2024 Keith and Renata Ward Emerging Composer:
Levi Taylor
Based in Los Angeles, Levi is a distinguished composer of film and concert music. A Kennedy Center Artist, Levi boasts a rich educational background as a graduate of The Interlochen Arts Academy and Millikin University.
An Emmy nominated composer, his work is gaining rapid attention both across the United States and abroad. As a Civitella Ranieri Fellow, he will conduct a residency in Umbria Italy. He is alumnus of the inaugural Film Music Lab, where he studied under the mentorship of industry luminaries such as Peter Golub and Jeff Rona alongside brilliant composers Joris de Man, Eicca Toppinen, and Travis Lohmann.
Currently, Levi is working on a commission for the Washington National Opera through Kennedy Center’s Social Impact group. His new commission “Daydreaming” for the critically acclaimed Sphinx Virtuosi will receive its Carnegie Hall debut in October 2024, in addition to 20 additional venues across the nation, including the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Kennedy Center, Charlotte Symphony, Brevard, the Symphony Center in Chicago and many others. His orchestral version of the work will receive its Detroit premiere at the legendary Orchestra Hall in Detroit, performed by the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Lina Gonzalez-Granados.
He is also currently crafting the score for the short film “Sundown,” directed by Rafael Agustin and produced by Compelling Pictures.
Levi's recent credits are a testament to his versatility and skill. He has enjoyed composing for Shark Week in 2023 and 2024, the Peacock network’s “Vampire Academy,” and the Discovery Channel’s “Sewer Divers” TV series. His portfolio also includes an array of documentaries, television scores, and music for concert halls and significant events, like the University of Michigan’s Bicentennial Graduation Ceremony held at the Michigan Stadium.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Levi is deeply committed to community and cultural development. He previously served as a board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washtenaw County for four years and the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation’s Art and Culture Committee. Demonstrating his passion for music education and social impact, Levi also founded and implemented a free group piano program at the Peace Neighborhood Center during his time living in Michigan.
Sphinx's Emerging Composer Fund focuses on transforming the classical music canon by systemically increasing the volume of commissions for living composers of color. Sphinx engages in direct commissions for its various artists, including our premiere touring ensembles, the Sphinx Virtuosi, and EXIGENCE Vocal Ensemble. This fund directly supports commissioning fees, recording and publishing, performances, documentation, and dissemination of new music. Eight years ago, the percentage of composers of color whose works were being commissioned and played by major orchestras across America was effectively 0%. Last year's statistics indicate that the number collectively has grown to 23%, with more than 9% being attributed to Black composers alone. The cumulative number most affects women and BIPOC composers. Sphinx is proud to lead the charge through direct commissions, as well as its role as a regrantor and through its long-standing history in consortia commissions. We believe in investing in the voices of tomorrow while elevating and augmenting the classical music canon. Together, we can ensure that the American classical landscape is vibrant and inclusive of all voices comprising the rich mosaic of our communities nationwide.
This effort is made possible through the generous support of Keith and Renata Ward.
About the 2024 Commissioned Work
For Daydreaming (A Fantasy On Scott Joplin) I had the wonderful task to put to music my adoration and curiosities of Joplin and his music, while still maintaining freedom of expression and exploration on my own sonic musings. This is where the piece derives its title, as I enjoyed ruminating on Joplin and then letting my imagination soar from the inspiration.
Right away the listener will notice a few nods towards Joplin’s music: The opening brings us in with a glimpse of The Entertainer followed by light rhythmic movements inspired by Joplin’s fun and syncopated rhythms. Included are also a few “odd” notes here and there along with energetic countermelodies that aim to bring the listener closer to Joplin’s style.
From there the piece begins to unfold more into my own personal musings on how Joplin’s music inspires me, while occasionally dipping back to remind the listener where the inspiration comes from. Different sections evoke different general feelings around Joplin’s music. One moment the piece will reflect on the exquisite and playful sound of some of Joplin’s music, while in the next it will explore some of the more intimate and robust qualities I’ve enjoyed especially in pieces such as his opera, Treemonisha. Throughout all of the various moments of "daydreaming" in this piece, there remained one consistent ambition: To embody the bold, ambitious, and authentic expression that I find in all of Joplin’s music.
- Levi Taylor
Daydreaming (A Fantasy on Scott Joplin) Performances
2024
OCT 9 WED | Charlotte Symphony Orchestra @ 7:30 PM | Charlotte, NC | Get Tickets
OCT 11 FRI | Brevard Music Center @ 7:30 PM | Brevard, NC | Get Tickets
OCT 16 WED | Carnegie Hall @ 7:00 PM | New York City, NY | Get Tickets
OCT 18 FRI | Philadelphia Chamber Music Society @ 7:30 PM | Philadelphia, PA | Get Tickets
OCT 19 SAT | Washington Performing Arts and Kennedy Center @ 2:00 PM | Washington, DC | Get Tickets
OCT 23 WED | WVU College of Creative Arts @ 7:30 PM | Morgantown, WV
OCT 27 SUN | Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum @ 1:30 PM | Boston, MA | Get Tickets
2025
JAN 25 SAT | Sphinx Competition Finals Concert @ 7:00 PM | Detroit, MI
FEB 22 SAT | Wharton Center for Performing Arts @ 7:30 PM | East Lansing, MI | Get Tickets
FEB 23 SUN | Goshen College @ 4:00 PM | Goshen, IN | Get Tickets
FEB 25 TUE | Symphony Center @ 7:30 PM | Chicago, IL | Get Tickets
FEB 27 THU | Edmonds Center for the Arts @ 7:30 PM | Edmonds, WA | Get Tickets
MAR 01 SAT | Columbia Basin Allied Arts @ 7:00 PM | Moses Lake, WA
MAR 02 SUN | Tacoma Arts Live @ 3:00 PM | Tacoma, WA | Get Tickets
MAR 25 TUES | New World Center @ 7:30 PM | Miami Beach, FL
MAR 26 WED | Daytona Beach Symphony Society @ 7:00 PM | Daytona, FL | Learn More
MAR 28 FRI | University of Tampa @ 7:30 PM | Tampa, FL
MAR 30 SUN | Music Worcester @ 4:00 PM | Worcester, MA | Get Tickets
Emerging Composers
2024 - Levi Taylor: Daydreaming (A Fantasy on Scott Joplin)
2023 - Quenton Blache: Habari Gani