Ensemble 21

Founded in 1993 by composer Jason Eckardt and pianist Marilyn Nonken, Ensemble 21 contemporary music performance group is a cooperative of young musicians dedicated to bringing New Music to new listeners. In the past six years, Ensemble 21 has established a record of excellence in performance and demonstrated a serious commitment to today's compose... rs. After the ensemble's debut concert - a tour-de-force evening of twentieth-century classics and little-known gems - the New York Times announced: "Ensemble 21's young players seem eager to join Speculum Musicae, the Group for Contemporary Music, and other like-minded ensembles....They have the technical means and enthusiasm the task requires." Today, Ensemble 21 continues to provide compelling and insightful performances of contemporary works, building for New Music a larger, more adventurous audience. Ensemble 21 presents three concerts annually at major New York venues such as Merkin Concert Hall, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Kathryn Bache Miller Theatre. The ensemble's programs are designed to provide entertaining, provoking, and emotionally-satisfying new music experiences for listeners of diverse backgrounds and interests. Ensemble 21's growing audience includes new music enthusiasts and non-musicians alike. To reach out to new listeners, the members and directors of the ensemble appear regularly on New York public radio, performing and discussing new works on the air. Ensemble 21 also organizes interactive events, such as panel discussions, bridging the gap which too often separates today's composers from their listeners. "As new music continues to redefine itself," reads the ensemble's mission, "it is imperative, now more than ever, that the works of composers still breathing be brought to the public with vigor, style, and the awareness that this is the music of our time." Now in its sixth performance season, Ensemble 21 continues to fulfill its mission. While special priority is given to programming the music of ...Read More