The Composers Alliance of San Antonio (CASA) is the most active organization for composers in San Antonio and South-Central Texas. Our mission is to support composers to create a variety of new concert pieces, electronic installations, and/or arrangements for traditional ensembles, professional groups, or young musicians. Our monthly meetings provide networking opportunities, our concerts present our members' music to a wide audience in San Antonio and beyond, and our publication series offers an expanded repertoire for young musicians and their teachers. CASA was founded in 1999 when a group of San Antonio composers, many of them associated with the city’s universities, began to gather routinely, inspired by the idea of a French salon. CASA now partners regularly with local and regional ensembles, institutions, teachers, and students to bring the best in new music to our region and beyond.
As an organization based in San Antonio, CASA is actively working to build a more inclusive and equitable new music community. The creative act of composing gives us the opportunity to work to overcome systemic inequity by focusing on specific projects that bring more people to the table. This has led us to collaborate with local poets, work with young musicians of all socio-economic backgrounds, and work with composers who come from a wide range of experiences, cultures, and ages. As we continue to grow, CASA will support a new music community that is equitable, inclusive and diverse.
The “Made in SA” initiative, designed to encourage collaboration between student pianists, their teachers, and living composers, has led to the publication of four books (Made in SA I-IV, Kefāli Press). It has now expanded to include other instruments as well in an annual concert of the same name. Recent projects include an art song initiative SA24 with associated concerts and a documentary film, a project with ~Nois saxophone quartet, Adelante Winds, YOSA Philharmonic, with several new collaborations in the works.
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.
***Read the Commissioning Guide here***
Wild Symphony: YOSA Philharmonic & San Antonio Zoo join with CASA composers
May 12, 2024 (Sunday)
7 p.m. @ HEB Performance Hall
Experience the world premiere of compositions by CASA members inspired by animals at the San Antonio Zoo: “A San Antonio Carnival of the Animals.” This concert will also feature Respighi’s show-stopping "Pines of Rome" with special guest the San Antonio Brass Band, plus a solo performance by the 2023/24 YOSA Concerto Competition Winner. Don’t miss this wild musical adventure through the animal kingdom.
Address: Tobin Center for the Performing Arts | 100 Auditorium Circle, San Antonio, TX 78205. Tickets.
Order your commemorative poster of the San Antonio Carnival of the Animals now
Poster hand drawn by SA artist Hilary Rochow
Place your order here for a commemorative poster, designed by Hilary Rochow, for "A San Antonio Carnival of the Animals," with hand-drawn illustrations of all 13 animals, composer/title/animal information.
You will be invoiced, and the invoice will go to the email address you indicate in this form.
Google Form to order the commemorative poster: Click Here
2024 Spring Season Brochure
View on Canva | Download PDF.
CASA season brochure designed by Yvonne Freckmann.
CASA is proud to invite YOU to its 2024 season of concerts with great partners in San Antonio, Texas: January - May 2024. Read more on our Events page.
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CASA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Want to join us, subscribe to our newsletter, or support our cause?
The Voice of New Music in San Antonio