Celebrate a significant milestone in your life, such as a birth, wedding, birthday or anniversary, by commissioning an original composition from Dmitri Matheny.

The new work of art may be a simple song or a large orchestration. It may be premiered in your honor, or given as a gift to someone of your choosing. Regardless, by commissioning the work, you become an active participant in the creation of a musical legacy, while supporting the composer as a true patron of the arts.

Commissioning music does not require any special skill or knowledge. You do not have to be a musician yourself. All you need is a love of music. 

About The Composer

Although best known as a performer and recording artist, Dmitri Matheny is also a prolific composer whose published compositions span the jazz, pop, symphonic, choral, chamber and world music genres. He has received premieres and commissions from Meet the Composer, St. Domenic’s Church, the Manhattan New Music Project, the American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), the Jazz Composers Orchestra and 20th Century Forum. 

Matheny’s film scoring and soundtrack credits include the PBS documentary Mary, Paradox & Grace (1996), the short film Greenhorn Creek (1997), the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art production Voices & Images of California Art (1997), and the RKO Pictures feature film Shade (2003) starring Gabriel Byrne, Jamie Foxx, Melanie Griffith,Thandie Newton, Sylvester Stallone and Stewart Townsend. Matheny also contributed original music for the horror anthology Trapped Ashes (2006) and the supernatural thriller Fire City (2014). 

Matheny's most ambitious composition to date is Spiritu Sancto, the New Millennium Mass, a monumental sacred work scored for chorus, organ, percussion, brass quintet, jazz ensemble and gospel soloist. Spiritu Sancto received its world premiere on the dawn of the new millennium at St. Domenic's Cathedral in San Francisco. 

How It Works

• you contact me to discuss what you have in mind
• we brainstorm ideas for the new work together
• we negotiate a reasonable fee and timetable
• I create the work and send you the original score
• you are invited to the premiere as an honored guest 
• you are gratefully acknowledged in any recordings or printed programs

FAQ

How much does commissioning cost?
Fees vary depending on the size and duration of the work, ranging from $300 for a simple song to $10,000 for a large, extended orchestration.

Is commissioning tax-deductible?
Yes, if we identify a nonprofit organization to serve as fiscal agent.

How long does the process take?
A simple song may take only a few days, whereas a larger work may take several months.

Who owns the music?
The composer retains all legal rights to the work.

How is the commissioner acknowledged?
The commissioner will be acknowledged on the written musical score, on any official recording, in the performance program and in other written materials. 

What does the commissioner receive?
You will be given a presentation copy of the completed score, specially inscribed by the composer. An archive recording may be provided as well. Most of all, you will experience a satisfying sense of participation in the creation of a new work of music.