ɪn dʒˈuːn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd, ðɪ ˈɔːɹkᵻstɹɚ ɹᵻsˈiːvd ɐ dˈɑːlɚ wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪd,zˈiəɹoʊzˈiəɹoʊ zˈiəɹoʊ tʃˈælɪndʒ ɡɹˈænt fɹʌmðə nˈaɪt faʊndˈeɪʃən tə bɪɡˈɪn wˈɜːk ˌɔn ɐ nˈuː mjˈuːzɪk slˈæʃ ˈɔːdiəns dɪvˈɛləpmənt pɹˈɑːdʒɛkt dɪzˈaɪnd tʊ ɐkˈɑːmplɪʃ ðə sᵻlˈɛkʃən ʌv nˈuː mjˈuːzɪk baɪ ðɪ ˈɔːɹkᵻstɹə mjuːzˈɪʃənz ænd ðɛɹ ˈɔːdiənsᵻz.
In June 2000, the orchestra received a $100,000 challenge grant from the Knight Foundation to begin work on a new music/audience development project designed to accomplish the selection of new music by the orchestra musicians and their audiences.