"I am truly honored to write a piece for Christoph Eschenbach and the Philadelphia Orchestra to commemorate Benjamin Franklin," Kellogg said in a statement. "The possibilities for artistic response to such an individual are limitless, and I am thrilled to take up the challenge."

Franklin, the Philadelphia inventor and statesman, was born on January 17, 1706.

"I hope the music will capture his curiosity in all things, his flirtatious fun, his wit, and the spirit of the amazing time in which America was born," Kellogg added.

Kellogg, a Young Concert Artists Composer-in-Residence, got his bachelor's degree from the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and is currently working on his doctorate at Yale. His works have been performed at the 92nd Street Y, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center; the chamber group Eight Blackbird recently recorded his piece Divinum Mysterium.

"We're pleased to be working with such a young and gifted composer as Daniel Kellogg and look forward to hearing the outcome of this commission," said Philadelphia Orchestra music director Christoph Eschenbach, who had final say over Kellogg's selection.