Composer Tyler Taylor.
The San Francisco Symphony, in partnership with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), announced that Tyler Taylor is the winner of the fourth annual Emerging Black Composers Project (EBCP) prize. Launched in 2020, the project spotlights early-career Black American composers and their music. The San Francisco Symphony, led by Cristian Măcelaru, will give the world premiere of Taylor’s commissioned work during the 2025–26 season. As winner of the Michael Morgan Prize, Taylor will receive a $15,000 commissioning fee, mentorship from EBCP committee members, and resources to workshop his piece with SFCM, along with a premiere of the work by the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall. Taylor joins Xavier Muzik, Jens Ibsen, and Trevor Weston as winners of the ten-year project. Additional past prizes have been awarded to Sumi Tonooka, Jonathan Bingham, Shawn Okpebholo, Quenton Xavier Blache, and Nathaniel Heyder. Taylor was selected as the winner through an anonymous review process by a committee led by EBCP Chair Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser and including SFCM Music Director Edwin Outwater. Born in 1992 in Louisville, KY, Taylor is a graduate of Indiana University, the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Louisville. He served as a resident conductor for the Louisville Orchestra in its Creator Corps program. Taylor also performs on horn.
