The selected composers made a distinguished yet eclectic group: Hans Werner Henze, Kaija Saariaho, Giya Kancheli, John Corigliano, Somie Satoh and Thomas Adès.
Any limitation, though, is more than balanced by the opportunity to hear the selected composers in depth.
The organization hopes that as the selected composers learn how to write for the voice and develop plot lines, they will progress to writing more substantial works.
And as Mr. Harbison explained recently during a break, in selecting composers well into their careers (all are in their early-to-mid-30's), he and Ms. Upshaw felt that it would be inappropriate to expect the participants to remake themselves.
In a statement the organization said it had also selected the composer and musician Yusef Lateef; the pianist Muhal Richard Abrams; the vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson; the composer and arranger Bill Holman; and the pianist and composer Cedar Walton for the honor.
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They selected four composers (Lisa Bielawa, Gabriela Lena Frank, James Matheson and Keeril Makan) and paired them with four singers they didn't know (Natalie Janssen, Robert Gardner, Leena Chopra and Laurie Rubin).
Although its main theme was originally announced to be composed by Nobuo Uematsu, Uematsu instead gave it to Hamauzu to compose after being selected as the composer for Final Fantasy XIV, making XIII the first game in the main series to not have any work by Uematsu.
A program of dance by collaborators selected by the composer Philip Hamilton -- the choreographers Ann Reinking, Andrea E. Woods and Kevin Wynn and the video artist George Larkins II -- will be presented tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon and evening.
This work, based on biblical texts selected by the composer, made a strong impact at its first performance at Bremen on Good Friday, 1868; after this, it was performed throughout Germany.
