Help Us Celebrate our 25th Anniversary!
Donate to CASA & Commission any CASA Composer.
The Composers Alliance of San Antonio is proud to announce "Places in South Texas,” an ambitious, collaborative set of events intended to celebrate its 25th anniversary and the city that is our organization’s home. For the project, CASA composers will work with a patron to identify a San Antonio-area location that is a source of mutual inspiration. The patron will donate a set amount to CASA, and the composer will respond by writing a commissioned work about that special place, dedicated to the patron. The commissioned composition may be for piano quartet (or subgroup) or choir. CASA will then work with the performers to make a video recording of an on-site performance of the commissioned work, and as the videos are edited, they will be added to a video album available through CASA’s YouTube channel. In addition, CASA will produce two concerts of the works in its 25th anniversary season, and during these live performances, videos of the San Antonio-area sites that inspired the compositions will be shown. Although there is no predetermined limit to the number of pieces written for the project, CASA hopes to have each member of CASA contribute a piece, for a total of 25 pieces, each of 3-10 minutes.
Here's who has been commissioned already:
Samuel Gaskin - cello
Peter Petroff - piano
Kevin Salfen - viola & piano
William J. Ross - cello & piano
Ken Metz - viola & piano
Timothy Kramer - piano quartet
Beth May - violin & cello
Juan Luis de Pablo Enriquez de Rohen- piano quartet
Charles Goodhue - piano quartet
Beth May - piano quartet
Brian Bondari - piano quartet
Guide for Interested Patrons
CASA’s Silver Anniversary Commissions
The Composers Alliance of San Antonio (CASA) was started in 1999 with just a few composers meeting each month. These meetings went on for a couple of years before our first all-CASA concert in the fall of 2002 at Trinity University. CASA became a non-profit 501(c)(3) in 2005. Our 25th year, then, starts in 2024. CASA has grown to have more than 25 members, and so, our season in 2025 is the perfect time for us to celebrate our silver anniversary with a capital campaign to raise $25,000. The $25,000 will help us by supplementing our budget with a stream of income, providing a cash cushion for larger projects.
(Download Commissioning Guide PDF here)
Commission a piece of music. Be a part of history.
In the history of Western classical music many of the most beloved pieces of music came about because a patron supported its creation. We invite all to support our group by commissioning a CASA composer to write in a piece in their honor, or in honor of someone else. At the top of the finished score, the work will always have a dedication with the patron’s name attached.
There are two options for next season.
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The work will be written for Agarita (https://www.agarita.org/), a piano quartet (violin, viola, cello, piano) - or a subset thereof - and premiered throughout the San Antonio area. Specifically, the work will reflect distinct sites around San Antonio. The composer and patron may decide on any place that inspires them in the San Antonio area. Agarita will perform the work on site and again in a special concert in the fall of 2025. Donors have a choice about the size and scope of the piece and may indicate a particular area within the 10 districts of San Antonio that they like.
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The work will be written for choir. At the time of this writing (May 1, 2024) CASA has no choir committed to this project, but we are looking at several options. The donor may want to have a particular text set or want the choir to sing at a particular site in San Antonio, similar to Agarita.
Here is the suggested commission schedule:
- $2,500 – Chamber work for full ensemble (4 players) – about 10 minutes in length $1,000 – Duo (2 players – about 7 to 10 minutes in length)
- $500 – Solo work about 5 minutes in length.
- $750 to $1,500 – Work for Choir from 3 to 6 minutes in length.
It is also possible that multiple donor-patrons will want to group their support together (e.g., 5 donors at $100 each, or 5 donors at $500 each). The donor(s) may want to celebrate a special occasion, or a special person, with a piece of music. Payment will be in two parts: half at the time of the commission, and half at the delivery of the score. If, for some reason, the score is not completed, the commission will be returned to the patron(s).
Donors will know they are creating a lasting legacy, not only for CASA, but for the repertoire. And – donations to CASA are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
For example:
A donor wants a chamber work about the Echo Bridge. The donor pays $2,500 for a full chamber work to be played by Agarita in the 2025 concert season. Their name would be at the top of the score, as an attribution. (e.g., Commissioned by XXXX in celebration of 25 years of CASA.) The funds go to CASA and the CASA composer donates their time to write the piece. Agarita plays the piece under the Echo Bridge and plays it again in the fall of 2025. The composer retains the copyrights.
Choose your CASA composer
Our membership is as wide ranging in styles as it it is in age. Check out our member pages here, with links to biographies, music, and more information. <https://casatx.org/about/members/>
Feel free to reach out to CASA and/or members directly.
Commissioning Agreement
(Download Commissioning Agreement PDF here)
YES. I want to be a part of CASA’s 25th anniversary project!
Donor/Commissioner Name:
Co-commissioner(s) (if any):
Contact Information:
-Email:
-Phone:
I (We) want to commission the following CASA composer.
CASA Composer name:
I (we) request a piece for (choose one):
- Agarita Piano Quartet (Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello) - ca. 10 minutes - $2,500 Trio (any three of instruments above) - about 7 to 8 minutes - $1,750
- Duo (any two of the above instruments) about 6 to 7 minutes - $1,000 Solo (any instruments above) – about 5 to 6 minutes - $500
- Choir (size to be determined) – about 3 minutes - $750
- Choir (size to be determined) – about 5 to 6 minutes - $1,500
I (we) will communicate what we want dedicated on the score to the composer.
FOR EXAMPLE: Commissioned by DONOR(S) in honor of/ in memory of/ in celebration of/ ....
I(We) agree to deliver two payments to the Composers Alliance of San Antonio, either by check or by use of their Square payment on CASA’s website: https://casatx.org/contact/support/ 50% due to CASA upon signing of the agreement.
50% due to CASA upon delivery of the score.
IF THE SCORE IS NOT FINISHED, FUNDS WILL BE REIMBURSED TO DONOR(S).
Signatures:
Donor(s):
Date:
Composer:
Date:
CASA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Donate now online on Square:
Or, send us a check at:
Composers Alliance of San Antonio
Attn. Brian Bondari
25719 Coreopsis
San Antonio, TX 78261
The Voice of New Music in San Antonio