The artistic scope of the Contemporary Players has included commissioning as a major component – even as this essential mission has demanded more in terms of resources leading up to the present day, the ensemble has remained unswerving in its efforts to empower creation and expand the repertoire for posterity. Some of the earliest projects have been launchpads for works of benchmark stature, including pieces by some of the Bay Area’s own brightest luminaries such as the 1992 commission of Chamber Symphony by John Adams. In 2014, the entire season centered around ten commissions, aptly named project Ten-Fourteen. In recent years, the Contemporary Players have made a special effort to encourage the voices of composers in the early stages of their careers with a focus on California-based composers to create and amplify the context around their work. As of the 2020-21 season, the Players have performed just over 1300 pieces, by 611 composers, 263 premieres, and 91 commissions including Earle Brown, John Cage, John Adams, George Crumb, Mario Davidovsky, Fred Frith, Gabriela Ortiz, Mel Powell, Olly Wilson, Julia Wolfe, Du Yun, Myra Melford, Michael Gordon, Caroline Shaw, Tyshawn Sorey, and so many more.
