Music Programs

A4TY: Album for the Young

Our program to inspire and develop new music composed and performed by students of Bloomingdale School of Music.

Upcoming Events:

"An Afternoon of World Premieres" : A4TY: Album for the Young Composers Project

For 19 years Bloomingdale School of Music (BSM) has maintained a special focus on introducing students (ages 7-18) to composition through their A4TY (Album for the Young) Student Composing Program. The March 4th concert will feature 20 student compositions, ranging from solo works for piano, to works for small chamber ensembles of mixed strings, percussion and winds. The concert will also feature the premiere of a new commissioned work for violin, piano, flute and congas by composer, Mariel Mayz.

“And yes, they were works of art indeed – no kiddie recital this! Professional composers, take note: This hopping center of creativity at Bloomingdale deserves national attention!” – John Deak, Founder, New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers Program, Commenting on A4TY

About Album for the Young

For young music students the composer is perhaps the most remote figure in the musical process—either a famous name from the history books or little more than an afterthought. Professional composers often work with professional musicians, writing with their particular abilities in mind. For both students and composers it can be revelatory to participate in the process of creating and preparing a piece of music written for young performers. A4TY seeks to bring these two groups into direct contact, opening a window into the other’s working methods and creative process. In addition, students perform each others’ works, increasing their exposure to new, original music, and honing their ability to articulate musical ideas through the rehearsal process.

The A4TY Student Composing Project commissions composers to write new works for the Bloomingdale School of Music. In addition, there is a Call for Scores from student composers in the Bloomingdale community. The project, now in its seventeenth season, was founded by Katy Luo and is currently curated by Margalit Cantor.