Commissioned Works

Recent commissions of new works by Wolf Trap Foundation

Full List of Past Commissioned Works

• Face of America™: Glacier National Park premiered The Sun Road (2009) choreographed by Trey McIntyre and performed by his company Trey McIntyre Project. Following its world premiere, the work went on to be performed nationally and internationally.

• The Washington Saxophone Quartet debuted William McGlaughlin’s Bagatelles and The Calder Quartet debuted Anton Batagov’s Quartet.ru as part of the 2007-2008 Discovery Series.

• Wolf Trap’s first commission in the world dance genre was Levante (2008) performed and choreographed by Noche Flamenca’s Soledad Barrio.

• Doug Varone & Dancers (2007) premiered Beyond the Break (7 dances for ukulele) choreographed by Doug Varone with recorded music by ukulele phenomenon Jake Shimabukuro. Hailed for their physically daring movements, this award-winning company "has produced some of modern dance's most engrossing works." - New York Times

• For the 2006-2007 Discovery Series, composer Kenji Bunch wrote Danceband to be performed by The Ahn Trio.

• Face of America™: Hawai`i (2006) commissioned Hālau O Kekuhi to create and perform traditional hula dance and chant portraying the epic myth of Pele, the Goddess of Fire.

• Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE PHILADANCO (2006) Dance Magazine calls PHILADANCO "a company that can do more than just anything," and The Washington Post exclaims, "Brown's choreography has zoomed to the forefront of modern dance." Both companies shared the stage in For Truth, a world premiere choreographed by Ron Brown.

• Bugonia (2005) was performed by Pilobolus. Choreographed by Artistic Director Alison Chase, it was one of the last works to be choreographed for the company that she co-founded. 

•  Wolf Trap commissioned Pulitzer Prize nominee and award-winning composer and pianist John Musto to write an original full-length opera. Volpone (2004), an opera unfaithfully based on Ben Jonson’s eponymous comedy, is the first to be commissioned for Wolf Trap.  It received rave reviews and caused The Washington Post to exclaim, “Last night at The Barns, a masterpiece was born.” It was performed again in Summer 2007 by the Wolf Trap Opera Company.

• Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (2004) made a triumphant return on August 24, 2004 with a world premiere ballet, Concerto Caprice, commissioned by the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. Choreographed by renowned dancer and Vienna, Virginia native Susan Shields, the piece was set to the music of Vittorio Giannini and featured choreographic patterns reminiscent of the legendary George Balanchine.