Spectrum Ensemble's premier concert celebrates the start of our journey advocating for increased LGBTQ representation in classical music. It will take place May 4th, 2019 at the Denton Black Box Theater in Denton, Texas.

In this program we will perform world premieres of works specially commissioned by four wonderful Queer composers who produce some of the most exciting new music of our time, along with some of your favorite composers like Leonard Bernstein and Samuel Barber. 

​By drawing attention to the lineage of Queer composers through the last century, we shine a new light on the significance of LGBTQA+ individuals in the world of classical music.

Now more than ever we are learning how important representation is. It is essential for moving toward a world with greater social equity.

As young musicians, we found acceptance in the music community because of our achievement in performance. Later as adults that we looked back and realized that, despite the wealth of Queer artists in the Classical music world, we seldom knew about them because their Queer identity was seldom taught or discussed. The unintentional result is that young queer musicians are being taught that their queer identity is less valuable to their art than their technical proficiency.

There's been some good discussion about representation in Classical music. There are even groups like the Chineke! Orchestra, made up of majority black and minority musicians. However, LGBTQ+ representation still is yet to be addressed by most of the Classical music community. That's where Spectrum Ensemble comes in!

Founded by Jaime Esposito and Stephen Hall - friends ever since their undergraduate studies together at Northwestern University - Spectrum Ensemble is a new music group focused on creating great music while specifically aiming to increase representation of Queer artists in the Classical music community.

To achieve their mission, Spectrum Ensemble commissions new works by Queer composers and performs them in concerts along with great works by famous composers throughout history who were Queer. After their premiere in Denton, Texas, Spectrum Ensemble plans to take our concerts on the road - first to Texas and the Southern US, and eventually throughout the entire country.

From each of their events, a portion of proceeds is donated to a select charity (for A NEW LIGHT, proceeds will be donated to the Coalition for Aging LGBT). 

Through their work, Spectrum Ensemble champions the work of - and creates opportunities for - Queer musicians and composers, supports great causes in the LGBTQ+ community, and helps contribute to the long movement toward increased representation and social equity.

Since A NEW LIGHT is Spectrum Ensemble's very first concert, it is vital that we make a great impression so that we can continue our mission moving forward. By commissioning works several great composers and getting top-rate recordings of the concert, we will be able to apply for big grants to fund future projects, enabling us to build as we move forward.

At a minimum, we aim to cover our expenses for this concert. However the more we raise, the more concert proceeds we will be able to donate to the CFA, and the more we will have a running start leading into our next concerts!

EXPENSES:
Commissioning Fees:  $2000
Performance Space:  $840
Advertising/Designer/Posters/Printing/etc: $600
Performer Fees: $700
Travel Costs: $1500
Rental Fees: $300
Recording/Photography: $1600
TOTAL: $7540

When/where is the concert?
Saturday, May 4th @ 2:30pm -
Denton Black Box Theater
318 E Hickory St, Denton, TX 76201

Tickets are $20 for adults. $10 for students w/ ID.
Kids 12 and under free!

Will you be performing any more concerts?
That is the plan! We are focusing most of our energy right now on making this first concert a huge success, but we hope to perform several more concerts with this program in the following months, AND we already are planning our next round of big commissions.

Can I hire you to come perform in my town?
You can! By making a tax-deductible donation on this page (choose the "Producer" donation level), we will come and perform our concert program for you. Aside from this crowdfunding campaign, we are always open to talking to concert organizers about having us come play at your venue.

Is this concert kid-friendly?
Yes, and we are so excited that you are interested in your children experiencing diversity represented in their arts and entertainment. Our program is not specifically tailored for children, but this concert is all percussion instruments, and we have found that kids tend to LOVE that.

We just ask that if your child starts to have disruptive behavior (especially loud noises), you take them out of the concert until they are ready to watch the concert quietly again.

If you think your kid would enjoy the concert but might be a distraction, we are happy to instruct you how to watch the concert for free via our online live stream.

When will I receive my reward?
It depends on the reward, and how many rewards we need to send out. Some rewards we will be able to send out within a few days after the concert. Some of them (such as the audio and video recordings) need to be processed and created before being sent out, so they will take a bit longer. Please feel free to contact us with any questions about when your specific reward will come.

I want to help but can't contribute financially. How can I do that?
That is okay! There are several ways you can support us (and support LGBTQ+ representation!) if you can't donate financially: