The AMERICAN COMPOSERS ORCHESTRA, New York City, received a two-year grant of $30,000 in support of the multifaceted Emerging Composers Project. The Orchestra is dedicated to the creation, performance, development, and promulgation of music by American composers. It's an incubator of ideas, research and talent; a catalyst for growth and change among orchestras; and an advocate for American composers and their music. The six ongoing programmatic components of the Emerging Composers Project are the New Music Reading Sessions and Commission Award, Emerging Composer Fellowships, Commissions, Carnegie Hall Performances, Composers Out Front Series, and the Open Review Program. New in 2003-04 are the Orchestra Underground concert and the Improvise! Festival & Conference. The Orchestra maintains an open door to any interested composer wishing to have her or his work reviewed for program opportunities. Each year, the Project has a measurable impact on 15 to 20 emerging composers, providing excellent performances, important career-building opportunities and exposure.