David Hoose Commissioning Grant

DAVID HOOSE COMMISSIONING GRANT

Building on 45 years of supporting choral compositions and performances throughout the region, Choral Arts New England (CANE) is pleased to now offer the David Hoose Commissioning Grant, a biennial $5,000 grant supporting the commission of meaningful new choral music with instrumental accompaniment. This grant supports new compositions that explore choral music’s unique capacity to help us understand our history, reflect on our present, and envision our future.

Composer, hornist and conductor David Hoose has been an energetic force in the development of choral music in New England for more than 40 years. His deep musical insight, unique programming, and expertise inspire musicians and audiences alike, especially through his 38-year tenure as music director of the Cantata Singers. David Hoose’s musical legacy of commissioned works has elevated the musical landscape through new and substantive additions to the accompanied choral repertoire. This grant is intended to build on that legacy. 

Rich and nuanced musical meaning often peaks when singers and instrumentalists intertwine, their distinctive means of communication underscoring the connections, and their shared musical values enriching the gulf between them. The creation of choral-instrumental compositions has always made challenging, intellectual, emotional and spiritual expression possible—from J.S. Bach to today.

—David Hoose

AWARD CRITERIA

The David Hoose Commissioning Grant is designed to encourage meaningful compositions that broaden the accompanied choral repertory. One $5,000 grant will be awarded in this cycle.  

All applications will be carefully considered by the CANE board, whose reviewing committee will include at least one active composer. Additional application guidance will be available in the application portal. 

The proposed work must:

  • be for chorus and ensemble of at least three instruments;
  • have a duration of at least 5 minutes;
  • have a composer attached to the project;

and

  • be planned for public premiere between January 30, 2026 and June 30, 2028.

 

To honor David’s enduring vision, priority will be given to commissioned works that:

  • are musically substantive, challenging, and adventurous.
  • incorporate texts of literary, artistic, or historic merit.
  • use historical texts as metaphor, encouraging new interpretation of social or spiritual concerns.
  • reflect a social or political focus.
  • encourage the highest level of performance.
  • reach beyond the expected.

 

ELIGIBILITY

Volunteer and professional New England-based choruses, their parent organizations, and other New England-based organizations that provide support to choral music are welcome to apply. This award is not available to individuals. All applicants must be determined by the IRS as tax exempt organizations as described in section 501(c)(3). Unincorporated groups may apply under the auspices of a qualifying fiscal sponsor with appropriate supporting documentation.  

Any project that has been awarded an Alfred Nash Patterson grant will not be considered for the Hoose grant. 

 

AWARD TIMELINE

  • June 1, 2025: Application form is made available at: https://www.choralarts-newengland.org/content/david-hoose-commissioning-grant
  • July 1 - October 31, 2025: Application period
    • Application deadline is October 31, 2025 at 11:59PM ET
  • January 2026: Award winner announced
  • November 2026: Project update provided by award recipient at Choral Arts New England Awards Ceremony
  • January 30, 2026 - June 30, 2028: Allowable period for premiere of funded work
  • Within 90 days of the premiere of funded work: Final project report and financial report due

 

BUDGET

Funding may be used for direct costs for commissioning and premiering the new work. For example:

  • Commissioning fees
  • Instrumentalist fees for performance of commissioned work 
  • Vocalist or narrator fees for performance of commissioned work 
  • Arranger fees for creating a piano-vocal score of commissioned work

 

Examples of costs that are not funded by this grant:

  • Organizational overhead
  • Staff and payroll expenses
  • Recording of the work

 

GRANTEE REQUIREMENTS 

Reporting

The funded organization is requested to attend Choral Arts New England’s Awards Ceremony in November 2026. At least one representative of the grant-receiving organization is expected to attend the ceremony and give a brief presentation on the project. This could include a short oral presentation and/or a live or recorded presentation of the project in part or in whole.

In addition, CANE will provide the awardee with a final reporting form to share the details of their project. This form must be accompanied by the project’s actual reconciled budget within 90 days of the completion of the funded project. Late reports may result in ineligibility for future CANE funding opportunities.

Credit

All published materials and announcements regarding the project must give credit to Choral Arts New England and this grant, for example, “This project is supported in part by the David Hoose Commissioning Grant from Choral Arts New England.” Additional guidelines will be provided with the award notification.

Project Changes

Choral Arts New England must approve in writing any substantial changes to the awarded project, including changes to content, composer, or timeline. All changes must be approved in writing by Choral Arts New England, or funds may be rescinded in part or in whole. 

 

PROJECT EXAMPLES

David Hoose Commissions

Select examples of commissioned works created under David Hoose’s leadership:

  • Peter Child: “Estrella” for two soloists, chorus and chamber orchestra. Dramatic cantata modeled on the Bach cantatas, setting poetry of Ernesto Cardenal, Pablo Antonio Cuadra and Pablo Neruda, as a protest of United States’ policy in Nicaragua in the 1980s. 
  • Donald Sur: “Slavery Documents” for four soloists, chorus and large orchestra. An oratorio for soloists, chorus and large orchestra, drawing upon historical documents relating to American slavery, including texts from the Bible, and by Cotton Mather, Nat Turner, and others. 
  • Elena Ruehr: “Eve” for two soloists, chorus and chamber orchestra. A single movement cantata using texts from Genesis. The piece reframes Eve as a powerful bringer of knowledge who chooses sight over blindness.
  • Lior Navok: “And the Trains Kept Coming…” for two soloists, two narrators, boy soprano, chorus and orchestra. A multi-movement work that uses as sung and spoken text original documents, memos, letters, telegrams, newspaper ads and speeches concerning the Allied responses to knowledge of the World War II death camps.

 

A complete list of commissioned works for chorus and orchestral ensemble that have been guided by David Hoose may be found at https://www.cantatasingers.org/davidhoose.