Institute for New Music

02/28/2026

Next weekend, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Raven Chacon joins the Contemporary Music Ensemble for a performance of Voiceless Mass, for which the composer was awared the Pulitzer Prize. The work is designed to utilize a house of worship with musicians spread out across the space, employing its architecture to illustrate the complex legacy of the Catholic Church and its treatment of Native Americans. In Chacon’s words, Voiceless Mass “considers the spaces in which we gather, the history of access of these spaces, and the land upon which these buildings sit.” CME's performance will be presented in Northwestern's historic Alice Millar Chapel.

Isleta Pueblo/Filipina/Italian vocalist Michaela Marchi joins the ensemble for Chacon’s Owl Song, “an acknowledgment of the nocturnal hunting bird, considered by some to have the ability of shapeshifting,” as the composer explains. Also on the program are György Ligeti’s Organ Study No.1: Harmonies and Jessie Cox’s Quantify.

Presented in partnership with the Center for Native Futures, the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, and the School of Communication’s MA in Sound Arts and Industries.

Saturday, March 7 @ 7pm
Alice Millar Chapel
Info & Tickets:
https://music.northwestern.edu/events/contemporary-music-ensemble-6?eventdate=1772931600

02/27/2026

Tonight: TAK ensemble premieres works by Megan DiGeorgio, Jack Hamill, Carlos Zárate, Pedram Diba, and Joohyun Park. Join us at 7:30pm at McClintock Recital Room at Northwestern University – admission is free!

Laura C***s, flute; Madison Greenstone, clarinet; Charlotte Mundy, voice; Marina Kifferstein, violin; Ellery Trafford, percussion A mixed quintet committed to musical exploration and experimentation, the US-based TAK Ensemble delivers energetic performances “that combine crystalline clarity with t...

02/11/2026

Join us on Friday in Evanston and next Wednesday in Chicago!

Our Contemporary Music Ensemble is heading to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago! CME's upcoming program celebrates the friendship and artistic connection between Yoko Ono and John Cage. Join us at MCA Feb. 18 or in Evanston Feb. 13: http://spr.ly/6186hOjuO

Institute for New Music

10/16/2025

09/23/2025

📣 Nominations for the 2026 Michael Ludwig 𝐍𝐞𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞 in Music Composition are now open!

The prize includes a cash award of $150,000 and the recipient is expected to participate in two nonconsecutive weeks of residency at the Bienen School interacting with students and faculty.

📝 Submit a Nomination: http://spr.ly/6186AZmXo

05/22/2025

Join the Contemporary Music Ensemble on Saturday, May 24 for Donnacha Dennehy's "Land of Winter," alongside a world premiere by Bienen PhD composer Alissa Voth; 7:30 PM in Galvin Recital Hall!

05/05/2025

Northwestern University Graduate Saxophone QuartetRecorded live at Galvin Recital HallNorthwestern UniversityFebruary 15, 2025Brian Kachur, soprano saxophone...

04/30/2025

We had a blast celebrating contemporary music during NUNC! 6 – check out some highlights from the weekend!

04/23/2025

Northwestern is the place for new music this weekend! Join us for a three-day celebration of contemporary music, featuring the International Contemporary Ensemble, Northwestern University Bands, Bienen's Contemporary Music Ensemble with Bec Plexus, and invited scholars, performers, and composers.

NUNC! 6 kicks off with our Symphonic Wind Ensemble, performing works of Mason Bates, Christopher Stark, Cindy McTee, Björk, and NUNC! 6 Composer-in-Residence George Lewis – this Friday at 7:30 PM in Pick-Staiger Hall. 🎺

NUNC! 6April 25-27, 2025One of the leading new music conferences in the world, the Northwestern University New Music Conference (NUNC!) brings together composers, performing musicians, scholars, and other new music advocates for a series of workshops, presentations, and concerts.The Institute for Ne...

04/10/2025

Mark your calendars for 3 days of new music, featuring Bec Plexus, George Lewis, the International Contemporary Ensemble, and Bienen School of Music ensembles. 🎶

🎶 Coming soon: NUNC! 6 🎶

One of the leading new music conferences in the world, the Northwestern University New Music Conference (NUNC!) returns April 25-27, featuring George Lewis, Bec Plexus, Kirsten Speyer Carithers, and the International Contemporary Ensemble.

🗓️ See the full schedule of performances, presentations, and more: http://spr.ly/6185FvV09

Institute for New Music

04/07/2025

🎉🎉🎉

The Bienen School is pleased to announce the appointment of Kelley Sheehan as assistant professor of composition and music technology, effective September 1!

“Kelley is a multifaceted musician with a powerful compositional voice, encompassing a broad range of influences, materials and practices. She is uniquely adept at creating novel interfaces between electronic and acoustic forces in her compositions. She is also an avid improviser, both on self-made DIY electronic instruments, and on the AI-electric guitar hybrid she has developed," said Alex Mincek, director of the school’s Institute for New Music.

Read more: http://spr.ly/6182FmvSG

03/13/2025

CME in the news for our work with Tania León, who visited us last week for our performance of Rítmicas – check out the article!

The esteemed 81-year-old has boldly brought herself to the classical genre. Listen as she encourages composers of tomorrow to follow suit.