMISSION BUT I DON'T LIKE TO THINK OF THIS AS A COMPETITION BECAUSE WHEN THERE ARE SIX SCORES CHOSEN OUT OF ABOUT 240, THEN EVERYBODY REALLY IS A WINNER.

EVERY COMPOSER WILL COME OUT OF THIS READING WITH A UNIQUE AND ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE.

THAT IS WHAT MATTERS FOR US AND THAT IS WHAT ACO IS ABOUT.

♪ ♪ >> NOW, A TRIP ACROSS TIME TO THE NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOR A LOOK ASÃME AT "BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL".

HE TRACES HIS ARTISTIC SENSIBILITIES TO HIS YOUTH SPENT IN THE BRONX ORGANIZED BY APERTURE, NEW YORK.

THIS EXPIRATION FEATURES 40 STUNNING STUDIO PORTRAITS AND BEHIND THE SCENE IMAGES OF HARLEM'S VIBRANT ARTISTIC COMMUNITY OF THE 1950s AND 60s.

INFLUENCED BY ACTIVIST MARCUS GARVIN, KWAMI AND HIS BROTHER FOUNDED THE AFRICAN JAZZ ART SOCIETY IN 1956.

THIS COLLECTIVE OF ARTISTS WORK TO ADVANCE A MESSAGE OF ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND POLITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE COMMUNITY.

AS ADDRESSED HOW BLACK WOMEN WERE AFFECTED BY WHITE STANDARDS OF BEAUTY.

MARILYN KUSHNER IS OUR GUIDE.

♪ >> HE WAS BORN TO PARENTS WHO CAME FROM BARBADOS AND THEY MOVED HERE TO BROOKLYN AND UP TO THE BRONX.

THEY WERE VERY INTENSE GIVEN THEIR CHILDREN THE EXPERIENCES OF THE CITY.

THEY WOULD TAKE THE CHILDREN TO MUSEUMS, LISTEN TO CONCERTS AND THAT REALLY COMES THROUGH AND HOW HE PROCEEDED WITH HIS ADULT LIFE.

WHAT BROUGHT KWAMI TO THE POINT WHERE HE WAS GOING TO BE A PHOTOGRAPHER WAS THE EMMETT TILL PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE 1950s WHICH REALLY HAD AN INCREDIBLE EFFECT ON KWAMI TO THE POINT WHERE HE DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO SOCIAL COMMENTARY.

KWAMI HAD CONNECTIONS WITH MARCUS GARVEY'S GO IDEAS.

MARCUS GARVEY WAS A SOCIAL ACTIVIST.

HE DIED IN 1940.

MARCUS GARVEY WAS INTENT ON THE IDEA OF AN ECONOMIC INTENT IN THE BLACK COMMUNITIES.

KWAMI WERE THE ONES WHO FOUNDED AJAS.

THIS WAS ONE THE MUSIC CAME IN.

AND, ODYSSEY BECAME THE MODEL.

THE MODEL CHALLENGED EVERYTHING ABOUT THE IDEAS OF THE WHITE COMMUNITY.

IN THE 1960s, IF YOU ARE TALL AND SKINNY AND WHITE, YOU AREN'T BEAUTIFUL.

SO, THEY BEGAN TO LOOK AT WHAT IS BLACK BEAUTY?

IT GAVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK BACK AT THEIR AFRICAN HERITAGE AND DESIGN AND MAKE THEIR OWN DRESSES WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS NEW.

THERE WERE NO MAJOR MANUFACTURES IN THE UNITED STATES THAT WERE DOING THAT AT THE TIME.

>> THAT REALLY COMES THROUGH IN THIS EXHIBITION.

YOU CAN SEE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE MODELS WEARING THEIR DESIGNS, DRESSES.

>> A NUMBER OF THE MODELS PROTESTED IN FRONT OF A STORE CALLED THE PARISIAN STAR.

THE STAR WAS BROUGHT TO HARLEM BY TWO WHITE MEN.

AND THE WIGS THAT WERE BEING SOLD WERE PARISIAN WIGS THAT LOOK GREAT ON WHITE WOMEN BUT BLACK WOMEN WERE WEARING THEM AS WELL.

>> A NUMBER OF THE MODELS THOUGHT WELL THAT IS NOT WHO WE ARE.

THEY BEGAN TO WHERE THERE HERE ÃBACK THEY BEGAN TO WEAR THEIR HAIR NATURALLY.

KWAMI RECOGNIZED THIS AND SAID THIS IS A TIME OF SELF- EXPRESSION.

SELF-EXPRESSION MEANT FORMING AJAS AS A WAY TO GIVE THE WOMEN A TOOL YOU WISH TO PUT THEMSELVES FORWARD IN TERMS OF THINKING THAT BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL.

THAT IS CARING ON.

THAT BEGAN IN THE 60s AND WE STILL SEE IT TODAY.

♪ >> MERGING THESE THREE, BEAUTIFUL, HUGE PHOTOGRAPHS BEHIND ME, I WAS TOLD A STORY BY KWAMI JR. THAT HIS FATHER ALWAYS WANTED SEE THOSE PHOTOGRAPHS ENLARGED.

HE DIDN'T HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY, AT THAT POINT, TO DO THAT.

BUT, NOW, KWAMI JR. HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT AND BLOW THEM UP WHICH REALLY HITS US ALL THE MINUTE WE SEE THAT.

KWAMI WALKED INTO A BAR , AT ONE POINT, AND HE SAW SOMEONE TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE DARK.

HE QUESTIONS HOW DO YOU DO THAT?

I WANT TO DO THAT.

HE HAD A HOUSE OF LOT BUT HE BEGAN TO TURN TO COLOR FILM.

WITH BLACK AND WHITE FILM, IT WAS HARD TO CALIBRATE THE DIFFERENT HUES OF BLACK SKIN.

THIS IS ELEGANCE.

YOU LOOK AT THE CAVE AND THE BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL POSTER.

THERE'S A PICTURE OF KWAMI .

>> I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT PHOTOGRAPHY IS TWO THINGS.

PHOTOGRAPHY CAN BE BEAUTIFUL AND PHOTOGRAPHY IS A DOCUMENT.

KWAMI DOCUMENT IT A VERY IMPORTANT PERIOD OF HISTORY OF HOW JAZZ, WOMEN'S CLOTHING, HAIR, EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH BLACK EXPRESSION.

THESE WILL LIVE ON.

IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT AND ALSO VERY WONDERFUL PHOTOGRAPHS.

♪ >> NEXT TIME ON NYC ARTS, A VISIT TO POSTERIOR HOUSE TO CELEBRATE THE ART AND SOCIAL IMPACT OF POSTERS FROM THE 1800s TO PRESENT DAY.

>> YOU UNDERSTAND THE POSTER RIGHT AWAY.

YOU SEE THE IMAGE.

THAT IS WHAT MAKES A GOOD, EFFECTIVE POSTER.

IF THE POSTER DOESN'T COMMUNICATE ITS PURPOSE TO YOU IN LESS THAN A SECOND, IT IS FAILED.

>> THE TRIP TO THE AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEUM AND THE EXPOSITION.

>> WE TALK ABOUT REDISCOVERY BECAUSE WE WANT TO BRING BACK IN THE CONTEXT OF HIS DISCOVERY IN THE 40s.

WE LIVE IN A MODERNIST ENVIRONMENT WHERE IT WAS EXHIBITED ALONGSIDE SURREALIST AND INTERNATIONAL AVANT-GARDE.

>> WE TAKE A LONG WITH LEWIS MILLER AS HE SHARES HIS ART WITH THE PUBLIC.

>> THEY ARE FOR THE PEOPLE.

I WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE THEM AND INTERACT WITH THEM AND TAKE A PICTURE.

TAKE A BLOSSOM.

TAKE THEM HOME.

THE MORE WE HAVE THE SOFT MOMENTS OF BEAUTY AND JOY, FOR NO OTHER REASON, EVEN IF IT IS FOR AN HOUR OR 10 MINUTES, THE JOB IS DONE.

>> I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED OUR PROGRAM TONIGHT.

I AM LOCATION.

GOOD NIGHT AND SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

>>> TO MOVE -- VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT NYCÃARTS.ORG.

>>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO NYC ARTS.

WE ARE AT THE WNET STUDIOS AT LINCOLN CENTER.

>> WHAT A PRIVILEGE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH YOU.

>> I LOVE TALKING WITH YOU ALSO.

>> WE ARE AT A MOMENT WHERE WE TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED.

>> IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE WITH THIS CURATOR.

WE ARE IN THE MIST OF SOME OF THE GREATEST SCULPTURES.

>> CLASSICAL AND MODERN DANCE ARE EXTREMELY DIFFERENT.

I HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO LEARN.

>> WHEN I LISTEN TO THE LYRICS I SUDDENLY THOUGHT THAT IS WHAT I WANTED TO DO WITH MY LIFE.

>> MY PICTURES RESIDE IN VERY INTIMATE, VERY PRIVATE MOMENTS.

>> A PRIMARY WAY OF PLAYING THE PIANO IS BY IMPROVISING.

>> YOU ARE ON SACRED GROUND.

>> A WOMAN CAME TO SEE ME PERFORM AND SAID HOW IS LIKE TO PLAY REALLY HOLIDAY?

BACK ONE OF THE ESSENTIAL THINGS WE HAVE LEARNED IS THE WAY HE COMPOSES HIS WORK.

>> YOU CAN BE SURPRISED WHEN YOU'RE DOING A PIECE FROM 100 YEARS AGO, THIS COULD BE NOW.

>> SUDDENLY, YOU COME AND PRESENT SOMETHING IN GOOD APPLAUSE.

THAT'S GREAT.

YOU KNOW?

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪