The Lydian String Quartet recently named American-Estonian composer and animator Lembit Beecher as the recipient of its Commission Prize for two thousand twenty-two. Beecher will get a $15.000 commission fee to make up a large-scale work for the quartet of 15-30 minutes in length. The contest is open to composers of all ages, nationalities, genders, races, and religions. It's judged totally anonymously by the Lydian Quartet, whose members are on faculty at Massachtts' Brandeis University, as well as composition faculty the Univ and visitor composers.

Lembit Beecher grew up in California, speaking both Estonian and English at home. Much of his work focs on the themes of homeland, migration, and displacement that were threaded through his childhood. These themes are evident in works such as After Fires, a song cycle using text taken conversations Beecher had with displaced wildfire victims in his hometown of Bonny Doon. Beecher has served as the Music Lively composer-in-residence at the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the composer-in-residence at Opera Philadelphia. He's had commissions the Juilliard String Quartet, tenor Nicholas Phan and violinist Augustin Hadelich, and the Orlando Philharmonic.

The Lydian Quartet will give the premiere of Beecher's work at Brandeis in the fall of two thousand twenty-four. "We're thrilled to announce the winner of our two thousand twenty-two Lydian Quartet Commission Prize!" wrote the quartet on social media. "Thank you to all composers who submitted your work, and enormous congratulations to Lembit! We're so excited to work with you on a new quartet!" Comprised of Andrea Segar, Julia Glenn, Label Berger, and Joshua Gordon, the Lydian String Quartet is known for championing and commissioning new music. In recognition of this work, the quartet has received numerous Chamber Music America/ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming, grants the Meet the Composer, Rockefeller Foundation, AT&T Jazz Programs in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Aaron Copland Fund for Music.

The grouping first launched the Lydian String Quartet Commission Prize in two thousand-twelfth. Previous recipients comprise Kurt Rohde, Steven Snowden, Saad Haddad, and Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon.