Composers Now Announces 2026 Second Stage Commission Awardees as the Organization Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary

As Composers Now celebrates its 15th anniversary, the organization proudly announces the three composers selected for the 2026 Second Stage Commission: Abby Harris, Maria Isabel Emiliano, and Isabelle Tseng. Supported by the Toulmin Foundation, the Second Stage Commission is a commissioning, mentoring, and professional development initiative designed to uplift the next generation of creative voices in contemporary music.

Since its founding in 2010 by Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Tania León, Composers Now has become a vital force in the cultural landscape, championing living composers and expanding opportunities for both accomplished and emerging artists. Over the past fifteen years, the organization has commissioned new works, supported creative residencies, fostered mentorships, and presented hundreds of performances citywide—building a dynamic ecosystem that celebrates the creators of our time.

Launched in 2022, the Second Stage Commission reflects this mission by offering an annual, in‑depth experience for three young female composers, culminating in a concert of world premieres in New York City. With nominations from Luna Composition Lab, Composers Now reviews works, meets with composers, and selects three alumni of the Luna Lab Fellowship Program each year.

Second Stage encourages its awardees to explore new genres, styles, instrumentations (or, and technology) and intentionally step beyond their existing artistic experiences. The program supports each composer through a period of creative expansion and discovery, widening their artistic horizons.

Mentors are chosen for their artistic excellence, creative practices, and meaningful impact on young composers. In addition to one‑on‑one mentorship, awardees engage with professionals across aligned fields, deepening their understanding of the broader creative landscape.

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‍2026 Second Stage Commission Awardees

Abby Harris
Abby Harris is a New York City–based composer and pianist. She currently studies composition with Robert Cuckson at the Mannes School of Music and has previously worked with Timo Andres, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, Tamar Muskal, and Kevin James. Her works have received recognition from MATA Jr., NFMC, the Robert Avalon Competition, and others. Performances of her music include presentations by ICE, Duo Envol, the Cincinnati May Festival Chorus, and Hypercube Music/Ensemble Ipse.

Maria Isabel Emiliano
Maria Isabel Emiliano is a Dominican composer from Santo Domingo, now based in New York City, where she studies at the Mannes School of Music with David T. Little. She has received commissions from the Kronos Quartet, the Kennedy Center, and Orozco Ballet Contemporáneo, and is the founder of the Toccata Quartet in Santo Domingo. Her training spans the Mannes School of Music and the Academia de Música Patricia Logroño, with additional workshops led by Angélica Negrón, Inti Figgis-Vizueta, Donnacha Dennehy, Martin Amlin, and Carlos Sánchez-Gutiérrez.

Her music has been presented at the Teatro Nacional de Cuba, Fábrica de Arte Cubano, the Kennedy Center, Quinta Dominica, Centro Cultural de España, and the San Francisco Jazz Center, as well as festivals including BUTI and soundSCAPE. She has served as music librarian for the multi‑Grammy‑winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and is currently preparing collaborations with the National Contemporary Dance Company of the Dominican Republic, Orozco Contemporáneo in Cuba, and Dominican folkloric artist José Duluc. Her work explores Latin sound worlds with a focus on Dominican folkloric traditions and Cuban influences.

Isabelle Tseng
Isabelle Tseng is an award‑winning composer from Florida whose music tells stories through emotional perspective and bridges cultures through shared human experience. Her work has been recognized by ASCAP and Luna Composition Lab, and performed by ensembles including Imani Winds, the International Contemporary Ensemble, the Kronos Quartet, and Ensemble for These Times (E4TT). Her music has appeared at festivals hosted by the American Composers Orchestra, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and the Mannes School of Music.

Her work engages language—spoken, cultural, and musical—and the shifting meanings between them. Drawing from cultural references and fragments of speech, she creates music that moves between familiarity and estrangement. Collaboration is central to her practice, and she has worked closely with performers to develop a physical, performer‑driven approach to sound. Recent projects include commissions for violinist Jennifer Koh, the Princeton Opera Company, and Princeton Chinese Theater.

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