Jennifer Higdon

The Santa Fe Opera and the Opera Company of Philadelphia have commissioned Higdon to write an opera based upon the best-selling novel, "Cold Mountain", by Charles Frazier. Higdon has partnered with librettist Gene Scheer. The opera will feature the baritone Nathan Gunn in the role of W.P. Inman, the Confederate soldier who deserts the army as the Civil War is coming to an end. Santa Fe Opera will perform the world premiere during the summer of 2015 and the Opera Company of Philadelphia will perform the work in February, 2016.

The Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress and the Koussevitzky Music Foundation, Inc. have awarded Higdon a commission to write a new work for the Cypress String Quartet. This new work will be written for the quartet and soprano voice, and the text will be based on poems written by W.S. Merwin.

Higdon has been named the recipient of the 2012 A.I. du Pont Award, an award given annually by the Delaware Symphony to living composers for their outstanding contributions to contemporary classical music. Previous winners include John Adams, Steve Reich and Joan Tower. Higdon's work, Soprano Sax Concerto, will be performed by the orchestra on February 24 and 25, 2012.

Higdon's Echo Dash to be performed by Hilary Hahn

In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores:

Critics have said of Higdon's work that it is "bright, lively and lyrical" and "with its delightfully staggered lines is surely destined to take its place among Hahn's most popular encores-to-be."

In the spring, there will an additional 11 concerts internationally, in six countries.

Higdon has finished a work for wind ensemble titled Road Stories. Commissioned by a consortium of 33 wind ensembles around the country, it was recently premiered by Jerry Junkin and the University of North Texas Wind Ensemble and is now available to rent.

February 4, 2012
Violin Concerto

The South Dakota Symphony, Delta David Geier (conducting), and soloist Benjamin Beilman will perform Higdon's concerto which won the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 2010.

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The premiere recording of Higdon's On the Death of the Righteous has been released by the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelpha on a CD titled Metamorphosis. Under the dynamic leadership of artistic director Alan Harler, Mendelssohn Club has demonstrated a major commitment to new music in recording three original works by American contemporary composers. Higdon's work was commissioned to be performed on a program with the Verdi Requiem, and she chose a sermon by poet and clergyman John Donne to match the Requiem in weight and mood. The CD is being released on the Innova label and is now available for sale on the Mendelssohn Club website (www.mcchorus.org) and will be available online in March, 2012.

The world premiere of All Things Majestic has been recorded and released by the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra. Conducted by Music Director Donald Runnicles, this recording is an all-encompassing exploration of the natural wonders of Grand Teton National Park and is coupled with stunning photographs from renowned wildlife and national parks photographers Edward A. Riddell, Thomas D. Mangelsen and Henry H. Holdsworth. Available as both audio and visual presentations, this latest work of Higdon can be purchased through the Grand Teton Music Festival website (www.gtmf.org).