Celebrating 15 Years of Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame: Building Community and Fostering Collaboration

By Lauren Dean

Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame features 15 one-minute works, written by distinct composers, for a specific musician or ensemble. In the words of New York-based harpist Alyssa Reit, who was attracted to “the whole idea” of the project early on and has participated since 2011, first as a musician and then as a composer, “It’s an interesting smorgasbord—like trying a sampler of everything in a concert setting.”

Building community and collaborating with other artists ranks high on performers list of reasons that Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame is a memorable and valuable platform. In recent conversations, those who performed in person noted that various composers attended the show to see their works premiered, but also, other musicians were on the same program. This allowed the opportunity to connect with both composers and musicians in a single venue, which made for a one-of-a-kind experience.

According to soprano Jenny Ribeiro—who linked up with the project back in 2009 and was soon invited for a call—the connections are invaluable. With performances in 2011, 2013, and another in 2024, bringing the singer together with pianists (such as David Friend) has led to future collaborations and artistic relationships that developed over time. In addition, more than a decade after her initial performance, she still works with several of the composers she was introduced to via Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame, which has resulted in successful projects, such as a one-woman opera currently in development. “It’s a great community to be a part of,” she says, adding that the 15-year anniversary is itself a testament to the community.

Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame with Jenny Ribeiro and David Friend

Soloist and French horn player Mary Beth Orr agrees: “The sense of community was real.” Following her win in the 2022 Sound Espressivo Competition, she was invited for a call and excited to get started because she wanted to connect to composers. Once she had selected the fifteen pieces for her 2023 performance in NYC, she met with the composers online to discuss their work—giving them all a chance to meet each other as well. Afterward, she stayed in contact, building a network from the experience. The composers had originally written for her, but new compositions grew out of their meeting, making her feel like she brought out something in the composers. “It really felt like a collaboration.”

Guitarist Rodrigo Baggio, who participated as a composer from 2009 to 2017 and traveled from Brazil to New York in 2015 to perform, remembers how it felt to have three of the composers in attendance at the concert. “It was such a pleasant feeling” to hear their appreciation for my performance of their work, he says, noting that the opportunity to perform other composers’ pieces, as well as to forge links with composers from all over the world (such as Argentine-German composer Juan María Solare), resulted in a happy and memorable encounter. Not only did they go out for lunch and conversation in Manhattan, they’ve kept in contact since.

And while Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame has moved to online performances, rather than in-person venues, it hasn’t slowed down the ability to connect musicians with composers. Clavichord player Monica Chew, who began participating in Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame as a composer, performed her first live-streamed set in 2023, where she was able to converse with all the composers afterward, wherever they were located. She sees online participation as a way to broaden the overall community. “Women and people of color are severely underrepresented [in classical music],” she says. And so, she set out to recruit and diversify the applicant pool, and thus the community of selected composers, by reaching out and encouraging them to submit. In the process, she made online friends with several composers, as well as receiving more than a third of her submissions from composers in underrepresented groups.

But, she notes that for the participating artists, the sense of community comes from the regularity of events. “It’s become a platform—to do it completely online—and have other collaborations. [It’s] so regular that it’s created a community, and a brand, which is important.”

Viola Duo Tallā Rouge, formed by Aria Cheregosha and Dr. Lauren Spaulding, who were drawn to the project for its unique ability to call together new and seasoned artists, feel “lucky to have developed continuing relationships with the composers.” But they also note that Rob Voisey, creator and manager of Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame, has had a hand in increasing the sense of collaboration by supporting other musicians’ calls for scores (like their biennial International Composer Competition).

Soprano Mary Hubbell, a two-time participant who gravitated to the project for her love of interpreting new music, continues, “The atmosphere of this project is amazing… [Rob] is welcoming and professional, as are all the composers and performers. There is a real sense of joy at what we are putting together.”

Alyssa Reit agrees, “Rob has a way of bringing people together.” She not only feels supported as an artist, but counts Rob as a true friend after all their years of collaborating. Plus, with the recent addition of choreographers and dancers to Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame, she’s excited to see where the collaborative aspect is headed.

Still, with all the ways that artists gain connections through Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame, there are also those accidental community building moments that occur. Monica Chew recalls the day before her first performance, when a string snapped on her instrument. Her clavichord builder was in Germany and he advised her to back out of the event. However, she had made social media friends with another clavichord player, and so, she contacted him to see if he could help.

“It turned out he was an incredible technician, and wow, he offered to come over and change the string. He was one of those people that you just can tell is an expert at what they handle because they’ve touched the thing so many times.” But, he showed up with an older guy who turned out to be his dad: “He was only 15!” When she asked, “How did you get into clavichord?” he answered, “Oh, I’ve been into them since I was really young.” To which she responded, “Aren’t you still really young?!”

It just goes to show, there’s no wrong way to make a new connection or add to your artistic community.

This special edition on NM421 is a special 5 part series of interviews with musicians who have been featured on Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame. The next installment will be published on March 8th, 2025.

Vox Novus is asking composer who have submittied to Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame to share their stories about their one-minute works. (Whether they have been selected for a set of 15 or not)

Share Your Story

Vox Novus is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its groundbreaking project, Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame, and we want to hear from you! Whether you are a composer, musician, dancer, performing artist, or audience member, your story is part of the rich tapestry of this project’s legacy.

Get a T-Shirt

Selected stories will be featured in the NM421 / Vox Novus newsletter and shared on our social media platforms and other publicity avenues. Contributors of chosen stories may also receive a limited-edition T-shirt created to commemorate this special anniversary year.

Be a part of the celebration

Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame is an extraordinary initiative that brings together 15 composers to write one-minute works for a specific musician or ensemble. Over the past 15 years, the project has premiered works by more than 1,000 composers and collaborated with over 100 musicians, fostering creativity, innovation, and meaningful connections in the world of contemporary music. You can submit your story here:

Submit
https://forms.gle/3NEFYYYAu5UpuPbT9

Announcing Selections !

Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame featuring Hon Ning Cheung

Vox Novus is proud to announce the 15 composers selected for Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame featuring Hon Ning Cheung. Stay tuned to see and hear thes 15 one-minute works for chromatic harmoica.

The composers selected for this set of 15 include: David Bohn, Miriam Carpinetti, Brian Ellis, Barry Paul Horrell, Naoki Kondo, Sakiko Kosaka, Per Lönnqvist, Leslie Melcher, Vinícius Nascimento, Sebastian Ernesto Pafundo, Federico Pozzer, Comet Smith, Alexander Unseth, Willyn Whiting, and Blair Whittington

Find more by clicking here.

Hon Ning Cheung

Hon Ning Cheung (1998-) is a composer and chromatic harmonica player based in Luzern and Maastricht. Graduating from chemistry bachelor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2020, she transposed from science to music. After four years, she finished her composition bachelor at Conservatorium Maastricht(NL) with Vykintas Baltakas, and currently continuing this journey at Hochschule Luzern for composition with Dieter Ammann and orchestral conducting with Clemens Heil. As a chromatic harmonica player, she has been expanding harmonica's repertoires through exploring its timbral possibilities and varied instrumental combination. Passionate about uncertainty and fragility in musical creations, Hon Ning loves to explore different art forms while being exposed in various dimensions as a musician, to continue searching her expression. Find more at: https://www.honningcheung.com/