MusicNOW Festival

MusicNOW Festival
Name	MusicNOW Festival
Location	Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Years active	2006–present
Founders	Rufus Wainwright, Yannick Nézet-Séguin (co-founders), Contemporary Arts Center
Genre	Contemporary classical, indie rock, experimental music, jazz

MusicNOW Festival

MusicNOW Festival is an annual contemporary music and arts festival presenting new composition, experimental performance, and cross-genre collaboration. Founded in the mid-2000s by prominent musicians and institutions, the festival has showcased premieres by composers and performers from across North America and Europe while partnering with museums, orchestras, and arts organizations. Over its run it has intersected with figures and ensembles from the classical music and indie rock spheres, drawing attention from critics at major publications and institutions.

History

MusicNOW began in the 2000s amid a wave of artist-led festivals associated with multidisciplinary centers and orchestras. The festival was initiated by artists including Rufus Wainwright and conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin in collaboration with the Contemporary Arts Center and benefactors in Cincinnati. Early seasons built relationships with ensembles like The Kronos Quartet, Bang on a Can All-Stars, and soloists who had worked with institutions such as the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and San Francisco Symphony. As programming expanded, MusicNOW attracted composers associated with Bang on a Can, Tzadik Records, and academic centers like Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, and Cleveland Institute of Music. Over time the festival shifted curatorial leadership to include directors and advisers affiliated with organizations such as Ensemble Modern, Eighth Blackbird, and the Royal Northern College of Music.

Organization and Programming

The festival’s organizational model combines curatorial teams drawn from performers, composers, and arts administrators connected to institutions like the Contemporary Arts Center, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and university music departments including Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Programming mixes premieres by composers with commissions from foundations such as the Guggenheim Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and performance residencies sponsored by agencies including the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Council England. MusicNOW’s editions have paired artists from scenes represented by labels and organizations like Domino Recording Company, 4AD, Nonesuch Records, ECM Records, and Deutsche Grammophon with composers linked to publishers such as Boosey & Hawkes, Faber Music, and Schott Music.

Notable Performances and Commissions

Notable performances have included commissions and premieres by composers and artists associated with ensembles and figures like Sufjan Stevens collaborators, Julia Wolfe of Bang on a Can, David Lang, Michael Gordon, Phil Kline, Caroline Shaw, Max Richter, John Adams, and performers from Eighth Blackbird, Alarm Will Sound, The National (band), and Wilco. The festival has hosted premieres tied to artists represented by labels such as 4AD, Nonesuch Records, and Domino Recording Company, and commissions supported by institutions like the American Composers Forum, Chamber Music America, and the New Music USA grant programs. Collaborations have included interdisciplinary projects with visual artists affiliated with the Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, and curators from the Walker Art Center, alongside filmmakers connected to festivals like Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival.

Venues and Editions

MusicNOW editions have taken place in venues across Cincinnati and in partner cities where the festival collaborated with orchestras and cultural centers. Local venues have included the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati Music Hall, and experimental spaces tied to institutions such as School for Creative and Performing Arts. Touring or satellite events have linked MusicNOW programming with organizations like the Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and regional festivals such as Big Ears Festival and Bang on a Can Marathon. Special editions have been curated in partnership with ensembles housed at institutions like the Metropolitan Opera, BBC Proms, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Reception and Impact

Critical reception has appeared in national and international outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian (London), Pitchfork, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and Gramophone (magazine), with reviewers noting the festival’s role in bridging contemporary composition and popular music scenes. MusicNOW has influenced programming at institutions such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Barbican Centre, and university series at Princeton University and Harvard University. Grants and awards related to festival commissions have been reported by organizations including the MacArthur Foundation, Pulitzer Prize committees via laureates, and recognition from societies like the American Musicological Society and Society for American Music.

Legacy and Influence

MusicNOW’s legacy includes fostering careers of composers and ensembles who later worked with major institutions like the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and recording projects on labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, Nonesuch Records, and ECM Records. The festival helped catalyze collaborations between artists from scenes represented by Sub Pop Records, 4AD, and Matador Records with contemporary classical performers, influencing programming at festivals including Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and MUTEK. Alumni have gone on to win awards associated with the Pulitzer Prize for Music, Grammy Awards, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and Radcliffe Institute.

Category:Music festivals in Ohio