The Foundation for Contemporary Arts was started in 1963 by visual artists in a spirit of community, hoping to assist and encourage innovation, experimentation and potential in the arts. Since then, exhibitions and sales of works donated by nearly 900 artists have made possible a program of non-restrictive grants to individuals working in dance, music/sound, performance art/theater, poetry and the visual arts.

David Harris directs the Young Men’s Chorus of BYC in the world premier of Twining’s Mizmor Aleph, Psalm 1 in Hebrew.

Be a Part of the next Radio Radiance Broadcast by the Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC). Radio Radiance is a series in which technology and the human voice overlap to make new sounds and great music. Artistic Director/Founder Francisco J. Núñez will conduct the world premiere of Twining’s WICBM, hosted by YPC’s longtime friend and collaborator John Schaefer from WNYC.

Eileen Clark, Eric Brenner, Malina Rauschenfels, Christopher Preston Thompson, and Steven Hrycelak join Toby Twining in a performance of works from Eurydice, Wandering, and music for solo cello.

Meet the Composer has just announced the awardees for the 2011 COMMISSIONING MUSIC/USA program. This year, MTC awarded $210,000 to 18 soloists and organizations to commission 18 new works. Composers at the leading edge of contemporary classical, electronic, and experimental music will join a world‐class group of soloists and ensembles to present a groundbreaking front of creativity within the greater artistic community.

JACK Quartet has been awarded funds to commission Toby Twining for an experimental quartet in extended harmonic techniques for strings.

COMMISSIONING MUSIC/USA is a landmark commissioning program developed by Meet The Composer in response to a critical need on the part of the music community. COMMISSIONING MUSIC/USA provides national support for the commissioning and multiple performances of new works representing all styles of music. The program provides support for emerging and established composers, promotes wider knowledge and appreciation of contemporary works, and encourages organizations to work together to build the repertoire for new music.

Composer and vocalist Toby Twining has been awarded a 2011 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship.

Toby Twining Music is also celebrating the release of two recordings on CD: Eurydice was released in February 2011 by Cantaloupe records. Eurydice began as a score for Sarah Ruhl’s play of the same name, directed by Blanka Zizka and produced for the Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia in 2008. Meanwhile, Sony Records is re-releasing Twining’s 1994 song cycle, Shaman, the groundbreaking recording that originally brought national attention to his inventive style of choral music.

Click here to listen to Twining’s song, “Yes Yes Yes”