As part of its 75th anniversary celebrations, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has launched the EBU Music Commissioning Scheme, a new initiative uniting media orchestras, choirs, festivals and classical radio channels across Europe and beyond.

The project will see the creation and broadcast of ten newly commissioned works, showcasing a diverse group of composers from around the world and celebrating public service media’s commitment to supporting contemporary music.

This is the first time such a broad alliance of public service music organizations and the EBU have collaborated on a single, coordinated commissioning project by combining their reach and resources to support and share new music on an international scale.

Spanning eight countries and four continents – from South Africa to Iran and from Brazil to Norway – the selected composers reflect a broad aesthetic range and the rich diversity of musical traditions across Europe and beyond. The artistic brief challenged each composer to explore contemporary themes and the enduring values of public service media; engagement, inclusivity and accessibility.

These commissions will be premiered between September 2025 and the 2028–2029 season, recorded and broadcast by public radio broadcasters and distributed throughout the Euroradio network.

Pascale Labrie, Head of Music, EBU said: “This initiative exemplifies the power of public media to lead ambitious, artistic projects with deep cultural value. By combining the forces of Europe’s finest media ensembles, festivals and classical channels, we are not only creating space for new musical voices, we are amplifying them for millions to hear.”

The first three premieres are scheduled for Autumn 2025:

• 13 September 2025: WDR Symphony Orchestra with conductor Vimbayi Kaziboni premiere a new work by South African composer Andile Khumalo at the WDR Funkhaus.
   
• 26 September 2025: Danish National Vocal Ensemble , under Phillip Faber, presents Edgard Moya Godoy’s El ladrillo que cayó, inspired by the myth of Babel and the sound world of Argentine tango, in Copenhagen.
   
• 19 October 2025: SWR Symphony Orchestra with conductor Elena Schwarz premiere a piece by Croatian composer Mirela Ivičević at the Donaueschinger Musiktage.

Patrick Hahn, Director,  Ensemble intercontemporain, Paris and former Commissioning Editor, WDR 3 said: “From the very beginning, this project was about imagination, collaboration, and care. I’m proud to see it come to life with such generosity and depth from everyone involved, and to know that these works will travel across countries and contexts, connecting people through music.

“The fact that media ensembles and public radio stations continue to commission new works and supplement journalistic perspectives on our world with artistic views is invaluable. Artists enable us to see things in a different light, thereby opening up additional possibilities for shaping the present and the future of public service music.”

The ten composers were selected by a panel of 19 music producers and media ensemble and festival managers from 14 EBU member organizations, with the goal of identifying artists with distinctive artistic voices and strong storytelling potential.

Ann McKay, Chief Producer, BBC Symphony Orchestra said: “This is a defining moment for musical collaboration across Europe. We’ve come together across languages, formats and national borders to support living composers. The ambition and unity behind this scheme is extraordinary and much needed.”

A second phase of the scheme is already being developed, aiming to coordinate further national premieres and expand participation among EBU classical radio stations.

Full list of composers and media ensembles

Andile Khumalo (South Africa) - WDR Symphony Orchestra - 13 September 2025

Edgard Moya Godoy (Argentina) - Danish National Vocal Ensemble - 26 September 2025

Mirela Ivičević (Croatia) - SWR Symphony Orchestra - 19 October 2025

Alessandro Baticci (Italy) - ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra - October 2026

Golfam Khayam (Iran) - RIAS Chamber Choir - 2026-2027

Anahita Abbasi (Iran) - Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France - 2027-2028

Sara Glojnarić (Croatia) - Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra - 2027-2028

Mirjam Tally (Estonia) - Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice (NOSPR) - 2027-2028

Ricardo Eizirik (Brazil) - Norwegian Radio Orchestra - 2028-2029

Kristine Tjøgersen (Norway) - BBC Symphony Orchestra - 2028-2029

Find out more at the EBU Music Commissioning Scheme project page.