Executive Overview
In an era defined by shifting institutional budgets and evolving audience expectations, the classical performing arts sector is experiencing a profound transformation in how new music is funded, developed, and distributed. Leading this structural shift is a major international choral commissioning project for the 2027–2028 concert season, spearheaded by acclaimed composer Santiago Veros and GRAMMY-nominated poet Todd Boss.
The duo has announced an exclusive commissioning consortium designed to produce a major new four-movement work scored for SATB (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) choir, piano, and cello. Spanning approximately 20 minutes, the piece explores the emotional and existential trajectories of modern relationships—from initial search and unexpected encounter to shared journey and deliberate commitment.
Rather than relying on the traditional, high-cost single-sponsor commissioning model, which historically restricted new score creation to major symphony choruses and elite university programs, the Veros-Boss consortium leverages a distributed funding model. By dividing the financial investment across twelve "founding spots," the project allows community, collegiate, and regional ensembles to share both the cost and the artistic prestige of bringing a major work to life. Participating ensembles gain an exclusive 11-month performance window, permanent attribution in published editions, and direct collaborative access to the creators throughout the composition phase.
Detailed Chronology
[2024–2026] [Early 2026] [July 2027] [Aug 2027 – June 2028]
Initial Narrative Consortium Registration Score Delivery & Exclusive Premiere Window &
& Composition Formally Opens for Audio Materials Localized Concert Rollouts
Conceptualization 12 Founding Spots Distributed WorldwidePhase 1: Conceptualization and Personal Alignment (2024–2025)
The genesis of the project emerged from a unique personal parallel between Santiago Veros and Todd Boss. Both artists spent extended periods living as nomads, navigating geographic and professional transience before undergoing pivotal personal transitions. Within days of each other, both creators became engaged to be married. This shared milestone became the thematic anchor for a multi-movement choral narrative examining the universal human journey toward commitment.
Phase 2: Consortium Structure and Registration Opening (Early 2026)
With the thematic framework and movement structure established, Veros and Boss formally opened registration for twelve founding consortium spots. This phase introduced flexible entry points for participating choirs, including shared regional spots and split payment structures to accommodate varied institutional fiscal calendars.
Phase 3: Score Delivery and Educational Integration (July 2027)
The complete performance materials—including full scores, instrumental parts, and specialized audio rehearsal guide tracks—are scheduled for distribution to all founding directors in July 2027. This timeline provides conductors with an advance buffer to prepare rehearsal schedules, secure guest cellists, and integrate the score into their upcoming seasonal programming.
Phase 4: Exclusive Global Premiere Window (August 2027 – June 2028)
From August 1, 2027, through June 30, 2028, the twelve founding ensembles hold exclusive regional performance rights to the work. Each choir has the autonomy to anchor its local premiere to its own concert schedule, ensuring that every participating ensemble presents a regional premiere before the work becomes available to the broader public publishing market.
Supporting Context & Metrics
The Economics of Choral Commissioning: Single-Sponsor vs. Consortium Models
The traditional model of commissioning new choral repertoire often presents formidable financial barriers for mid-sized community choirs, high school honors ensembles, and church music programs. A multi-movement work featuring guest instrumentalists from a established composer and prominent librettist can routinely command fees ranging from $15,000 to $30,000.
TRADITIONAL SINGLE-SPONSOR MODEL
[ Single Choir / Institution ] ─── Total Fee ($15k–$30k+) ───> [ Composer & Librettist ]
* High financial risk
* Single geographic exposure
CONSORTIUM MODEL (VEROS-BOSS PROJECT)
[ Ensemble 01 ] ──┐
[ Ensemble 02 ] ──┼── Shared Fee ($1,250 / spot) ───────────> [ Composer & Librettist ]
[ Ensemble 12 ] ──┘
* Distributed financial burden ($1,250 total, or $625 for split spots)
* Simultaneous global footprint & local exclusivityThe consortium model redistributes these costs, drastically lowering the barrier to entry while maintaining fair compensation for living artists:
- Total Founding Spots Available: 12
- Individual Spot Fee: $1,250 USD
- Shared Spot Option: Two partner ensembles may split a single spot ($625 USD each) by organizing a joint or co-hosted regional premiere.
- Payment Terms: A two-part installment structure (initial deposit upon registration, balance due upon score delivery in July 2027).
Musical Architecture and Flexibility
Designed to balance artistic complexity with pragmatic rehearsal utility, the composition is structured to accommodate varied programming formats:
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Duration | Approximately 20 minutes |
| Movements | Four distinct movements (Search, Encounter, Journey, Commitment) |
| Voicing | SATB Choir |
| Instrumentation | Piano and Cello |
| Modular Option | Performable as a complete 20-minute work or as individual standalone movements |
By offering a modular design, Veros enables directors to integrate a single movement into an eclectic mixed program or mount the complete cycle as the centerpiece of a seasonal masterwork concert.
Long-Term Value & Intellectual Property Rights
A recurring critique of traditional sheet music purchases is their recurring cost and restricted usage rights. The Veros-Boss consortium addresses this by granting permanent repertoire assets to its founding members:
- Permanent Score Attribution: Every founding choir and conductor will be listed in the front matter of all published score editions, regardless of which major publisher ultimately acquires the commercial distribution rights.
- Perpetual Usage Rights: Participating ensembles acquire perpetual, non-exclusive rights to perform and record the work in future seasons without repurchasing music copies or paying secondary performance license surcharges to the creators.
- Pedagogical Support: Directors gain access to professionally produced audio guide tracks to accelerate vocal preparation and pitch learning during rehearsals.
Official Statements
On the Artistic Philosophy Behind the Collaboration
Reflecting on the origin of the project and the thematic resonance of the text, composer Santiago Veros highlighted the deep connection between personal life experience and collective musical expression:
"Todd and I both spent years living as nomads, and we became engaged within days of each other. That coincidence became the starting point for this work. We want to explore the journey toward the person we choose, through uncertainty, adventure, encounter, and commitment. The choir, piano, and cello will carry that story across four movements. The founding ensembles will share the beginning of that journey with us, then bring it to life in their own communities."
On the Strategic Impact of Consortium Commissioning
Addressing the operational advantages for ensemble directors, Veros emphasized how early collaboration enhances the preparation process long before singers open their folders:
"Your choir’s next premiere can start long before the first rehearsal. When several choirs commission a piece together, they share the cost of bringing it into the world, and each ensemble can make it part of its own season. A commission gives a choir a chance to meet a piece while it is still being imagined. Following that process gives your singers a story to carry into rehearsal: how the text became music, how the movements connect, and what their ensemble helped bring into the world."
Future Outlook
The launch of the Santiago Veros and Todd Boss commissioning consortium arrives at a crucial juncture for global choral music. As ensemble directors
navigate post-pandemic audience engagement and tighten operational budgets, decentralized consortiums represent a vital model for maintaining artistic innovation.
By securing a founding spot, twelve choral programs will shape the initial footprint of a work that will subsequently enter the global publishing ecosystem. The interactive framework established by Veros and Boss—combining live updates, conductor forums, rehearsal tracks, and shared regional premieres—serves as a blueprint for future artist-ensemble collaborations.
With registration currently open and limited to twelve founding slots, ensembles preparing their 2027–2028 master calendars have a unique opportunity to secure an exclusive regional premiere, align their singers with living creators, and leave a permanent imprint on the contemporary choral canon.
