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Commissioning
 Interested in commissioning a piece of music?
In my experience as a composer, I have found that performers and performing groups are often interested in commissioning new work but are unaware of how to go about it. They may even have a specific composer and/or project in mind, but they hesitate to approach the composer for fear of offending them by offering too little, or because they don’t have a clear notion of what’s involved and how to get started. With that in mind, I offer a few thoughts on commissioning:
- How do commissions work?
A commission is simply an agreement between the composer and an individual performer, group, or consortium of groups for the creation and performance of a new work. It usually consists of the following elements:
~ The work to be composed, including instrumentation and approximate length. Sometimes additional parameters, such as the text to be used (if it’s a vocal work) or a particular purpose of the piece (and therefore some guidelines about its general mood) are included.
~ An agreement by the performer, group, or consortium to premiere the work by a specific date. In return, the composer gives the performer or group(s) exclusive rights to the premiere of the piece up until that date. After that, the composer is free to seek other performance opportunities.
~ A timeline for completion of the project.
~ A payment arrangement. Most commissions pay half of the agreed-to amount up-front, and half upon delivery of the completed score (and parts, when applicable). Other arrangements can be made, however: nothing is set in stone as long as both parties agree to the terms in advance.
~ Other items sometimes included in a commission agreement include terms for recording of the premiere performance, commercial recording of the work, or the retention of exclusive performing rights for a period of time following the premiere.
~ Except in rare cases, the composer will retain the rights to the work created.
Why are commissions important?
Commissions are important for two reasons: one, without a formal agreement in writing misunderstandings or differences in expectations can lead to all manner of problems for composer and performer(s) alike. Therefore it’s always a good idea to put everything in writing to insure that all parties involved have a common understanding of what is supposed to happen.
Secondly, on a broader scale, commissions are important because they are the fundamental way that new work continues to be produced. While a composer can certainly chose to create music on his/her own and then try to find a performance after the fact, it is the active partnership between composer and performer -- from the conception of the work through to its premiere -- that is the most fertile ground for the creation of new works.
 How much does a commission cost?
You don’t have to have a lot of money in order to fund a commission. Commission fees can vary widely, and there are all kinds of creative ways to raise money to fund them. My personal approach to negotiating a fee is to sit down with the interested party(s) and talk with them about what sort of project they’re interested in and what kind of resources they have to put forward. Then we work out a fee that is mutually agreeable.
As a general rule of thumb, the larger (and/or longer) the work is, the more it will cost. For instance, a short (under 5 minutes) piece for a solo instrument might cost as little as $300-500; a large-scale choral work is likely to cost several thousand; a full-scale symphony might be as much as $20,000 or more. And obviously, the more famous the composer the higher the fee. But it’s important to remember that every artist deserves to be fairly compensated for his/her work.
All of that said, there are no hard and fast rules, and there are a number of ways in which a composer can be compensated other than money, including a professional recording following the premiere, an agreement to take the piece on-tour, or a performance at a high-profile venue. Sometimes just the profile of the performers themselves is enough of an incentive to write a piece for much less than might otherwise be requested. The variables are as endless as the pieces to be created.
 How can a commission be funded?
Again, the possibilities are endless. Very few organizations, and even fewer individuals, have funds in their budget already designated for the commissioning of new work. Consequently, some kind of funding plan needs to be worked out in conjunction with determining the commission fee. There are many grants that fund commissions; oftentimes an individual patron or group of patrons will want to support a commission (particularly if the commission is in conjunction with a particular event of interest to the patron). Commissioning consortia, though more work to organize and coordinate, can be very effective ways for larger-scale works to be funded, as each participating entity is responsible for only a portion of the total fee. As long as all parties are willing to think creatively and put in some work to seek funding, adequate support for a commission is an attainable goal.
Got an idea? Run it past me and we’ll talk!
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