Ensemble 21

Ensemble 21

Ensemble 21 was founded in 1993 by Jason Eckardt and Marilyn Nonken. The New York-based Ensemble has presented nearly thirty premieres and commissioned over fifteen new works, many from lesser-known and emerging American artists. Recognized for its top-caliber performances, Ensemble 21 has also earned a reputation as a champion of innovative European composers rarely heard in America, specifically those associated with the new complexity and spectral movements. The Ensemble’s acclaimed portrait concerts have featured composers as diverse as Milton Babbitt, Jean Barraqué, James Dillon, Morton Feldman, Jonathan Harvey, Salvatore Martirano, David Rakowski, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Charles Wuorinen. In 1999, Ensemble 21 was the first ensemble in the United States to collaborate in concert with IRCAM. The Ensemble’s recordings appear on New World Records and Mode.