New Music Circle is dedicated to the creation and performance of improvisational and experimental music by renowned musicians from around the world, through whom we enrich and expand the cultural life of the St. Louis metropolitan region. Included in our mission is a commitment to community engagement through outreach and education that stimulates awareness, understanding, participation, and interest in music being created today.
New Music Circle, a presenting organization founded in 1959, was the creation of a group of local architects, musicians, and university composers. Now in its 67th season, New Music Circle is the longest established organization of its kind, introducing local and regional audiences to the world’s most recognized and accomplished avant-garde composers and performers. Each season, New Music Circle features vibrant, experimental and avant-garde music with influences from jazz, electronic, and classical genres, sometimes in conjunction with experimental film or other multimedia artists. We typically present eight performances each season, which runs from September through May. Our venues are carefully selected to accommodate the music we present and to ensure accessibility to the concert-goers we hope to attract. In addition to our concert season, we offer numerous outreach activities led by the presenting artists to educate and enrich the lives of music aficionados, local artists, and musicians, as well as to reach students of all ages and the general public who may otherwise have limited exposure to the styles of music we present.
New Music Circle is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Each season is programmed by a board committee of musicians and music enthusiasts. Under the board’s direction, New Music Circle has gained a worldwide reputation for maintaining the highest musical standards, irrespective of the appeal of individual musical styles. Support from The Regional Arts Commission, The Missouri Arts Council, other granting and arts organizations, along with individual donors, helps to keep ticket prices affordable.
Early programs included commissioned works from William Schuman for the dedication of the Gateway Arch and Luciano Berio for the opening of the renovated Union Station. New Music Circle also brought to St. Louis many now-renowned artists, often early in their careers, such as John Cage, Philip Glass, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Morton Subotnick, The Kronos Quartet, Joan La Barbara, Elvin Jones, Michael Colgrass, and John Zorn. Like the music, New Music Circle is always evolving. For many years, European Free Improvisation became a key feature in the programming. This spontaneous music included extended instrumental techniques, new instruments, and electronics. Significant events included the installation “Sensorium,” and a programming initiative that commissioned local and national artists/performers to create original works for presentation in St. Louis.
In 2009, New Music Circle began a new direction in artistic curation. We began to bring music that appeals to a broader audience of individuals interested in the avant-garde. Our seasons are more artistically dynamic, ranging from the academic to the self-taught, from electronic to classical, from emerging to well-established. The artists we feature come from a broad range of backgrounds, ages, and regions. Many of these artists have come to St. Louis for the first time in their careers. Included among these artists have been the historically significant Anthony Braxton, Ellen Fullman, George Lewis, Tony Conrad, Roscoe Mitchell, William Parker, and Wadada Leo Smith. In contrast, we’ve brought many emerging icons such as Claire Chase, Tyshawn Sorey, Peter Evans, Matthew Shipp, and Mary Halvorson. As a result, artistic recognition and concert attendance have been increasing substantially. We have made a name for ourselves that reaches artists internationally, who know of our reputation as an organization that presents cutting-edge, experimental music in a professional presentation.