"Lowell Threads" is an initiative that pays homage to the textile history of the city of Lowell. The orchestra commissions BIPOC composers to write for a genre of classical music in response to works of the same genre by well-known composers. The orchestra then becomes a laboratory through which composers from minority groups can redefine these classical music genres, interweaving the tradition with innovation.

For our first installment, members from LCO performed the complete Mozart Flute Quartets, with brand new works by Pamela Marshall, Yoko Nakatani, and Brian Raphael Nabors, providing a seamless concert experience.

Our latest installment of this venture is now available for purchase! On August 26th, 2022, an album that includes four brand new commissions by four exhilarating composers was released. Click below to learn more about them, or click here to learn about the album and their works.

Enjoy an excerpt from our first recording session: a movement from Kevin Scott’s brand new piece, written specifically for this project, and with the same instrumentation as Milhaud’s Second Chamber Symphony.

With the same instrumentation as Milhaud’s first chamber symphony, composer Brittney Benton conjures a fantastical story thanks to her masterful use of orchestration, making these seven players sound like a full symphony.