Joshua Kosman March 9, 2021Updated: March 9, 2021, 2:09 pm Composer Tarik O’Regan’s residency promises to make new music a more prominent part of Philharmonia’s activity. Photo: Frances Marshall Photography Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale has named Tarik O’Regan as its composer in residence — the first time in its 40-year history that the early-music ensemble has supported such a position. Plans for the British American composer’s 3½-year residency include three major commissioned works for Philharmonia: a concerto for oud (an Arabic cousin of the lute), followed by an opera and a choral work. He will also oversee a commissioning program for other composers, a composition competition, and the creation of a new ensemble under the Philharmonia umbrella dedicated to contemporary music.