New Music USA

New Music USA
Name	New Music USA
Type	Nonprofit arts organization
Founded	2011
Headquarters	Brooklyn, New York
Leaders	Mary Ellen Childs (CEO)
Area served	United States
Mission	Support creation, performance, and understanding of new music

New Music USA New Music USA is an American nonprofit arts organization that supports creation, presentation, and documentation of contemporary composition and sonic practice. Founded through the merger of legacy institutions, the group provides grants, commissions, and platforms for composers, performers, educators, and presenters across the United States. It combines philanthropic funding, partnerships with foundations, and programmatic collaborations to influence contemporary music ecosystems.

History

The organization emerged in 2011 from the merger of the American Music Center and Meet the Composer, aligning histories that trace to mid-20th century initiatives such as the Fromm Music Foundation and the Guggenheim Foundation's support for composers. Early antecedents include projects associated with Beverly Sills, Aaron Copland, and networks linked to the Carnegie Hall community and the Juilliard School. Institutional lineage intersects with grantmaking patterns from the National Endowment for the Arts, collaborations with regional entities like Bang on a Can, and archival practices associated with the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library.

Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the organization navigated cultural shifts reflected in festivals such as Tanglewood Music Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, and international exchanges tied to International Rostrum of Composers. Influences from composers and advocates including John Cage, Earle Brown, Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, and Philip Glass informed programmatic directions. The organization worked alongside civic arts initiatives in cities including New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, and Minneapolis.

Mission and Programs

The stated mission centers on fostering creation and presentation of new composition, supporting artists linked to institutions like Columbia University, Ithaca College, Oberlin Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, and Bard College. Programmatic offerings range from commissioning practices observed in alliances with ensembles such as New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, and chamber groups like Kronos Quartet and Imani Winds. Educational outreach echoes partnerships with conservatories and community organizations including Young Concert Artists, National YoungArts Foundation, and university programs at Harvard University and Yale School of Music.

The organization administers residency models like those practiced by Bellagio Center, maintains digital archives reminiscent of the Smithsonian Institution's collections, and curates listening series in venues such as Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kitchen, and Miller Theatre.

Grants and Funding

Grant programs distribute awards to composers, ensembles, presenters, and institutions, employing funding sources comparable to those from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Competitive grants reflect practices used by entities like ASCAP Foundation, PRS Foundation, and BMI Foundation. Funding mechanisms include project grants, commissioning support used by orchestras including Los Angeles Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra, and fellowships analogous to MacArthur Fellows Program and Guggenheim Fellowship.

Grant selection processes involve panels drawing expertise from institutions such as Curtis Institute of Music, Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and critics associated with publications like The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Gramophone. Reporting and compliance intersect with nonprofit oversight similar to filings with Internal Revenue Service and standards followed by arts funders like the Association of Performing Arts Professionals.

Projects and Initiatives

Notable initiatives include commissioning series, archival projects, and digital platforms that document works akin to cataloging efforts at the Library of Congress and projects like Project Gutenberg for musical resources. Programs collaborate with ensembles and presenters such as Bang on a Can All-Stars, Alarm Will Sound, Metropolitan Opera, and presenters like Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center. Initiatives support recording projects with labels comparable to Nonesuch Records, Deutsche Grammophon, ECM Records, and New Amsterdam Records.

The organization has advanced composer-focused platforms similar to American Composers Orchestra's commissioning programs, curated salons in partnership with Miller Theatre and Merkin Concert Hall, and promoted festivals such as Bang on a Can Marathon, Other Minds Festival, and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival through fellowships and commissioning support.

Partnerships and Impact

Strategic partnerships include collaborations with foundations like the Mellon Foundation, corporate sponsors mirrored by Chase Bank arts initiatives, and media partnerships with outlets such as NPR Music, BBC Radio 3, and WQXR. Impact is visible in employment and touring opportunities for artists connected to ensembles including Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, American Composers Orchestra, and chamber groups like Eighth Blackbird and Afar Ensemble. The organization's work feeds into academic research at institutions such as Princeton University, Yale University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Michigan.

Community outcomes align with presentation networks in cities including Philadelphia, Seattle, Atlanta, Austin, and Portland, Oregon, and with cultural policy dialogues involving entities like Americans for the Arts and municipal arts councils.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

Governance follows nonprofit models with a board of directors and executive leadership drawing from arts administrators, composers, and presenters affiliated with Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Museum of Modern Art, and academic institutions like Juilliard and Bard College. Staff expertise spans grantmaking, curation, and archival work, intersecting with professional organizations such as Society of American Archivists and networks like the Association of Performing Arts Professionals.

Leadership lineage includes figures from related organizations and collaborators who have held roles at Meet the Composer, American Music Center, and major presenting institutions including Kennedy Center and New World Symphony. The board and advisory panels convene experts connected to festivals and institutions such as Tanglewood Music Center, Spoleto Festival USA, and Bang on a Can.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in New York City