Commissioning as Innovation

Commissions and produces new musical works from composers worldwide, with over 200 premieres to date. The organization supports the development of these works from conception through performance, including large-scale and multimedia productions.

Holds educational and performance residencies at universities across the U.S., including Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, University of Chicago, and CUNY, supporting student composers and performers through workshops, readings, and performances.

Provides educational programs and workshops in schools and universities to foster creativity, music appreciation, and engagement with contemporary music. These include customized residencies, masterclasses, instrumentation and improvisation workshops, and side-by-side performances with students. Programs have reached hundreds of students across K–12 and higher education institutions.

Creates and presents interactive sound installations, such as a Tropicália-inspired work featured in the 2017 exhibition Vamos Comer in Rio de Janeiro, blending music with visual and conceptual art.

Hosts monthly Virtual Community Salons and free virtual events that provide online spaces for artists to share works in development and for broader community engagement with creative work and conversation.

Performs as a core ensemble and individual members at experimental music venues and festivals across the U.S. and internationally, including MATA, Prototype, Fringe, Bard Music Festival, Whitney Biennial, and ISSUE Project Room, with repertoire focused on music by living composers.

Produces podcast episodes that explore creativity across disciplines and feature commissioned musical works.

Produces an annual series of multimedia concerts in New York City featuring contemporary and experimental music, including performances recognized by The New York Times as among the best classical music performances of the year.

Releases albums of commissioned and performed works, such as "The Wild Heart" by Dylan Mattingly, making new music accessible to a broader audience.

Conducts research and publishes writings on experimental music in journals and anthologies, including contributions to Contemporary Music Review and Blank Forms’ Alien Roots: Éliane Radigue. Also translates archival materials from French to English for scholarly publication.

Operates "Contemporaneous IMAGINATION," an open-call program that solicits innovative, unrestricted proposals from composers, resulting in the commission and development of dozens of new works, including experimental and immersive performances. Also runs the Open Mic series, which premiered thirty new works in its first year.

Commissions and premieres new compositions by Japanese and American composers as part of its concert and festival programming, with a history of over 100 commissions and 109 world premieres presented since inception.

Established in 1994, the Resource Center features a custom-designed composer database and a collection of source materials to support research and appreciation of Japanese music.

Supplements concert programming with educational events including lectures, post-concert forums, and symposia featuring composers, performers, and scholars to provide historical and cultural context for Japanese music. These events are held in partnership with institutions such as the Japan Foundation and Columbia University.

Produces and presents concerts featuring contemporary and traditional Japanese music, including world and American premieres, across venues in New York and other locations. These concerts often include works by both Japanese and American composers and are part of ongoing seasonal and festival programming.

Offers free public access to festival concerts via live streaming, particularly during the pandemic, to broaden audience reach and engagement with Japanese music.

Confers the annual Christopher Monk Award to individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of historic brass, and established a new award in honor of founder Jeffrey Nussbaum, presented at the International Historic Brass Symposium.

Commissions and premieres new compositions for early brass instruments, including pieces such as "Jump In," "Stony Creek," "Fanfare," and "Caduceus Mixtus," performed at Early Brass Festivals and Historic Brass Symposia.