Composition

The Composition Lab is a unique feature to El Sistema Oklahoma, and is offered to all students. El Sistema Oklahoma's Composition Lab is managed by Oklahoma composers and performers, giving students the freedom and opportunity to create their own music. A musical opportunity offered by the ESO Composition Lab comes through a partnership between El Sistema Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University's Project 21 Composer Initiative. Every February, El Sistema student composers have their compositions performed by OCU student musicians in the Wanda L. Bass School of Music. Student composers are able to hear their compositions performed live, which is a transformative experience for our student composers and the audiences who attend.

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ESO student composers have also had their compositions performed in public venues. 

In 2019, El Sistema student composition Adventurous Voyage was premiered by the Oklahoma City Philharmonic in their October 5, 2019 Classics concert under the baton of OKC Philharmonic Music Director Alexander Mickelthwate. El Sistema's most recent student composition performance was Laos, a bass concerto premiered at the El Sistema 2022 Spring Concert by ESO's Esperanza Orchestra. 

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El Sistema's student compositions have been featured at Carnegie Hall's PlayUSA Annual Convening in New York City, and have been presented to Grammy-award winning string quartet PUBLIQuartet.