California Symphony Announces Viet Cuong As New Young American Composer-in-Residence

California Symphony and Music Director Donato Cabrera announced today that Viet Cuong has been selected as the orchestra's new Young American Composer-in-Residence, for the three-year period from August 1, 2020 through July 31, 2023. Launched in 1991, the intensely competitive Young American Composer-In-Residence program has been hailed as "model for residency programs across the country," (Mercury News) offering outstanding, emerging American composers a unique opportunity to write orchestral music while working with a professional orchestra and conductor, and to engage with the local Bay Area community over a three-year period.

Born in Southern California and now living in Washington D.C., Viet Cuong, 29, enjoys exploring the unexpected and whimsical in his music, and he is drawn to projects where he can make peculiar combinations and sounds feel enchanting or oddly satisfying. His works include a percussion quartet concerto, tuba concerto, snare drum solo, and, most recently, a concerto for two oboes. Cuong is also passionate about bringing different facets of the contemporary music community together.

Music Director Donato Cabrera said: "Even among this year's large field of composer applicants, Viet was the clear front-runner. I am extremely excited to share three new pieces by this talented composer with our Bay Area audiences over the coming three years."

Cuong said: "It's hard to put into words just how thrilled I am to be joining the California Symphony's community. There are so many possibilities when composing for orchestra, and-while it's much easier said than done-I think the ideal way to develop and refine one's symphonic voice is to write plenty of orchestral music and hear it performed. I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity to do all of this with Donato Cabrera and the Symphony's musicians over the next three years."

Cuong holds an Artist Diploma from the Curtis Institute, an MFA from Princeton University, and Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Peabody Conservatory. He is currently finishing his PhD at Princeton. His prior experience includes connections with two former California Symphony composers-in-residence. Cuong studied under Kevin Puts (California Symphony Composer-in-Residence, 1996-1999) for his Bachelors in Music at the Peabody Conservatory, 2008-2011, and he was Associate Artist in Residence at the Atlantic Artists Center in 2014 under Christopher Theofanidis (California Symphony Composer-in-Residence 1994-1996).

"Viet's music is always full of incredible invention and delight. Every piece I have heard of his sparkles with color and great imagination," said Christopher Theofanidis.

Kevin Puts said: "This couldn't be a better choice... His works are vibrant and dazzling, crafted with as much care and confidence as anything being written these days. Congratulations to Viet and I know he will produce great things for the California Symphony!"

Katherine Balch is the California Symphony's current Young American Composer-in-Residence. Her residency comes to and end this summer and her final commission, Iluminate, a song cycle for three voices and orchestra will be premiered at the upcoming FATE AND FUTURE concerts, March 14 & 15, at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek.

Balch said: "My residency with the California Symphony has been a dream come true. I'm so grateful to the orchestra, the staff, the board, and especially Music Director Donato Cabrera, Concertmaster Jenny Cho, and Senior Director of Operations and Education Sunshine Deffner, for putting so much love and care into my music and my growth as an artist these past three years. It's bittersweet to pass the torch, but I can't wait to see what exciting music comes out of Viet's tenure with the Symphony."

Called "alluring" and "wildly inventive" by The New York Times, Viet Cuong's music has been performed on six continents by musicians including Sō Percussion, Eighth Blackbird, Alarm Will Sound, Sandbox Percussion, the PRISM Quartet, JACK Quartet, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Minnesota Orchestra, Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, and Albany Symphony, in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, and Midwest Clinic. Viet's awards include the Barlow Endowment Commission, ASCAP Morton Gould Award, Copland House Residency Award, Suzanne and Lee Ettelson Award, Theodore Presser Foundation Music Award, New York Youth Symphony First Music Commission, Cortona Prize, Walter Beeler Memorial Prize, and Boston Guitarfest Competition. He also received honorable mentions in the Harvey Gaul Memorial Competition and two consecutive ASCAP/CBDNA Frederick Fennell Prizes. Viet has held artist residencies at Yaddo, Ucross, and the Atlantic Center for the Arts, and was a fellow at the Mizzou International Composers Festival, Eighth Blackbird Creative Lab, Cabrillo Festival's Young Composers Workshop, Copland House's CULTIVATE Institute, and the Aspen and Bowdoin music festivals. He holds an Artist Diploma from the Curtis Institute, and MFA from Princeton University, and Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Peabody Conservatory. He is currently finishing his PhD at Princeton.

Born in Southern California, Cuong grew up in Marietta, GA, where he attended Lassiter High School and was a member of the LHS marching and concert bands. Growing up, he played piano, percussion, and clarinet. He is a member of BMI, the American Composers Forum, and Blue Dot Collective, a group of composers who focus on writing adventurous new music for wind band. Cuong's website is at vietcuongmusic.com and his resume is available here.

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