Andrew Norman is the new director of the Composer Fellowship Program. (photo courtesy of Andrew Norman)

The Los Angeles Philharmonic welcomed acclaimed composer Andrew Norman as the new director of the Composer Fellowship Program (CFP).

Norman is already actively involved in the application and selection process for the next class of high school-aged Composer Fellows, who will begin the two-year fellowship with the LA Phil in the fall of 2015.

Building on the legacy of CFP Founder Steven Stucky and outgoing/current program director James Matheson, Norman will cultivate the talent of young composers through intensive, firsthand experiences, including lessons, reading sessions, lectures, LA Phil concerts and encounters with today’s most notable composers.

Additionally, Norman will guide each of the Fellows during the composition process of their new works for orchestra, a process that culminates with each work being premiered in concert by LA Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

“The LA Phil has been a huge, influential part of my musical life for many years, and it is thrilling for me to join them, this most forward-looking of orchestras, in fostering the next generation of musical creators,” Norman said. “The CFP is a unique opportunity for young composers to dive deep into the rich tradition of orchestral composition. We’re training bold thinkers, innovators of the future of our art form, and nothing could be more exciting.”

The CFP class of 2013-15 will have their works premiered by the LA Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall on April 23 and April 24 alongside Dvořák’s New World symphony.  Each of the Fellows was assigned to discover their own “new worlds” in unfamiliar neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles, and respond musically with a short work for orchestra.

The Fellows have written works inspired by San Gabriel, Old Pasadena, Skid Row and Watts.

These concerts are part of the LA Phil’s Symphonies for Schools program, which offers free concerts for selected schools throughout LA County.

These performances are not open to the public.

For information, visit http://www.laphil.com/education/symphonies-for-schools.