Present Music is one of the nation’s leading ensembles specializing in the commissioning and performance of new music. Founded by Kevin Stalheim in 1982 and based in Milwaukee, Present Music engages artists and audiences in imaginative and provocative experiences through ensemble performance and education. Led by Artistic Director Eric Segnitz, the ensemble has worked closely […]
Stare at the Sun is a professional mixed-voice chamber choir specializing in the curation and commissioning of works by living composers. Works that address issues of social responsibility and the complexities of living in the 21st century. Works of defiant optimism that celebrate human potential, the value of human life, and the possibility that human […]
NOVA LINEA MUSICA (NLM) is the latest addition to Chicago’s new-music scene, a music creation engine already busy generating new string music as its moniker affirms. Its ambition, though, is far more crucial to classical music’s ability to thrive in the years to come: to etch new connections between performers, composers, and listeners and close the distances between them. […]
Beyond this point is an exploratory collaboration seeking to investigate resonances and intersections across several practices including theater, movement, media/film, non-traditional musical forms, sculpture, text, and installations both static and performative. The collaboration aims to engage diverse audiences on multiple levels through its exploration of resonances between artistic mediums with a goal of developing a […]
Thompson Street Opera Company reimagines what opera can be. We intentionally and inclusively collaborate with artists to create productions that challenge the status quo through artistic and social innovation. Our intimate performances of regional and world premieres have been called “free-wheeling and ambitious”, “consistently solid,” and “stunning” by reviewers, and lauded by composers as “better […]
Else, if Else is a Chicago-based trio dedicated to exploration and experimentation. Their performances blur the line between notated and spontaneous music, combining their background in chamber music with individual and collective improvisational practices. They have collaborated with composers such as John Supko and Nomi Epstein, been selected as an ensemble in residence at the […]
The _____ Experiment (pronounced The “Blank” Experiment) is an up and coming flexible instrumentation ensemble based in the Midwest. With over 30 commissions, this group is committed to expanding the repertoire for mixed chamber ensembles. Their mission is to commission music by a variety of composers in order to create high quality, but audibly approachable […]
Sapphire Woodwind Quintet has been entertaining audiences with eclectic programs since 2004. Sapphire has performed on concert series all over Chicagoland, including the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, Mostly Music Chicago, the Nineteenth Century Club, and the Noontime Concerts at the University of Chicago. Sapphire has also been broadcast live on WFMT performing at […]
Masso Quartet is a Chicago-based saxophone quartet dedicated to exploring the connective possibilities of sound. Through active collaborations with living composers, mindful engagement with historic works, carefully designed performance projects, and frequent community outreach, Masso plays music to realize connections between people and the world, for audiences and performers alike. Engaging with contemporary classical music […]
The William Ferris Chorale brings Chicago audiences new and unexpected choral music in programs highlighting music written by living composers. Exploring and experiencing new music with our artists and audience opens us all to new ideas, new sounds, and new voices; and this brings the 50-year long legacy of founder William Ferris to audiences throughout […]
Conceived with the vision to return Epiphany to a place for people to once again congregate in, the shuttered, historic Church of the Epiphany has been preserved and adapted into an iconic cultural hub ‘For the Good of Art, Entertainment and Events’. Thoughtfully designed, the exemplary 42,000 square foot campus boasts three distinct venues and […]
Missing Piece is a south side Chicago-based musical duo: violinist Dan Galat and cellist Kelly Quesada, who endeavor to commission new musical works and works from other artistic disciplines on the themes of collaboration, community, environment, and social justice. We believe presenting these works can unite and organize various communities for the benefit of all. […]
Founded in January 2018, the Yang and Olivia Arts Foundation is a non-profit 501c3 organization whose aim is to provide a platform embracing diversity, equality and inclusion. The first years of activities focused on international cultural exchange between United States, China and Taiwan, particularly in the area of classical music. Since the pandemics, the foundation […]
New Music enthusiasts and chamber music specialists, Juan Horie (cello) and Sixto Franco (viola) have joined forces to form the Quijote Duo, a formation that strives to create spaces for innovation and experimentation through collaboration. With a combined experience in many fields including theater, education, composition, concert music and arts management, the Quijote […]
6Degrees Composers is a Chicago-based collective of women composers from different musical traditions. It was founded by Regina Harris Baiocchi in 2010. The group has presented numerous concerts at Sherwood Community Music School at Columbia College, the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, and several churches on the West and South sides. The […]
Nightingale Ensemble is comprised of an eclectic group of instruments not often seen in the same company. The ensemble performs commissioned and already existing works by contemporary composers that explore new musical landscapes and push the pairing of instruments. In addition, they also use their unusual instrumentation to their advantage in order to perform lesser known […]
Constellation Men’s Ensemble (CME) is a Chicago-based vocal group dedicated to creating distinct performances in unique spaces, empowering the next generation of singers through educational engagement, and expanding the repertoire for men’s vocal music by commissioning new works from both emerging and established composers. In 2016, CME founded their new music series NOVA, “new, original, vocal, […]
With a concert series based in the western suburbs of Chicago combining the mixed ensemble traditions of the flute and cello, Naperville Chamber Players engages guest artists from across the artistic spectrum in dynamic collaborations. Artistic Directors Marie Bennett and Dorothy Deen have both been performing professionally as soloists, chamber musicians and orchestral musicians […]
For more than 40 years, The Chicago Ensemble has brought a fascinating array of chamber works to Chicago audiences. Offering an innovative mix of familiar masterworks and lesser-known repertoire, performed in varied combinations of instruments and voice, The Chicago Ensemble occupies a unique place in Chicago’s cultural life. Outstanding musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, […]
Chicago Fringe Opera is dedicated to presenting innovative vocal works with an emphasis in the new and contemporary styles, engaging with the Chicago community through intimate and immersive performance experiences, and fostering and empowering local artists. Our Vision: Chicago Fringe Opera is on the forefront of producing dynamic contemporary vocal works in the city of […]
~Nois is a Chicago-based saxophone quartet devoted to the creation and performance of new music. Founded in 2016 by graduate students at Northwestern University, ~Nois has quickly emerged as one of the premier young ensembles dedicated to contemporary performance. ~Nois has been a prize winner at major chamber music competitions including the Second Prize in […]
Founded in 2011, Crossing Borders Music has become a leading interpreter of chamber music by composers from cultures including the Chickasaw Nation, Colombia, Egypt, Haiti, India, Syria, and Uganda, and a pioneering, critically acclaimed presenter of music by graduates of the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education in Iran. Crossing Borders Music was a Headline Artist at […]
Access Contemporary Music (ACM) wants everyone to know about contemporary classical music. We believe strongly that the music of our time deserves a wider audience and that there are many people who would love contemporary classical music if they only knew it existed. We see two challenges facing contemporary music: 1. The vast majority of […]
The Chicago Composers’ Consortium is a grass-roots organization of composers dedicated to creating new music in Chicago. We are a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization formed in 1988 and incorporated in 1989. Since then c3 has organized scores of concerts, invited many distinguished composers, and collaborated with several musicians and ensembles, creating unique musical events. What has […]
The Chicago Composers Orchestra is dedicated to the performance and advocacy of orchestral music by living composers. The orchestra works to expand the art form and engage the Chicago community through innovative programming, low cost concerts, and a vibrant and welcoming concert atmosphere. It brings the best in contemporary orchestral music to its audiences by […]
Eighth Blackbird, hailed as “one of the smartest, most dynamic contemporary classical ensembles on the planet” (Chicago Tribune), began in 1996 as a group of six entrepreneurial Oberlin Conservatory students and quickly became “a brand-name defined by adventure, vibrancy and quality” (Detroit Free Press). Over the course of more than two decades, Eighth Blackbird has […]
“Superb” – The New York Times Ensemble Dal Niente is a 22-member Chicago-based contemporary music collective with an international presence. The ensemble uses its flexible instrumentation, curatorial approach to programming, and relentless attention to interpretation to create engaging, inspiring, and immersive experiences that connect audiences to with the music of today. The Chicago Tribune has […]
The Chicago-based Fifth House Ensemble is a versatile and dynamic group praised by the New York Times for its “conviction, authority, and finesse.” Defined by limitless imagination, the ensemble engages curiosity to create unexpected connections with artistic collaborators and audiences of all types, breathing life into repertoire both established and emerging. Over the last decade, […]
The mission of the Fulcrum Point New Music Project is to be a Chicago leader of diverse new music; presenting multi-media performances, generating educational programs, and commissioning innovative works. http://fulcrumpoint.org/
Founded in 2004, the Gaudete Brass Quintet is devoted to presenting serious brass chamber music at the highest level of excellence and to encouraging worldwide appreciation of the art of brass chamber music through live performances, recordings, education, and the creation of new works. The quintet has been featured on concert series, radio broadcasts and […]
With a flexible roster of 33 leading instrumentalists performing in forces ranging from solos to large ensembles, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) functions as performer, presenter, and educator, advancing the music of our time by developing innovative new works and pursuing groundbreaking strategies for audience engagement. In an era of radical change, ICE redefines concert […]
A ‘Pierrot’ chamber music ensemble, Lakeshore Rush is made up of six extraordinary musicians from Chicago who delight audiences of all ages with riveting contemporary music characterized by programmatic innovation, and collaborative partnerships. Lakeshore Rush has been featured in a masterclass and performance at Lawrence University, and as guest artists for MeritFest at Chicago’s Orchestra […]
Known for its bold programming and its exceptional performances, the MAVerick Ensemble presents concerts of experimental music designed to engage, entertain, and inform the audience. In residence at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, the ensemble presents a year-long concert series that has been selected as Critic’s Choice in the Chicago Reader.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra presents its acclaimed MusicNOW contemporary music series, dedicated to showcasing contemporary music through an innovative concert experience. Curated by CSO Mead Composer-In-Residence Missy Mazzoli, the annual four-concert series presents work from established contemporary composers and new voices beginning to emerge across today’s active and varied contemporary music scene. Offering an immersive, […]
A major component of the Bienen School’s ten-year strategic plan, the Institute for New Music has been established to act as a physical, intellectual and performance hub for 20th- and 21st-century art and popular music at Northwestern University. Seeking to elevate the School’s reputation and expand its educational offerings in modern music, the Institute will […]
Chicago-based chamber ensemble Picosa is among the city’s premiere chamber ensembles, performing eclectic programs in its established and ongoing concert series at Allen Recital Hall in DePaul University’s Holtschneider Performance Center, the Driehaus Museum, and in residencies at both Elmhurst College and North Central College. A mixed chamber music ensemble comprised of flute, clarinet, violin, […]
With the precision and flexibility of modern chamber musicians, Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble specializes in experimental vocal repertoire that is changing the paradigm of contemporary music. Described as “a new force of vocal excellence and innovation” by The Brooklyn Rail, Quince continually pushes the boundaries of traditional vocal ensemble literature. http://www.quince-ensemble.com/
SPEKTRAL QUARTET actively pursues a vivid conversation between exhilarating works of the traditional canon and those written this decade, this year, or this week. With the New York Times writing that “they have everything: a supreme technical command that seems to come easily, a capacity to make complicated music clear, and, most notably…an ability to […]
Third Coast Percussion explores and expands the extraordinary sonic possibilities of the percussion repertoire through performances, teaching, and the creation of new works.