"Scott's Passion for Bach and Coltrane is a riveting and hopeful work that looks back in time into the histories of Western art music, jazz, poetry, and religious figures... But the work is powerfully forward looking: it draws on these past events with an eye on what is still to come, with a heart-full path for how to be in our new work." – The San Francisco Classical Voice

"Ensuring that the evening (didn’t) go too far down the rabbit hole of dark and moody music, 21st century composer Jeff Scott’s Toccata for Clarinet and Piano is a wonderful blend of classical arpeggios blended with jazz motifs. Although his primary instrument is the French horn, Scott has a long history working with jazz and dance ensembles and that rhythmic understanding is at the core of Toccata." – The Coastland Times

“Splendidly played... Radiant in new repertoire for the trumpet (featuring Mary Elizabeth Bowden)... the title track ‘Radiance’ shows just how chaste and radiant a piccolo trumpet can be...” – Gramophone Magazine

I am thrilled to be collaborating with 2024 GRAMMY® Award-winning composer Jeff Scott, whose self-described ‘Urban Classical Music’ is rooted in European traditions and informed by his own African American culture and experience of growing up in a diverse environment with many musical influences. Jeff Scott is also the former founding french hornist of the internationally acclaimed wind quintet Imani Winds, bringing his immense experience as a performer and innovator who has himself commissioned and premiered countless contemporary works. This new concerto will be a worthy addition to the classical canon that also reimagines and expands the possibilities of a centuries-old tradition for today's ears. Blues, Jazz, and the American symphonic tradition come together in this soulful work retracing our collective history, and looking ahead to the future.

Project Details

Consortium Period: 2026/27, 2027/28 seasons
Instrumentation: 2,2,2,2; 4,2,3,1; timpani, percussion, strings
Duration: 17 minutes
Commission Fee: $20,000 total (including engraving); seeking 10-15 partners including lead commissioner TBD
Premiere Performance Rights Exclusivity for Consortium Members: through August 2028
World Premiere: TBD

• Ms. Bowden will be the soloist for all premiere performances
• Can be paired with a trumpet concerto of the co-commissioning orchestra’s preference (including double concerti or short works featuring the orchestral trumpet principal); please see her full rep list
• Soloist fee: negotiable, plus airfare and lodging
• Mr. Scott will be available for radio appearances, outreach, discussions and other publicity events
• Travel fees for Mr. Scott will be negotiated separately from this agreement, if requested