December 14, 2009 - NOW Ensemble presents 4 New York Premieres, Friday December 18 at Galapagos Art Space

This Friday, December 18, at 8:00 PM, NOW Ensemble will return to Galapagos Art Space for a blow-out triple-bill concert with Tristan Perich and Lesley Flanigan. Click here for tickets (and enter discount code NEWAM for $5 off). We're very excited to be bringing four dynamic new works to New York City for the first time: Reburst, by Mark Dancigers; Where A Meets B, by Michael Early; Velvet Hammer, by Sean Friar; and Change, by Judd Greenstein. (We'll also be reprising John Altieri's Not Yet.) The pieces cover a broad range in subject matter: Early's Where A Meets B was inspired by a Hafiz poem, translated by Emerson, while Greenstein's Change is a musical meditation on the composer's conflicting feelings of optimism, skepticism, hope and disappointment in the rapidly-shifting political landscape of the last year. Judd writes: "Gandhi said, 'be the change you want to see in the world'. This piece represents my own reminder to myself to always keep that fire lit..." Sean Friar approaches his Velvet Hammer from a more abstract perspective, exploring the tensions between "pretty, smooth textures and harmonies" to the "over-the-top, loud, raucous and ridiculous, while John Altieri's Not Yet is tinged by nostalgia and hazy memories. The composer provides the following: "With the release of summertime in mind, Not Yet grabs hold of cotton candy grooves and sings like popular concerts in a park. Simple yet humid. Clear though occasionally thick & rude. The bottom of an afternoon rainbow ice; melting syrup straight to the forehead."

November 10, 2009 - NOW Ensemble to premiere new works at Princeton University

NOW Ensemble is very pleased to be returning, for the third time, to one of our favorite destinations for wonderful new repertoire: the PhD composition program at Princeton University. We'll be premiering pieces by some of the graduate composers in the department, which is one of the most wide-ranging and open-minded programs in the world - a perfect match for NOW Ensemble! The free concert is December 8 at Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall, on the Princeton campus (just across from the new Frank Gehry building).

October 2, 2009 - NOW Ensemble heads on a mini-mid-Atlantic tour in October!

NOW Ensemble will be giving a short, three-concert tour in mid-October, performing for the first time in Washington, DC on October 19 and Baltimore, MD on October 20, before heading back home to New York city for a CMJ Showcase at Le Poisson Rouge, with New Amsterdam Records and Cantaloupe Music. Our "host" for the Washington trip, which will take place in the heart of downtown, at the beautiful Corcoran Gallery, is composer Stephen Gorbos, whose Signals we premiered in Florida last week. In Baltimore, we'll be on Judah Adashi's enterprising Evolution Contemporary Music Series, playing at An Die Musik. Along the way, we'll be debuting some new works - come back to this space to learn more in the coming weeks!

September 8, 2009 - NOW Ensemble to begin 2009-2010 season with performance at New Music New College in Sarasota, Florida

NOW Ensemble is excited to begin our 2009-2010 season with a performance at the New College of Florida, as part of their acclaimed New Music New College series, on Saturday, September 26 at 8:00 PM. As part of our involvement with the series, which is in its 11th year, NOW will be in residency for five days, giving a public rehearsal and discussion in the days leading up to the performance. We'll be premiering two works on the program, by Stephen Gorbos and Anthony Suter, and presenting a selection of works from our ever-increasing repertoire. NOW Ensemble is very excited for our Florida debut, and we're looking forward to beginning the 2009-2010 season in such high style.

May 10, 2009 - NOW Ensemble to premiere major new work by Missy Mazzoli and Stephen Taylor, with Abigail Fischer, May 29 at Galapagos Art Space

NOW Ensemble is gearing up for our May 29 show at Galapagos Art Space: the premiere of Song from the Uproar, by composer Missy Mazzoli and filmmaker Stephen Taylor, with soprano Abigail Fischer. This 40-minute work, for ensemble, voice, electronics and film, is inspired by the life of nomadic adventurer Isabelle Eberhardt, a fiercely independent individual who gave up a middle class life in Switzerland to live, often dressed as a man, among the opium smokers and nomads of 19th century Northern Africa. The sung text, complied from journals discovered after her death, tell the story of her tormented childhood, her travels to Africa, her secretive religious experiments and her mysterious drowning in the desert at age twenty-seven.  The films are a formal recasting of archival materials and home movies from the 1930s, reflecting on various themes that Isabelle explores in her diaries, letters, and stories. The images are not merely re-edited, but deconstructed-- thoroughly and violently, at times-- creating narratives and evoking feelings far beyond what the original footage conveys. Caught between cultures, moving between genders and embroiled in conflicts between East and West, Isabelle Eberhardt weaves a modern and moving tale in her writing.  Song from the Uproar gives the audience a glimpse of the life of this extraordinary individual, and shows her unexpected connection to our modern lives. The concert is part of Undiscovered Islands, an exciting new festival presented by New Amsterdam Records and Galapagos. You can buy tickets here. We'll be joined in the second half by William Brittelle, premiering his new project, Television Landscape.

April 28, 2009 - NOW Ensemble chosen for WNYC Salute the ARts Initiative

NOW Ensemble has been selected for this month's WNYC's Salute The ARts *STAR* Initiative. The Salute The ARts Initiative is a free program that profiles 36 small cultural non-profit organizations in the New York Metropolitan area over a 12-month period, through on-air promotional announcements and free website support. Listen for the mentions on 93.9 FM and AM 820, and look for them on their website, www.wnyc.org/events. Many thanks to WNYC - our favorite local radio station!

March 23, 2009 - NOW Ensemble heads back to le Poisson Rouge for first-ever appearance at MATA Festival

NOW Ensemble is excited to return to le Poisson Rouge on Friday, April 3, at 7:30 PM, for our first-ever appearance at the MATA Festival. The festival, which has been up and running for more than a decade, is dedicated to the same ideals as NOW Ensemble - supporting the work of young composers! We're very pleased to be working with MATA, and to have an opportunity to bring works by Patrick Burke, David Crowell, Missy Mazzoli, Jascha Narveson, and Gregory Spears before a new audience. We'll be joined by the beautiful sounds of Bing and Ruth, which will premiere a big new work by band director David Moore. You can buy tickets to the event, or a pass to the entire week-long festival, with So Percussion, the Knights, and more, here.

February 27, 2009 - NOW Ensemble to Perform at Le Poisson Rouge as part of US/UK "Convergence"

On March 18 at 8:00 PM, NOW Ensemble will perform at le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker St.), as part of a New York/London "convergence" with London's Nonclassical and our own New Amsterdam Records. We'll be joined by a bunch of cool musicians from across the pond, including the Elysian Quartet, and we'll also be joined by our good friend Sam Solomon (percussion), who will play a set of solo works he's commissioned. On the NOW side, we're happy to be premiering a new work by Jason Treuting (of So Percussion), which we'll play along with music of Andrea Mazzariello, Ryan Brown, Mark Dancigers, and Judd Greenstein. Check the LPR website for tickets and directions!

January 6, 2009 - NOW Ensemble Debut Record Receives Praise in End-of-Year Lists

NOW Ensemble's debut album, NOW was named one of the year's best albums by New Yorker music critic Alex Ross, and was featured in "Uncle" Dave Lewis's "All-Around Best of 2008" list at AllMusic.com. The album was one of twelve CDs recommended (with a full five-stars rating) by the All Music Gift Guide, along with recordings of works by John Adams, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich. To listen to, read about, or purchase NOW Ensemble's NOW, click here.

December 15, 2008 - NOW Ensemble Concert this Wednesday, December 17, 7:30 pm, at the Chelsea Art Museum

Come join us at the Chelsea Art Museum this Wednesday at 7:30 for a show of new music by Ryan Brown, Mark Dancigers, Judd Greenstein, David T. Little, and Jascha Narveson, plus slightly-less-new music by Patrick Burke and Stefan Weisman, with special guest vocalist Sarah Chalfy, and a short set by our friend Konrad Kaczmarek. Time Out New York gave us a critic's pick, calling us an "always-vital new-music group". While we encourage anyone who's able to buy a ticket for the special benefit event that will follow, we'd also like to make absolutely clear that the tickets for the show itself are only $10! Please come for the concert, even if you can't stay for the benefit. It's going to be a great show. Visit the CAM website for more information and directions!

December 1, 2008 - NOW Ensemble Fundraising Season Highlighted by Benefit Concert, December 17

NOW Ensemble is beginning its 2008 Fundraising Drive with a concert at the Chelsea Art Museum, as part of the museum's Performing Arts series. The show (only $10 without a benefit ticket) will feature a wide range of New York premieres by a diverse array of talented young composers, including Mark Dancigers, Judd Greenstein, David T. Little, and Jascha Narveson. The show will also include music by Ryan Brown, Patrick Burke, and Stefan Weisman, with special guest vocalist Sarah Chalfy, and a short set by our friend Konrad Kaczmarek. You can reserve benefit tickets by e-mailing us - support starts at $100 for those who wish to attend the benefit, and we'll direct you on how to make that mostly tax-deductible donation. If you can't make the show but would like to support NOW Ensemble, please click here - no donation is too small, and it's 100% tax-deductible! For those who are unable to support NOW Ensemble this year, we encourage you to still attend the public concert that evening, which (again) is only $10, and which will be awesome. Visit the CAM website for more information and directions!

November 23, 2008 - NOW Ensemble Back From Weekend in Pittsburgh!

NOW Ensemble is back in New York, having just had an amazing weekend in Pittsburgh, where we played a show at the University's Bellefield Hall. You can hear the show at our instantencore site!

October 28, 2008 - NOW Ensemble Learning New Repertoire, Preparing for Pittsburgh and Princeton

NOW Ensemble is in the process of learning a number of new pieces in preparation for our December 9 residency at Princeton University, where we'll premiere new works by some excellent new voices. Before then, we'll head to Pittsburgh, PA, for a November 22 show as part of the Music on the Edge series at the University of Pittsburgh. We're very excited for these upcoming shows and we hope you'll join us if you're in the area!

October 14, 2008 - Greenstein's Folk Music used by Obama/Biden Campaign

Judd Greenstein's Folk Music, off of our debut CD, NOW, has been licensed for use by the Obama/Biden campaign in an internet ad that's featured on the front of the campaign website. You can watch the video here.

September 29, 2008 - NOW Preparing to Work With Dargel

NOW Ensemble is gearing up and preparing to work with composer/vocalist Corey Dargel for his upcoming record release at Le Poisson Rouge. In addition to our set with Corey, we'll play a set of works from our catalogue. It should be a great evening!

August 28, 2008 - NOW Ensemble Heads to Mexico (with a first stop in NYC)!

NOW Ensemble will head to Mexico for the Festival Internacional Chihuahua, where we'll play in both Chihuahua and Ciudad Juarez. Many thanks to the the U.S. Consulate General for bringing us down, and to Aristides Llaneza for organizing our visit! NOW will kick off our tour with a special preview of the tour repertoire at The Stone, John Zorn's intimate L.E.S. live music venue, on September 19 at 8:00 PM. Come help send us off to Mexico, and meet both our new bass player, Logan Coale, and our friend Andrew Rehrig, who will be substituting for Alex Sopp on the flute. We'll also premiere new works by Patrick Burke, Ryan Carter, and Mark Dancigers.

July 17, 2008 - NOW Ensemble Receives JPMorganChase Grant

NOW Ensemble has received a grant from the JPMorganChase Regrant Program for Small Ensembles. According to the grant's sponsors, Meet the Composer, the program "provides general operating support to professional music organizations and presenters in the five boroughs of New York City who demonstrate excellence in programming and presenting music by living composers, and who operate with an annual budget averaging $500,000 or less over the past three fiscal years." Many thanks to JPMorganChase and Meet the Composer for their support!

June 25, 2008 - NOW in Chamber Music magazine

NOW Ensemble is the subject of a feature story in the July/August issue of Chamber Music magazine. The article, which you can download and read here, is part of the magazine's "American Ensemble" series. An excerpt: "The CD is remarkable not just for its music but for its packaging, featuring eye-catching art by Brett Budde, and as slickly designed as a major-label pop release."

May 29, 2008 - NOW Ensemble on NPR's All Things Considered

New Amsterdam Records was the subject of a beautifully-written and extremely well-produced feature story on NPR's All Things Considered. You can listen to the segment here, on the story's web page, which also features an expanded text version, pictures, and links to a variety of pages (as well as a pretty amusing picture of NOW's Judd Greenstein). NOW Ensemble was one of the highlighted groups throughout the story, including a number of clips from NOW, and a short recording of a rehearsal. In the NPR piece, critic Justin Davidson hits the nail on the head when he describes our scene as follows: "'The interesting thing about this group of people, and New Amsterdam, is the real lack of interest in anything that you could call aesthetic categories, or rules about what does and doesn't belong in their sphere of influence,' he says. 'And in a way, that can make it — the marketing of it — somewhat difficult, because it's kind of amorphous. But aesthetically, it's really interesting.'"

May 15, 2008 - NOW announces its new bass player

NOW Ensemble is pleased to announce that Logan Coale has been hired as our new bass player. Logan is a tremendous musician and a wonderful person and we are very glad to welcome him to the NOW Ensemble family!

May 05, 2008 - NOW pieces to be performed by the ECCE

Four of NOW Ensemble's works will be played on May 30, 2008, by the Eugene Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, under the direction of Scott J. Ordway. The works to be presented include All Together NOW, by Patrick Burke, Hanging There, by Mark Dancigers, Raunch, by Andrew McKenna Lee, and Sing Along, by Judd Greenstein. The performance is part of the YOUTH! festival, which is in its first year. We're very happy to have our repertoire presented in Oregon for the first time!

April 10, 2008 - Scott Smallwood compilation available for free download, featuring NOW Ensemble

NOW Ensemble is featured on a compilation of works by Scott Smallwood, playing still in here, which Scott wrote for us in 2006. The album, which you can download and read about at sijis.com, is described as follows: "These pieces represent a series of works that involve meditating on slowly evolving textures in places of stillness and resonance." Thanks to sijis for distributing a wide variety of compelling music, including Scott's.

March 5, 2008 - Congratulations to Joe's Pub!

Congratulations to Joe's Pub, which was named Best Downtown Classical-Music Venue in New York Magazine. The article, which you can read here, cited the "handful of fantastic acts" that have already played there this year, including "smart young composer-chamber collective the NOW Ensemble", as well as our friends, itsnotyouitsme. We'll look forward to our next show at one of New York's best venues.

February 20, 2008 - NOW on the Radio

We've been getting lots of e-mails and phone calls saying that our friends are hearing us on the radio. We've been getting lots of airplay, especially from our amazing local stations, WNYC and WFMU, where John Schaefer and Irene Trudel have been extremely supportive in getting our sound to new listeners. Many thanks to them and to the other DJs who have been playing our record.

February 1, 2008 - Reviews Are In

The first reviews are in for NOW, and we've been pleased to garner five stars in both Time Out New York and Time Out Chicago! Check our press page to read what people have been saying.

January 9, 2008 - NOW Record Release sells out Joe's Pub

The NOW Record Release, featuring itsnotyouitsme and sponsored by New Amsterdam Records, sold out Joe's Pub on Wednesday night! The show had an amazing energy to it, thanks in large part to our fantastic audience. Thanks to everyone who came out, and sorry to those who couldn't get in.

January 3, 2008 - NOW on WNYC Soundcheck

NOW Ensemble's Judd Greenstein and Sara Phillips will be on WNYC's Soundcheck, with John Schaefer, Tuesday January 8 at 2:00 PM. We'll talk about the group, our new record, and that evening's show at Joe's Pub. Tune in at www.wnyc.org/shows/soundcheck from anywhere in the world!

December 27 2007 - NOW receives grant from NYSCA

NOW Ensemble has received a generous grant from the New York State Council on the Arts! We'll put this money towards our general operating expenses, bringing new music to new audiences and supporting young composers in the work that they do. Many thanks to the good people at NYSCA for their support.

November 5 2007 - CDs have arrived!

Our new CD, NOW, arrived in the mail today! We'll be having the official release in December, but there will be sneaky ways to get your copy sooner. The disc, which was produced by Dan Bora and recorded and engineered at the Looking Glass Studios, features classic NOW Ensemble repertoire by member-composers Patrick Burke, Mark Dancigers, and Judd Greenstein, as well as a work by our good friend, Nico Muhly. NOW was recorded with our original performing lineup of Alex Sopp, Sara Phillips, Mark Dancigers, Peter Rosenfeld, and Michael Mizrahi.

October 27 2007 - NOW rocks Crane Arts in Philadelphia return

NOW Ensemble played two sets in Philadelphia's incredible Crane Arts Center, returning there for the first time since our June, 2006 "takeover" event. The show featured new music by Jacob Cooper, Missy Mazzoli, and Scott Smallwood, along with classic repertoire. We were pleased to work with our good friend Bradley Kemp, who performed on the double bass. A great crowd came out - thanks to everyone who showed up!

October 22 2007 - NOW at 21st Century Schizoid show

NOW Ensemble was featured as part of Matt McBane's "21st Century Schizoid" show at the Cornelia Street Café. We played Matt's Synthetic Night, and Matt put on a mix of his concert music with a set by Build, the band he directs.

October 15 2007 - Missy Mazzoli receives Jerome grant to write for NOW

Missy Mazzoli, the New York-based composer, has received a grant to write an extended multi-media work for NOW Ensemble, along with filmmaker Stephen Taylor. Mazzoli's last composition for NOW Ensemble, Magic With Everyday Objects, was called "one of the great surprises of the 2007 [Bang on a Can] Marathon" by John Schaefer, host of WNYC's New Sounds radio program. Taylor was the filmmaker behind The End of New Music, the documentary about the 2005 Free Speech Zone Tour, featuring NOW Ensemble, which was the subject of a lengthy article in the New York Times this past July. We're very excited to be working with these two incredible artists. Many thanks to the Jerome Foundation for their generous grant!

October 5 2007 - NOW Benefit!

NOW Ensemble had an amazing time at our first-ever Fundraiser! The event was held at the Greenwich House, where NOW gave a short set of music, preceded (and followed) by a lot of eating and drinking. Our friends came out to support us, including Missy Mazzoli, who spoke eloquently about the importance of our organization for composers and the new music scene in general. We are hugely thankful to all the donors who attended - as well as to those who couldn't! We could not be where we are, nor could we go where we need to go, without your support!