When Peter Askim got hired in 2014 as NC State's director of orchestral studies - a job that includes conducting the university's two orchestras, the Raleigh Civic Symphony and the Raleigh Civic Chamber Orchestra - he didn't say to himself, You know what? I think we should perform a world premiere of a new musical composition at every concert we play.

He definitely didn't say, And let's be sure to keep those world premieres going for 10 years.

And yet here we are, as the orchestras' spring performances in March and April will put a bow on the first decade of what has become Askim's Premiere Project. When asked how this all came about, Askim says, "We just happened to start out by doing premieres for the first couple of years. It took me a while to realize that, actually, we had done a new piece for every program we put on. That's when I said, OK, this is it now. This is our mission."

The composers of the pieces debuted by the Premiere Project include nominees and winners of Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Pulitzer Prizes. The compositions they've created represent a wide array of musical styles and genres, including contemporary classical, jazz, bluegrass and traditional Hawaiian slack-key guitar. Askim says debuting original compositions is important to him because it's an integral component of his vision for arts education at an institution like NC State.

"There are 42 new musical pieces that exist now in the world because we've commissioned them for our premieres," he says. "That's what I think an R1 institution is about. It's like our form of research: We're pushing the state of the art, developing new perspectives, advancing the field of knowledge."

Creating and performing new music is crucial to Askim's goals as an educator, as well.

"I think it's important for the students to see that the creative process is alive," he says. "Creativity feeds into things that are beyond music, and that can shape and inspire their work in whatever field they pursue. It's all about that Think and Do philosophy."

"Being able to continue performing throughout college has been a blessing. Being able to do it with some of the most talented musicians I've ever met has been a blessing. Being directed by someone with so much zeal has been a blessing. I couldn't ask for more."

- Student member of the Raleigh Civic Symphony

Askim's commitment to using music as a way to holistically prepare students for life beyond the university is part of the reason why NC State's Office for Faculty Excellence honored him with an Outstanding Teacher Award earlier this month.

"His approach to teaching music as a lens through which students better understand the world embodies our commitment to inspiring curiosity and critical thinking," Doneka R. Scott, dean of University College and vice chancellor of the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, said in a statement recognizing the award. "Through that work, he equips students to explore, collaborate and lead throughout their academic journeys and beyond."

Both of NC State's orchestras are open to members of the local community, not just NC State students. All orchestra members are selected via an open audition process. This has allowed the Premiere Project's impact to extend outward into the lives of Raleigh-area musicians who otherwise wouldn't have gotten the chance to help breathe life into original orchestral compositions.

"I put my horn down for decades to raise my children - and missed it like a severed limb. ... It has meant the world to have the opportunity to be part of an orchestra, creating amazing music, sharing it with the community."

- Raleigh-area community member of the Raleigh Civic Symphony

As if conducting 10 years of world premieres for two orchestras wasn't enough, Askim is also artistic director of the Next Festival of Emerging Artists in New York City, which brings together outstanding early-career string players, composers, dancers and choreographers from around the world for two weeks each June. In addition, Askim was recently named the music director and conductor of the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra.

What ties it all together for him?

"Orchestra programming, for me, is like an artistic project," he explains. "How do you create something that coheres; that's got a beginning, a middle and an end; that has something everybody wants to see? How do you shape the cultural life of a city?"

By all indications, he'll spend the next 10 years answering that question.

[Editor's note: The Raleigh Civic Chamber Orchestra will perform "Between Worlds" on Sunday, March 29, at 4 p.m. in Stewart Theatre at Talley Student Union. The Raleigh Civic Symphony will perform "Athena - War, Wisdom, and Weaving" on Sunday, April 12, at 4 p.m., also in Stewart Theatre at Talley. Admission to both concerts is free for NC State students; $10 for faculty, staff and seniors; and $12 for the general public. You can learn more about both concerts here, and tickets are available here.] (https://performingartstech.dasa.ncsu.edu/news-events/concerts/)