5 Surprising Benefits of Commissioning New Music
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At its core, commissioning a piece of music is straightforward. You fund the creation of an original work, and in return, your name is permanently credited on the score as the person who made it possible. The composer writes the piece specifically for you, shaped by your creative direction, and delivers something that did not exist before you made it happen.
Works by composers like Beethoven and Mozart were often created through commissions, funded by individuals and institutions who believed in supporting new music. That same model continues today. In fact, organizations like the American Composers Forum highlight commissioning as one of the primary ways new music enters the repertoire and remains relevant in modern performance.
That alone is worth knowing. But the benefits do not stop there.
1. You Become a Collaborative Partner
One of the most overlooked perks of commissioning a piece is the direct relationship it creates between the commissioner and the composer. This is not a transaction where money changes hands and a file gets emailed over. It is a genuine creative partnership.
The relationship with the composer is a huge benefit of commissioning. The composer, who has worked on a piece for several months, wants to see it all the way through to a performance. Composers are excited to work with you.
That collaborative relationship is something no streaming service, music library, or sheet music purchase can offer. You are working directly with the artist, shaping the direction of something original, and walking away with a piece that reflects your vision.
In some cases, commissioners also receive additional perks such as a free meet-and-greet session with the composer, early access to materials, and recognition at the premiere performance.
2. Your Name Travels With the Music
Here is the benefit most people do not expect. When your name is credited on a commissioned piece, it does not stay in one place. It travels everywhere the music goes.
Every musician who downloads or purchases the score sees your name before they play a single note. Every concert program that features the piece carries your name alongside it. Every performance introduces your name to a new audience. Over time, that kind of consistent, repeated visibility within an engaged and educated community builds something that most traditional forms of sponsoring or advertising simply cannot replicate.
Commissioning a composer to write music specifically tailored to your artistic vision widens your audience, as fans of that composer's work become interested in your project, and allows for more promotional exposure from the composer's network and the organizations with which the composer is involved.
That exposure grows naturally over time without any additional effort or budget on your part.
3. You Are Directly Supporting a Living Artist
Commissioning new music is one of the most direct and meaningful ways to support a working composer. Unlike purchasing sheet music through a large distributor, where the composer sees very little of the revenue, a commission puts the full value of your support directly in the hands of the artist.
With commissions, you can instill value in other artists. The composer gets all or most of the money from commissions.
This matters. Supporting a living composer through a commission is not just a transaction. It is an act of artistic patronage that funds the creation of something new, keeps a working musician doing what they do best, and contributes directly to the growth and expansion of the classical music repertoire.
4. It Promotes New Music for Generations
Chamber Music America's Classical Commissioning program began in 1984. Since then, it has funded nearly 300 new works, providing grants to ensembles and presenters whose programming includes Western European and contemporary classical music.
That is nearly 300 pieces that exist today because someone decided to make them happen. Each one of those works represents a commissioner who believed in something new enough to fund its creation. Each one carries the name of that commissioner wherever it is performed.
Commissioning is how the classical repertoire grows. It is how new generations of musicians discover new music. And it is how the names of patrons, organizations, and individuals become permanently woven into the fabric of classical music history.
5. Anybody Can Do This
You do not need a music background. You do not need industry connections. You do not need to be part of the classical music world at all. A commission is open to individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations, music educators, philanthropists, and anyone who values the creation of something original and lasting.
Whether you want to celebrate a specific person, mark an important milestone, raise awareness for a cause, or simply leave your name on something that outlasts everything else, commissioning a new piece of music is one of the most exciting, rewarding, and meaningful things you can do.
Commission a Solo Double Bass Piece
If you have been thinking about commissioning a new work, here is your opportunity. Xavier Foley, Curtis Institute of Music graduate and Carnegie Hall soloist, is now accepting commissions for original solo double bass compositions. Every piece is written from scratch, shaped by your creative direction, and delivered with your name permanently credited at the very top of the score.
Your commissioned piece can be included in a published collection already reaching over 3,500 active bass players worldwide, announced to a mailing list of 8,000 musicians at release, and performed on stage with your name acknowledged from the stage at every concert and recital.
This is open to anybody. All are welcome.
Xavier Foley is a double bassist, composer, and Curtis Institute of Music graduate. His works have been commissioned by Carnegie Hall, the San Francisco Symphony, The Juilliard School, and many others. Learn more at xavierfoley.com