The Vermont Symphony Orchestra was the recipient of a grant from Music Alive for a composer residency in 2004. Curtis Institute of Music faculty member David Ludwig, who was composer-in-residence for three years at the Marlboro Music School, spent three weeks in Vermont this year. David's residency was made possible through Music Alive, a residency program of the American Symphony Orchestra League and Meet the Composer. This national program is designed to provide orchestras with resources and tools to support their presentation of new music to the public and build support for new music within their institutions and to encourage collaborative relationships with other organizations. The VSO was one of eight orchestras awarded a Music Alive grant during the current season. Funding for Music Alive was provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Aaron Copland Fund for Music.

Recipient of the First Music Award, an Independence Foundation Fellowship, a Theodore Presser Foundation Career Grant, and the Fleischer Orchestra Award, Ludwig has twice been nominated for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Stoeger Award.

Born in Bucks County, PA, in 1972, Ludwig received a B.M. from the Oberlin Conservatory and his M.M. from the Manhattan School of Music. He continued post-graduate studies at Curtis with Richard Danielpour, Jennifer Higdon, and Ned Rorem, and at the Juillliard School with John Corigliano.

His music has been called "entrancing" (Philadelphia Enquirer) and has gained recognition for its "expressive directness" (The New York Times). His works have been performed in major venues in the U.S. such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and have also been heard in Canada, England, France, Italy, Japan, and Spain.

The first third of Ludwig's VSO residency took place in early March, the week we performed Haydn's The Creation in Burlington and Rutland. Over the course of the week, Ludwig had a chance to hear the orchestra and meet with many of its musicians. He attended a chorus rehearsal and brainstormed with Robert De Cormier about the piece he will be writing for the VSO Chorus. He met with the chorus teacher and students of the Vergennes Union High School chorus, as well as the artistic directors of both the Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble and the Vermont Youth Ochestra. He also communicated his infectious enthusiasm for contemporary music at a Governing Board meeting, even engaging Board members in a composition exercise which was performed on the spot by VSO musicians!

For a week in mid-September and the week of our opening Masterworks concert last October, Ludwig was busy with various outreach activities, including connecting with students involved in the Vermont Midi Project, leading discussions with students at several Vermont State College campuses, working with music students at Brattleboro Union High School, and attending rehearsals and performances of his compositions by the Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble, Vermont Youth Orchestra and Vergennes Union High School Chorus.

The culmination of the Music Alive residency was the world premiere performances of a new choral work and a cello concerto on the October 23, 2004 Masterworks series concert. Jaime Laredo and Robert De Cormier conducted the VSO and VSO Chorus respectively, and Margo Tatgenhorst Drakos was be the cellist.

Beginning in May 2004, David Ludwig provided entries every couple weeks on a web-journal, which can be accessed through the link on this page. David shared his progress on his new compositions as part of the Music Alive project as well as personal insights into compositional practices and the daily life of a composer.

David Ludwig: Notes on the Notes - a composer's journal
David Ludwig: a short biography
David Ludwig: press releases
David Ludwig's website