Oct10
BCF Composers Concert
New works by Amato, Brody, Duckworth, Kennison, Marshall, Morris, Rudow and Schlitz.
Free admission, donations welcome
Nonprofit · Est. 1992 · Baltimore, Maryland
New music, written in Baltimore.
The Baltimore Composers' Forum puts the city's living composers on stage. Since 1992 we've presented more than 300 original works, from string quartets and electronics to jazz, all written by people who live and work here.
What does your name sound like?
Type a name. We'll spell it in notes with the cipher Ravel used to write his Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn.
1992founded by composer Dawn Culbertson
300+original works presented
50+Baltimore-area composers on our roster
100%nonprofit and composer-run
About the Forum
A stage for composers who live down the street.
Most concert halls program music by composers who died long ago or live far away. The Baltimore Composers' Forum (BCF) exists to do the opposite: find the people writing music in Baltimore right now and get their work in front of an audience.
We're a composer-run, nonprofit presenting organization. We produce concerts and premieres, organize reading sessions so members can hear new scores played by real ensembles, and connect composers with the performers who bring their work to life.
We're funded by member dues, concert donations, gifts from individuals and businesses, and grants, such as a mini-grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.
- 1992
Composer and lutenist Dawn Culbertson founds the Forum.
- 1993
A John Cage memorial concert: But What About the Sound…
- 1994
A concert at the Walters Art Museum alongside a Contemporary Museum exhibit.
- 1998
Reading sessions with a string quartet, and later the Global Percussion Ensemble.
- 2004
Dawn Culbertson dies. The Forum carries on in her memory.
- Today
Concerts at Goucher College, a Baltimore Jazz Composers Showcase at the Eubie Blake Center, and 300+ works presented.
Concerts
Hear it first, hear it here.
Recent programs
Oct23
Baltimore Jazz Composers Showcase
Baltimore's jazz heritage is still being written. Premieres by Phoebe Myhill, Al Maniscalco, Todd Marcus, Brian Smith, Phil Ravita, George F. Spicka and Anthony D. Villa, played by Dan Hon Music and hosted by WYPR's Andy Bienstock.
$20 · $15 students, seniors & members
The roster
Baltimore-area composers of the Forum
Past and present members, from founders to newcomers. Are you listed and want a link to your website added? Email us.
- Richard J. Abraham
- Bruno Amato
- James Brasic
- Helmut Braunlich
- James Brody
- Gavin Brown
- Grace Choi
- Hee Sung Choi
- John Crouch
- Dawn Culbertson
- Reece Roy Dano
- Alan Duckworth
- Leandro & Dawn Espinoza
- Paul Faatz
- David Fetter
- George Gray
- Michael Habermann
- Suzanne Lieberson Heifetz
- Kevin Hiatt
- Robert Hitz
- Franz Kamin
- Leroy Keltner
- Kendall Kennison
- Thomas M. Kollars, Jr.
- Richard Dennis Lake
- Christopher Lobingier
- Stephen Makofski
- Leslie Marrs
- Perry Marshall
- Paul Matthews
- Matthew Monticchio
- Barbara Moore
- Theldon Myers
- Phoebe Myhill
- Timothy C. Nelson
- Jonathan Newmark
- Chinny Ohia
- John Parton
- Raymond Patterson
- Thaddeus Paulhamus
- Susan Frick Payne
- Janet Peachey
- Anna Rubin
- Ken Rubin
- Vivian Adelberg Rudow
- Paul R. Schlitz, Jr.
- Michele Schottenbauer
- Scott Seidl
- James Semark
- George & Jane Lamar Spicka
- Anthony Stark
- Erich Stem
- Stephen Stone
- Jason Robert Taylor
- Joe Wall
- Susan Wheeler
- Lorraine L. Whittlesey
- Neal Woodson
No match. Maybe they should join?
Get involved
Three ways in.
Composers
Submit your work for BCF concerts, hear it in reading sessions, and meet the performers who'll premiere it.
$50/year · $25 students
Performers
Premiere new pieces, play music by the composer in the next row, and program contemporary repertoire with people who wrote it.
Same membership, same discounts
Listeners & supporters
Come to concerts, bring a friend, give what you can. Donations are tax-deductible, and volunteers are always welcome.
Any amount helps
How to join or donate: mail a check payable to Baltimore Composers' Forum with your name, email and phone to P.O. Box 5844, Baltimore, MD 21282-5844. Questions? Call 443-285-2636.
Founded by a composer, for composers.
Our founder
Dawn Culbertson (1951–2004)
Composer, lutenist, recorder player, singer, journalist and bassist in an avant-garde big band, Dawn founded the Forum in 1992. A Peabody-trained composer, she spent her career championing music that other people overlooked.
Read her story →Questions
Good to know
How can I get my music performed in Baltimore?
Join the Forum as a composer member. Members submit works for consideration on BCF concerts, and we've organized reading sessions where ensembles play through members' new scores.
Do I have to live in Baltimore to join?
The Forum is for composers based in Baltimore and the surrounding area. Performers and listeners are welcome wherever they live.
How much does membership cost?
$50 a year, or $25 for students. Members also get discounted admission to ticketed BCF events.
Are donations tax-deductible?
Yes. The BCF is a registered nonprofit, and contributions are tax-deductible to the extent the law allows.
How do I find out about upcoming concerts?
Join the free events mailing list. We email about two weeks before each event.
Sponsors
With thanks to the people who keep the music going.
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