The Industry (music ensemble)

The Industry (music ensemble)
Name	The Industry
Origin	Los Angeles
Genres	Contemporary classical music, Experimental music
Years active	2010–present

The Industry (music ensemble) The Industry is a Los Angeles–based contemporary opera and chamber ensemble known for producing large-scale, site-specific music-theater works, collaboration across disciplines, and commissioning new works by living composers. Founded in 2010, the organization operates at the intersection of opera, sound art, performance art, and new music, presenting projects in nontraditional venues and engaging artists from institutions such as Columbia University, New York Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Getty Center.

History

The ensemble was established in 2010 by a collective of performers, composers, and producers influenced by experimental companies such as Bang on a Can, Eighth Blackbird, and Ensemble Modern. Early projects drew inspiration from site-specific productions like Gustavo Dudamel-era programming at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, immersive theater trends exemplified by Punchdrunk, and contemporary opera models from Theater an der Wien and Royal Opera House. Throughout the 2010s The Industry developed a reputation for commissioning interdisciplinary creators affiliated with Juilliard, University of California, Los Angeles, California Institute of the Arts, Harvard University, and Yale School of Music. Their productions often responded to civic contexts in Los Angeles County and partnerships with institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and Los Angeles County Museum of Art reinforced civic engagement goals.

Repertoire and Programming

Programming emphasizes new works by living composers, including premieres by artists associated with Bang on a Can Festival, MATA Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, and composers who studied at Royal College of Music, Conservatorio di Musica Giuseppe Verdi, and Mannes School of Music. The ensemble’s repertoire spans experimental operas, chamber operas, electroacoustic pieces, and site-specific sound installations drawing on techniques from spectral music innovators, minimalism practitioners, and interdisciplinary librettists linked to Steppenwolf Theatre Company and La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. Signature events have integrated dramaturgy from collaborators connected to LA Opera, scenography influenced by designers who worked at Metropolitan Opera, and choreography with artists who trained at Merce Cunningham Dance Company and Trisha Brown Dance Company.

Recordings and Media

Documentary and audio projects have been released on platforms and labels associated with contemporary music distribution, with media partners including entities connected to NPR, KUSC, WNYC, and streaming initiatives tied to YouTube Music and independent distributors that service ensembles like Roomful of Teeth and Psychoacoustic Records. Recordings capture staged works as well as studio interpretations by instrumentalists affiliated with Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, California Symphony, and soloists from San Francisco Symphony. Video components have been produced in collaboration with filmmakers from festivals such as Sundance Film Festival and Sundance Institute programs, and shorter films have screened at venues including Hammer Museum and Sundance Film Festival: New Frontier programs.

Collaborations and Commissions

The ensemble has commissioned composers and librettists connected to Philip Glass, John Adams, Kaija Saariaho, and emerging composers who studied at Royal Academy of Music, New England Conservatory, and Curtis Institute of Music. Cross-disciplinary collaborators have included visual artists with ties to MOCA, choreographers from Alonzo King LINES Ballet, directors who worked at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and technologists from labs associated with MIT Media Lab and Caltech. Institutional partners for commissions have included Opera America, MAP Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, and regional foundations connected to Annenberg Foundation and California Arts Council.

Awards and Recognition

The Industry has received critical attention from major cultural outlets such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and arts journals tied to Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press scholarship on contemporary music. Grants and awards include support from organizations linked to National Endowment for the Arts, MacArthur Foundation-funded initiatives, and recognition on lists curated by presenters like Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Festival invitations have come from Holland Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and Miller Theatre-affiliated programming.

Educational and Community Activities

Educational outreach includes workshops and residencies with students at institutions such as University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, California Institute of the Arts, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, and public school programs coordinated with the LAUSD arts office. Community projects have been developed in partnership with non-profits connected to Los Angeles Public Library, neighborhood arts councils that work with Annenberg Community Beach House, and civic cultural plans associated with City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. Internships and apprentice programs have involved alumni networks from Eastman School of Music and Berklee College of Music.

Membership and Leadership

Leadership and creative teams have included artistic directors and producers who trained at Juilliard School, Yale School of Drama, and Columbia University School of the Arts, alongside resident composers who studied at Royal College of Music and performers drawn from ensembles such as Eighth Blackbird and Los Angeles Philharmonic. Administrative and board members have professional ties to presenters like LA Opera, Music Center, Los Angeles County, and national service organizations related to Opera America and New Music USA.

Category:Contemporary classical music ensembles Category:Organizations based in Los Angeles