George S. Clinton Appointed Composer in Residence at Arts Capacity

Arts Capacity has appointed acclaimed Hollywood film composer George S. Clinton as Composer in Residence. The residency launches with a new commissioning project titled on Sibling Rivalry, a new work by Clinton commissioned by violin soloist and Arts Capacity founder Holly Mulcahy. Clinton is an award winning composer whose work spans film, television, and concert music, bringing a narrative driven approach that aligns naturally with Arts Capacity's mission.

Sibling Rivalry will feature Mulcahy alongside her brother, Craig Mulcahy, Principal Trombone of the National Symphony Orchestra. The piece explores the emotional complexity of sibling relationships, including competition, jealousy, arguments, teasing, support, loyalty, and love. Craig Mulcahy joins the project not only as a featured artist, but as an integral voice in a work that reflects the lived dynamics of a sibling relationship. These universal dynamics form the emotional core of a concert program originally developed for incarcerated audiences and shaped by Arts Capacity's prison concert work, while resonating broadly with audiences in educational and community settings.

Mulcahy is developing a concert program anchored by Sibling Rivalry that can travel to remote prisons across the country, as well as facilities where Arts Capacity currently maintains active programs. The program uses live performance and guided conversation to help participants enhance emotional intelligence, explore conflict and resolution, and practice listening and communication skills. Additional works by living composers will be included on the program and will be announced at a later date.

In addition to prison performances, this concert program is being developed for presentation in colleges, universities, and community settings. These presentations may include lecture concerts, classroom residencies, and moderated discussions, allowing audiences to engage with the emotional themes of Sibling Rivalry through both music and conversation.

Arts Capacity has brought live music into prisons for ten years and has collected extensive data demonstrating that incarcerated audiences often connect more deeply with living composers than with assumed classical favorites. Their data also underscores the importance of live performance over recordings, and shows how direct engagement with audiences opens emotional space, breaks down barriers, and fosters genuine connection.

Lessons learned through prison concert work have also influenced how Arts Capacity affiliated artists engage with traditional symphony audiences. The organization emphasizes dialogue, context, and human connection as essential components of performance.

Arts Capacity's approach has been adopted by partner organizations that incorporate new music, open conversation, and bridge building into their programming. Partner organizations include the South Carolina Philharmonic, the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, and The Michael O'Neal Singers.

George S. Clinton's appointment as Composer in Residence reflects Arts Capacity's continued commitment to new music and meaningful access.

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