Commissioned Works

Through the generosity of our donors and our board, The Playground has commissioned:

General Commissions

• Arone Dyer Dronechoir (2025)

• David Farrell where we are (2021)

• David Farrell 8-BIT X-MAS (2018)

• Brian Ebert flux aeterna (2018)

• Loretta Notareschi String Quartet OCD (2016)

• Nathan Hall Notes from Clyfford Still (2016)

• David Farrell Second Season (2015)

• Tyler Gilmore More Like A Reader (2014)

• Brian Ebert Fragments of Om (2013)

• Leanna Kirchoff Dreams Go Through Me (2011)

Pride Commissions

Trans Voices, Trans Lives (2024)

• Florence Anna Maunders, composer & Ty Baniewicz, storyteller Blue Butterfly

• Spencer Evans, composer & Frank, Keith Wolfe, Kham-shem, & Liam, storytellers We’re All Just People

• Rain Michael, composer & Mel, storyteller silence goes light

• Silen Wellington, composer & Ashton Mach, storyteller Becoming who I am

•  Alexa Letourneau, composer & Viet Nguyen, storyteller i, they

Global Voices of Pride (2022)

• Baldwin Giang butterfly, posthumously

• Lance Mok 《不默而生》or Than Live Silenced

• Laura Reynolds La Caravana Arcoíris

• Liz Gre Quiet Kept

RESIST. REBEL. REWRITE. (2019)

• Madelyn Byrne Transformation - A Tribute to Stormé deLarverie

• Egemen Kesikli The [Black]Outs

• Anthony R. Green Shot Glass (Saint Marsha - Pay It No Mind) 

Speaking of Pride (2018)

• Nathan Hall (music) & Miriam Suzanne (text) Fragments

CoCoCo/CoCoSho Commissions

• MG Bernard & Nathan Hall I’m Waiting for your Crip Cadence (2024)

• Silen Wellington Hollow (2022)

• Robert Stroebel Poisons (2021)

• Sarah Whitnah, in collaboration with sound sculptor Alex Branch Timestream (2021)

• Ben Morris Ghost Figures (2021)

• Phil Taylor fading timepieces (2019)

• Egemen Kesikli TAKSIM (2018)

• Sara Corry Seven Fragments of Love and Desire (2017)

• James David The Deep Ones (2016)

• Bryan Christian Quartet for String Instruments of Indeterminate Tuning and Electronics (2015)

• Hugh Lobel Closures (2014)

• James Canepa Bagatelles for Quartet (2013)

• Anthony Green Gettysburg Address (2012)

• David Kirtley Saxifraga (2011)

Director’s Commissions

• Conrad Kehn Known Input (2025)

• Conrad Kehn Bright Dawn (2023)

• Roohallah Mobarez & Conrad Kehn  مبارز

• Conrad Kehn Flood (2022)

• I Am Raverro, the Story of Raverro Stinnett (2020)

• Conrad Kehn Union Station Precious Lord (2020)

• Conrad Kehn The Assault (2020)

• Conrad Kehn One Has To Wonder (2020)

• Conrad Kehn Core Values (2020)

• Conrad Kehn Soundtracks to Movies That Don’t Exist (2018)

• Conrad Kehn Young Persons Guide to Modern Chamber Music (2012)

Remerg/Lived Experiences

• Dave Coleman & Ryan Fiegl This Person They See - The Person I Am (2022)

• Roohallah Mobarez & Conrad Kehn  مبارز

• Ashley Furst & Silen Wellington My Own Clothes (2022)

• Claud Kasiah H.M. 212 (2022)

• Stacy Fahrion Echoes from Inside (2022)

• Stacy Fahrion Buried Alive (2022)

Control Group Commissions

Canopy (2022)

• Ryan Fiegl Sunlit Leaves

• Ryan Fiegl Rock Dance

• Conrad Kehn Leaf Dance

• Conrad Kehn eLeaf# 

• Ryan Fiegl Return (leaving the mysterious leaf lady)

THE END (2022)

• Ryan Fiegl Overture

• Ryan Fiegl Mudman’s Rant

• Ryan Fiegl The Drifter Appears

• Ryan Fiegl Radio Off the Cliff

• Ryan Fiegl The Safe House

• Ryan Fiegl A Meal Together

• David Farrell Sopping Dance

• Ryan Fiegl Bus Fight

• Ryan Fiegl Suncor Escape

Treeline (2020-2021)

Space Program

• David Farrell SkySong (2023-2024)

• Monica Bolles Collision (2020)

• Nathan Hall (Un)quiet Sun (2020)

• Conrad Kehn Through Hardships We Become Stars (2019)

RemoteLab Commissions

Commissioned music to be performed on Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Aakash Mittal Breathe (2020)

• JP Merz Compression Study 3 (2020)

• Minato Sakamoto Renaissance Renaissance (2020)

• Nathan Hall No You Go (2020)

• Conrad Kehn Dreamscape 1 (2020)

• Joseph Bohigian Lullaby for Stepanakert (2020)

• Silen Wellington What I’m Trying to Tell You (2020)

• Florijan Lörnitzo #scorona miniatures (2020)

• Brian Ellis Stay Ho(me) (2020)

10th Anniversary Celebration Commission

• Caroline Shaw This Might Also be a Form of Dreaming (2016)

10th Anniversary Micro Commissions (2016)

• Leanna Kirchoff Make Music Now!

• Sarah Perske Watertight

• High Lobel Var Si

• Tyler Gilmore Anything Like the Same Way You Do

• Aakash Mittal Chroma

• Greg Simon Pan’s Shadow

• David Kirtley A Quick Visit to Red Rock Lakes

• Anthony Green P is for…

• Jessica Mays Spin

• Reggie Berg 59 Seconds

Biennial of the Americas 2015 - New Music. Now.

As part of the 2015 Biennial we paired mentor composers with young composers to create eight new works to premiere at the Biennial. Interview videos with each composer can be found here.

• Loretta Notareschi Promise and Peril

• Katina Jakel Over Your Head

• Angelica Negron Dust

• Mondriana Villegas Devastation No More

• Savannah Irwin Aurora Borrealis

• Jerod Impichchaahaa’ Tate Savannah Intalowa’

• Conrad Kehn Language of the Unheard

• Iara Melgarejo Our Changing Earth

Anne Culver Lamont Student Commissioning Prize

Lamont professor emeritus and Playground supporter Anne Culver has sponsored an annual commission dedicated to Lamont student composers. This prize has commissioned:

• Wes Devore Piano Trio #3 (2015)

• Sarah Perske All Nighter (2014)

• Oren Boneh Trialogue (2013)

• Jeff Ashear E!ntAnglements (2012)

• Todd Swingle To Be.. (2011)

About The Playground Ensemble

The Playground Ensemble is the Rocky Mountain Region’s premiere new music group. We are professional musicians, composers, educators and fans dedicated to presenting chamber music as a living art form.

Collaboration is at the heart of the Playground’s artistic vision; we commission new works by living composers, perform in support of touring improvisors, and perform regularly. We work with dancers, poets, spoken word artists, visual artists, and multi-media artists, finding inspiration across disciplines and exploring new, hybrid artistic forms.

Our efforts have been recognized and supported by numerous regional and national organizations including the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Chamber Music America, The Amphion Foundation, The American Music Center, New Music USA, the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado, the Singer Foundation and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District.