Portuguese composer Andreia Pinto Correia is the inaugural recipient of the newly created Sorel Award by the American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and American Composers Forum (ACF).
Born in Portugal, the inaugural recipient of the Sorel Award, is a highly regarded composer who has received commissions from major institutions like the LA Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic. Her works draw from literary sources and showcase intricate harmonic and timbral detail.
Correia composes music described as “compellingly meditative” (The Boston Globe) and an “aural fabric” (The New York Times). Her work is characterized by close attention to harmonic detail and timbral color. Following a family tradition of scholars and writers, her work often reflects the influence of literary sources from the Iberian Peninsula and beyond.
The Sorel Award, a three-year initiative supporting mid-career women composers, provides career development by supporting composers at a critical mid-career stage, the award seeks to create lasting opportunities in the orchestral world and encourage greater gender equity in composition.
“The Sorel Award is an exciting and unique opportunity to deepen my relationship with the daring musicians of ACO,” Pinto Correia says. “I very much look forward to working with American Composers Forum and other esteemed artistic partners over the next three years.”
Funded by the Elizabeth and Michel Sorel Charitable Organization, the award aims to address the challenges women composers face by offering workshopping through ACO’s EarShot CoLABoratory, a Carnegie Hall premiere, professional recordings, and marketing support. It also includes access to strategic resources like contract guidance, fundraising guidance, and project support.
The Sorel Award, launched by the American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and American Composers Forum (ACF), is a groundbreaking initiative designed to offer a combination of creative, professional, and networking opportunities to help recipients build sustainable careers in orchestral composition.
About Andreia Pinto Correia
The prestigious literary magazine Jornal de Letras describes Andreia Pinto Correia’s compositions as “a major contribution to the dissemination of Portugal’s culture and language, perhaps a contribution larger than could ever be imagined.” Her work — described by The New York Classical Review as “notated and formed with superb craft…dazzles the mind and punches its way into the heart,” “compellingly meditative” by The Boston Globe, an “aural fabric” by The New York Times, and “fascinating” by the San Francisco Classical Voice — is characterized by close attention to harmonic detail and timbral color. Following a family tradition of scholars and writers, her work often reflects the influence of literary sources from the Iberian Peninsula and beyond.
Recent highlights include Cortejo, a L.A. Philharmonic commission with generous support from the Esa-Pekka Salonen Commissions Fund and Os Pássaros da Noite (The Birds of Night), a New York Philharmonic commission, both led by Maestro Gustavo Dudamel. Her work Reverdecer, Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra, co-commissioned by the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (OSESP, Brazil) and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon, Portugal) for virtuoso Jay Campell, had European and South American premieres in 2023 and 2024. Her string quartet Aere senza stelle for Brooklyn Rider has been touring the world as part of their new project The Four Elements, a commission by the Vail Dance Festival, Damian Woetzel, artistic director.
Honors include an Arts and Letters Award in Music from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, and the DSCH Shostakovich Award for her “contribution to the excellence of Portuguese classical music” from the Ministry of Culture of Portugal. She has received additional commissions from the European Union Presidency, Tanglewood Music Center/ Boston Symphony Orchestra, Washington Performing Arts (Kennedy Center), Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, League of American Orchestras and the Toulmin Foundation, Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition at the University of Chicago, Chamber Music America, National Symphony and National Dance Company of Portugal, and Culturgest/National Bank of Portugal, among others.
Pinto Correia was the curator of the Fertile Crescent Festival for Contemporary Music at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and composer in residence with contemporary music ensemble OrchestrUtópica (Lisbon). She received the Honorary Title of Fellow of the Australian National University (ANU), Canberra, where she was a guest of the ARC Laureate Program for the Deep Human Past and the Indigenous Linguistics Alliance (Fall 2018). She has collaborated with an array of artists and scholars including historian Prof. Ann McGrath (Australia), marine biologist Dr. Claudio Campagna (Argentina), filmmakers Daniel Blaufuks and Salomé Lamas (Portugal), writers Mia Couto (Mozambique), Ondjaki (Angola), Betty Shamieh (Palestine/USA), her father — medievalist and poet Prof. João David Pinto Correia — (Portugal), and choreographers Omayra Amaya (Spain/USA) and Victor Pontes (Portugal).
Additional highlights include the world premiere of Night Migrations, a piano trio commissioned by Chamber Music America for the Horszowski Trio, and a string quartet for the JACK Quartet (String Quartet No.1, Unvanquished Space), commissioned by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Her concerto for orchestra, Timaeus, commissioned by the Boston Symphony’s Tanglewood Music Center in memory of Elliott Carter, was premiered at the opening concert of the Festival’s 75th anniversary. She has also been the recipient of a League of American Orchestras/ New Music USA Music Alive Composer Residency, a Rockefeller Foundation Center Fellowship, a Civitella Ranieri Foundation Fellowship, the Alpert Award in the Arts/Ucross Residency Prize, a Bogliasco Foundation Fellowship, and residencies from MacDowell and Sacatar Foundation.
Andreia Pinto Correia, began her musical studies in her native Lisbon at the Academia de Amadores de Música, the Escola de Jazz Luíz Villas-Boas, and the University of Lisbon. She holds a double B.A. from the Berklee College of Music and Masters and Doctoral of Music degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music in Composition. Recently she was Visiting Associate Professor of Composition at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, and is currently faculty and co-curator of the Gamper Music New Music Series at the Bowdoin International Festival. She currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
About American Composers Orchestra
The American Composers Orchestra (ACO) American Composers Orchestra was founded in 1977 by a group of New York City musicians dedicated to performing and promoting orchestral music by American composers. Over more than 40 years, ACO has become a national institution that supports composers’ careers and fosters partnerships with major symphony orchestras.
Since 1987, ACO has presented an annual season at Carnegie Hall and serves as a hub for innovative American musicians. The orchestra also runs national educational and composer advancement programs to support emerging and underrepresented voices in American composition.
ACO has performed works by 800 American composers, premiering over 350 new pieces. Notable commissioned composers include John Luther Adams, Andy Akiho, Clarice Assad, Valerie Coleman, and many others.
EarShot, ACO’s national composer development initiative, has served over 350 composers through orchestral readings, fellowships, and professional development programs, helping composers achieve major awards like the Pulitzer, Grammy, and Grawemeyer Prizes.
Recognized for its contributions to American music, ACO has received numerous accolades, including ASCAP’s Award for adventurous programming 35 times. The orchestra continues to shape the future of American orchestral music through its commitment to innovation, diversity, and artistic excellence. Learn more at www.americancomposers.org.
About American Composers Forum
The American Composers Forum supports and advocates for contemporary music creators by providing resources, funding, partnerships, and storytelling to highlight their work. With a strong commitment to equity, ACF collaborates with artists, educators, funders, and audiences to promote a fairer creative landscape.
Founded in 1973 as the Minnesota Composers Forum by Libby Larsen and Stephen Paulus, ACF initially focused on concerts showcasing members’ works. Over the years, it expanded nationally, launching key initiatives such as the Jerome Composer Commissioning Program (1979), McKnight Composer Fellowships (1982), and innova® recordings (1983). In 1993, the Composers Voice program brought national composers to public radio, and by 1996, the organization adopted its current name.
Notable programs include Continental Harmony (1998), a nationwide millennium celebration, and the First Nations Composer Initiative (2004-2010) supporting Native American composers. ACF has nurtured thousands of artists, with its innova recording label releasing nearly 800 albums and the Quest commissioning series reaching nearly one million students.
In 2020, ACF acquired I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, a multimedia hub expanding music criticism and artist support. Through five decades, ACF has played a crucial role in fostering musical innovation and advocacy. Learn more at www.composersforum.org.
About The Sorel Organization
Claudette Sorel, a pianist, educator, and philanthropist, was a dedicated advocate for women in music. In 1996, she founded the Elizabeth and Michel Sorel Charitable Organization to expand opportunities for women musicians in areas such as conducting, composition, film scoring, performance, and arts leadership. Following her passing in 1999, the organization continued its mission through various initiatives, including the Sorel Medallions in Recording, the Sorel Choral Competition, and the Claudette Sorel Piano Competition.
The Sorel Organization also supported composer residencies, scholarships, and commissions. Upon its closure at the end of 2024, it left a lasting impact through nine endowment funds at institutions such as the New York Philharmonic, American Composers Forum, and SUNY Fredonia, where Sorel had taught. Her legacy continues to shape opportunities for women in the music industry.
Source: American Composers Forum
