Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of one of the most revered figures in the Western classical canon, Classical Movements proudly announces The Beethoven 2020 Project , honoring the legacy of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) through new music commissions that re-imagine his most beloved masterpieces in ways that cross social and cultural boundaries.

For The Beethoven 2020 Project , Classical Movements' Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program will commission nine brand-new works — both orchestral and choral, from male and female composers — inspired by some of the best-known works in the classical repertoire . Drawing upon musical and literary themes (such as Friedrich Schiller ’s Ode to Joy ), our unique series will focus particularly on engaging local communities and traditions all over the globe. Emerging and established composers, representing a true diversity of backgrounds, will create a distinct collection of collaborative works, each one reflecting Beethoven’s own continuing influence.

Enlivened by the composer's entire oeuvre — nine symphonies, 16 string quartets, 32 piano sonatas, as well as the Choral Fantasy , Op. 80, Mass in C , Op. 86, Missa Solemnis , Op. 123 and his only opera, Fidelio —our first Beethoven 2020 Project commission takes its inspiration from the Violin Sonata No. 5 in  F major , Op. 24. Known as the " Spring Sonata ," this composition will premiere during Classical Movements' sixth annual Prague Summer Nights: Young Artists Music Festival .

Honoring the centennial of perhaps the most momentous achievement during the struggle for women’s rights in American history —the ratification of the 19th Amendment — Classical Movements is also proud to announce Notes for Women: New Music for 100 Years of Suffrage .

With the adoption of Amendment XIX to the Constitution of the United States of America o n Sunday, August 8, 1920 , American suffragettes won a hard-fought and decisive victory, forever cementing “ The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. ”

For Notes for Women: New Music for 100 Years of Suffrage , Classical Movements' Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program will commission female-identifying composers to write a collection of new orchestral and choral works that reflect upon the history of the women's suffrage movement —acknowledging, too, how much further America, herself, still has to go towards full enfranchisement. The latest in our ongoing, conscious efforts to amend the canon, the world over, by giving voice to composers too long excluded from the repertoire, two Notes for Women commissions will receive their premieres at Classical Movements' own 2020 Serenade! Washington, D.C. and Ihlombe! South African Choral Festivals .

Discussions are underway, and interested composers and ensembles should write to Adam Jackson , Artistic Planning & Executive Assistant to the President: Adam@ClassicalMovements.com.

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Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program (est. 2005)