BMI & Classical Music
From John Adams, who was recently named the "most performed living American Composer" to Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Music, BMI composers cover the full spectrum of contemporary classical music… read more
David Fulmer Named Winner of the 2013 Carlos Surinach Commission

The BMI Foundation has announced David Fulmer as this year's winner of the Surinach Commission. Established by a generous donation from the late composer Carlos Surinach, the Commission is awarded through a partnership program between the BMI Foundation and the Concert Artists Guild in New York. Each year, one winner of the Concert Artists Guild annual competition who has demonstrated a commitment to performing the work of living…
The Numbers Are In. BMI Writers Take More Than 53% of the 2013 GRAMMYS!

Year after year, we are proud that BMI songwriters have taken home a majority of The GRAMMYS, and 2013 is no exception. This time around, BMI writers claimed an impressive 53+% of the awards. Some of the evening's most memorable highlights include: BMI songwriters Jack Antonoff and Jeff Bhasker winning Song of the Year for “We Are Young;” fun. being crowned Best New Artist; Gotye's infectious track "Somebody That I…
10 Questions: Mark O’Connor

It’s not only the sheer number of Mark O’Connor’s musical accomplishments that set him apart—it’s their variety, and above all, their pioneering influence. His career has taken him from teenage fiddle champion to in-demand sideman for the likes of the David Grisman Quintet and The Dixie Dregs to first-call Nashville session player, Grammy-winning recording artist, leading folk-savvy classical composer and, most recently, creator of an entirely new approach to education…
BMI Mourns the Loss of Dave Brubeck

Renowned pianist and BMI Jazz Composer Dave Brubeck passed away December 5, 2012 one day before his 92nd birthday. Brubeck released nearly 100 albums over his career with his signature of complex rhythmic patterns leading him to be one of the first jazz musicians to frequently play in more than one musical key at a time. In December of 2010, his quartet won the DownBeat readers’ poll as the best…
BMI Mourns the Loss of Pulitzer Prize Winning Composer Elliott Carter

BMI Composer Elliott Carter, internationally known and highly respected for his eclectic, sometimes difficult to grasp musical style, has died at the age of 103. A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Mr. Carter worked unceasingly almost up until his death, having completed his two last works in this calendar year: 12 Short Epigrams, a piano work written for Pierre-Laurent Aimard; and a work for chamber orchestra, Instances,…
61st Annual BMI Student Composer Awards Competition Underway

BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and BMI Student Composer Awards Director Deirdre Chadwick have announced the opening of the 61st annual BMI Student Composer Awards competition. The competition, which is co-sponsored by BMI and the BMI Foundation, will award $20,000 in prizes. Student composers under the ages of 28 who are citizens of the Western Hemisphere (North, South and Central America, the Caribbean Island Nations, and the Hawaiian Islands)…
60th Annual BMI Student Composer Award Winners Announced

Nine young classical composers, ages 16 to 27, have been named winners in the 60th Annual BMI Student Composer Awards. Composer and Jury member Joseph Schwantner, BMI President and CEO Del Bryant and BMI Foundation President Ralph N. Jackson announced the decisions of the jury and presented the awards at a reception held May 11, 2012 at the Jumeirah Essex House Hotel in New York City.…
BMI Composer Kevin Puts Wins 2012 Pulitzer for Music

BMI composer Kevin Puts was named the 2012 Pulitzer Prize winner in music on Monday, April 16. His prize-winning World War I masterpiece Silent Night, which premiered in Minnesota last year, is Puts’ first opera. A native of St. Louis, Puts is a three-time BMI Student Composer Award recipient who joined BMI in 1996. He serves on the faculty of the Peabody Institute and works in…
Deirdre Chadwick Elected to Board of BMI Foundation, Inc.

Deirdre Chadwick has been elected to the Board of Directors of the BMI Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to encouraging the creation, performance and study of music. Formed by BMI employees in 1985, the organization sponsors a variety of programs designed to support music education, encourage talented young musicians in all genres of music, and to promote music in communities all across America. “We are delighted to welcome Deirdre…
10 Questions: Steven Mackey

Steven Mackey is an accomplished and decorated composer, performer, and teacher of innovative contemporary classical music. His works felicitously merge various styles within classical, rock, opera and music theater genres. His most recent project, Lonely Motel, received four Grammy nominations and won for Best Small Ensemble Performance. Mackey was generous enough to entertain questions even amid the heady whirl of Grammy weekend. 1. Describe your recent…
