Curtis New Music Ensemble

November 20, 2025 | Gould Rehearsal Hall

We the Artists explores America’s diverse musical legacy—creativity, resilience, and the voices that define its evolving soundscape. The program features selections from Joan Tower’s Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, honoring trailblazing women through a bold reimagining of Copland’s fanfare alongside works of Clarice Assad, Carlos Simon and Valerie Coleman.

April 4, 2026 | Gould Rehearsal Hall

Join us in celebrating composer-in-residence Jessie Montgomery with a concert featuring works by the Grammy-winning composer, violinist, and educator. Praised as “turbulent, wildly colorful, and exploding with life” (Washington Post), Montgomery’s music fuses classical with vernacular styles, improvisation, poetry, and social consciousness—offering a profound reflection of 21st-century American sound.

Discover the vibrant world of acclaimed composer Gabriela Ortiz with the Curtis New Music Ensemble. Renowned as one of Mexico’s foremost musical talents, Ortiz’s compositions blend traditional, popular, and avant-garde elements with multimedia artistry.

This exciting concert features musical and academic explorations of the 20th century, including works by Curtis alumni, inspired by the “Bold Experiment” initiated by Mary Louise Curtis Bok in 1924 when she opened a conservatory in Philadelphia. The program will feature late Pulitzer Prize-winning modern classical and avant-garde composer George Crumb’s foreboding “voyage of the soul,” Black Angels, for electric string quartet.

Immerse yourself in the captivating series finale, featuring the world premiere of Amy Beth Kirsten’s Infernal Angel. Renowned as an innovative composer and multi-talented artist, Kirsten’s work has earned accolades from BBC Music Magazine and prestigious organizations like the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Generous support for Curtis New Music Ensemble (formerly Ensemble 20/21) is provided by the Daniel W. Dietrich II Foundation. 

Curtis Institute of Music has received support from The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.