It was 3 o’clock in the morning when composer Jens Ibsen heard the news, but he didn't wait to contact SF Classical Voice, emailing:
“I am delighted to see the continuation of the Emerging Black Composers Project (EBCP). Right now, we need more institutions like the SF Symphony to be brave and create the infrastructure necessary to platform the voices the world needs to hear.
“It is in every arts organization’s self-interest to remain committed to diverse programming: success stories such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera are testaments to the fact that when you platform diverse voices, especially from your own community, people show up and show out. I am excited to hear the groundbreaking new works that will emerge from this continued partnership.
Ibsen’s message was in response to a landmark statement from SF Symphony that reversed the organization’s temporary compliance with the Trump administration’s order to end all minority-supporting DEI (diversity-equity-inclusion) programs.
The Symphony and SF Conservatory of Music, the project’s partner, suspended EBCP last February when notified by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to end diversity efforts, describing them as “repugnant” and “shameful.” Organizations were given two weeks to comply with the order or risk the loss of federal funding.
On Aug. 22, the Symphony — which receives no federal financial support — announced:
“Work on the Emerging Black Composers Project (EBCP) is continuing, and the winner of the fifth annual EBCP Michael Morgan Prize will be announced in the fall. The winner will be selected from the most recent group of applications submitted for the project. A call for applications for the sixth annual EBCP Michael Morgan Prize will go out in November.
“While the San Francisco Symphony is administering the Emerging Black Composers Project, the SF Conservatory of Music remains a supporting partner to the program.”
Ibsen’s response continued:
“The EBCP was life-changing for me. It prepared me very well to write longer, more ambitious works for large ensembles. Some notable upcoming premieres include my first proper symphony, titled Scene Symphony, which will be debuted by the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra in February 2026.
“Additionally, I am writing a 15-minute metal opera with text by Julian Talamantez Brolaski, HWAEL-RA¯D (Whale-Road) for Beth Morrison Projects’ PROTOTYPE festival in New York. HWAEL-RA¯D will be performed on the Red Steps at Times Square in January 2026, and we are seeking volunteers in the NYC area to join the chorus.”
The 2025 EBCP award will mark the 12th commission by the project since it launched in 2020. EBCP’s goal was to commission 10 works by early-career Black American composers over 10 years. Five years in, the project has presented the Michael Morgan Prize to composers Ibsen, Xavier Muzik, Tyler Taylor, and Trevor Weston, and awarded more prizes to composers Jonathan Bingham, Shawn Okpebholo, Sumi Tonooka, and others.
In February 2025, Esa-Pekka Salonen and SF Symphony performed the world premiere of Strange Beasts by Muzik, the 2023 EBCP Michael Morgan Prize winner. In May 2026, Cristian Macelaru will conduct the orchestra in the world premiere of a work by Taylor, the 2024 winner.
The Emerging Black Composers Project is underwritten by Michèle and Laurence Corash.
Also on the SF Symphony schedule: on Nov. 16, cellist Gautier Capuçon will perform the world premiere of a work by Quenton Xavier Blache as part of his Great Performers Series recital. Blache’s piece will be heard alongside 16 other world-premiere works composed for Capuçon’s new album, Gaïa (to be released by Erato Records on Nov. 7). Capuçon anonymously selected Blache for a new commission from a pool of applicants under the umbrella of the 2023 Emerging Black Composers Project.
