Bring new music by composers of color to life
Help Project STEP work with composer Horacio Fernández Vázquez and other composers of color, building new repertoire for our students.
Project STEP is proud to pursue a new creative musical collaboration with composer Horacio Fernández Vázquez, building on the impactful educational workshop he led with our students in March 2025. This initiative seeks to commission a short original work by Horacio that will reflect and amplify the voices of STEP students through a culturally responsive and musically rigorous composition.
This project represents our broader mission: to nurture exceptional young musicians from underrepresented communities and expand the canon of classical music with works that speak to diverse lived experiences-not only for ourselves but for peer programs across the country.
Purpose of the Commission
Artistic Impact: To provide students with a world premiere opportunity to learn and perform new music that challenges their technical and expressive growth while affirming their identities and stories.
Community Resonance: The piece will be premiered at a public event, showcasing the impact of inclusive commissioning and education in action.
Model for the Field: We aim to set an example for how organizations can center living composers of color in long-term educational partnerships-not just as performers of music, but as co-creators of it.
Proposed for the 2025-2026 season
Help us Start a Musical Commission Fund
Bring new music by composers of color to life: help Project STEP work with composer Horacio Fernández Vázquez and other composers of color, building new repertoire for our students.
It is vital for funders to support composers of color in creating new classical repertoire for children of color, as it fosters inclusion, representation, and inspiration. When young musicians see their identities and cultures reflected in the music they study and perform, it cultivates a sense of belonging and pride. This support helps dismantle barriers in a historically exclusive tradition, empowering children of color to see themselves not just as performers, but as central voices in classical music. Investing in diverse composers enriches the repertoire and broadens perspectives.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT & SPREAD THE WORD!