Washington Square Contemporary Music Society

WSCMS

"among the world's most outstanding new music ensembles" - Fanfare
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Concerts

2025-2026 – 48th Season

CONCERT I
Across Continents: Six Premieres from Europe and America

Sunday, October 19, 2025
7:30 PM
Tenri Cultural institute
43a West 13th St.
New York, NY
Admission: $20/$10 students and seniors
Free w/NYU ID

Joshua Biggs: Field Notes (2025) 
Fabio Grasso: so lonely blooming (2025)
Wang Jie: Fantasia and Fugue, for piano mridangam (2024)
Letizia Michielon: The Invisible Cities (2025)
Morris Rosenzweig: 2005 and Counting. (2009)
Jue Wang: A Lullaby, My Accidental Childhood (2025)

The Washington Square Ensemble
Luke Poeppel, conductor



2024-2025 – 47th Season

 

CONCERT II
Music New to New York

Friday, April 18, 2025
7:30 PM
Tenri Cultural institute
43a West 13th St.
New York, NY
Admission: $20/$10 students and seniors
Free w/NYU ID

Moon Ha: beauty in for chamber ensemble (2025) World premiere
Elizabeth Hoffman: night slices (2006)
Louis Karchin: Five Miniatures (2024) World Premiere
Kurt Nelson: Seen by Seven, for chamber ensemble (2023) New York premiere
Kaija Saariaho: Duft (2010)
Trevor Weston: A. N. S. (A New Sound) (2021) New York premiere

The Washington Square Ensemble
Alice Teyssier, flute; Keve Wilson, oboe; Ben Fingland, clarinet; Curtis Macomber, violin; Chris Gross, cello; John Ferrari, percussion; Steven Beck and Marilyn Nonken, piano
Luke Poeppel, conductor

CONCERT I
The String Quartet in the 21st Century

Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024
7:30 PM
Tenri Cultural Institute
43a West 13th st.
New York, NY
Admission: $20; Students and seniors: $10
Free w/ NYU ID

Bergamot Quartet
Ledah Finck and Sarah Thomas, violins
Martine Thomas, viola
Irene Han, cello

Ioannis Angelakis: Lived Space, for string quartet, fixed media, and live electronics (2024) World premiere
Ledah Finck: “something more than itself” (2024)
Jaime Oliver: “music for people with their feet on the ground and their heads in the clouds” (2024) World premiere
Joel Rust: “Something Important” (2024) World premiere
Caroline Shaw: Punctum (2013)



2023-2024 – 46th Season

CONCERT I

Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023
8:30 PM
Tenri Cultural Institute
43a West 13 th St.
Manhattan, New York

An Evening of Vocal Premieres

Laura Strickling, soprano
Azalea Twining, soprano
Daniel Schlosberg, piano
Irene Han, cello

May Flow’rs are Opening – Azalea Twining
bring me change (World premiere) – Elizabeth Hoffman

Brief Intermission

Two Nabokov Songs (New York Premiere) – Shawn Chang
Migare, Mutare (New York Premiere) – Reinaldo Moya                        
Hyacinth (New York Premiere) – Cecilia Livingston
Burning in the Rain (World premiere) – James Matheson                  
How to Explain Death to Your Daughter (World Premiere) – Jessica Rudman
keeping (World Premiere) – Joseph Jones
Wind, Carry Me (New York Premiere) – James Primosch

Admission: $20/$10 free w/NYU ID


CONCERT II

Friday, April 5, 2024
7:30 PM
Tenri Cultural Institute
43a West 13 th St.
Manhattan, New York

The String Quartet in the 21 st Century

The Argus String Quartet
Clara Kim, violin
Giancarlo Latta, violin
Maren Rothfritz, viola
Mariel Roberts, cello

String Quartet #3 (NY Premiere) – Matthew Quayle
Of Being (Excerpts) – Jessica Meyer

Intermission

Middleground – Shelley Washington
String Quartet #3 (NY Premiere) – Louis Karchin

Admission: $20/$10 free w/NYU ID



2022-2023 – 45th Season

Saturday, April 15, 8:00 PM
Tenri Cultural institute
43a West 13th St. (between 5th and 6th Aves.)
New York, NY

Gordon Beeferman – Alerta! (Antifascista) (2020) World Premiere
Elizabeth Hoffman – morsels (2018); chacun/e (2014)
Louis Karchin – Arches (2019)
Hannah Kendall – Processional (2018) NY Premiere
Tania Leon – Axon (2002)
Jaime Oliver- New work (2023) World premiere

Talea Ensemble

Flute – Barry Crawford
Clarinet – Emmalie Tello
Trumpet – Sam Jones
Violin – Karen Kim
Piano – Steve Beck
Percussion – Sae Hashimoto
Conductor – James Baker

Guest artists: Alice Teyssier and Pauline Kim Harris

Admission: $15; $10 Students, seniors; free with NYU ID


 
2019-2020 Season

POSTPONED: Concert I

Friday, March 27, 2020 8:00 PM
Tenri Cultural Institute
43a West 13th St. (between 5th and 6th Ave.)
New York, NY

The Washington Square Ensemble
Sammy Lesnick, clarinet
Zachary Herchen, saxophones
Miranda Cuckson, violin
Pauline Kim Harris, violin
Dan Lippell, guitar
Steven Beck, piano
John Ferrari, percussion
Alice Teyssier, soprano

Gordon Beeferman Alerta! (Antifascista) (2020) World Premiere, written for the Washington Square Contemporary Music Society
Chaya Czernowin Sahaf (2008)
Richard Festinger Spring Ice (2010) New York Premiere
Elizabeth Hoffman Chacun/e (2014), morsels (2018)
Wang Lu Ryan and Dan (2017)

Reception following concert

Admission $15/8 (free w/NYU ID)

POSTPONED: Concert II Preview

Thursday, April 23, 2020
NYU Abu Dhabi Institute
19 Washington Square North
6:00 PM

Composers Shih Hui Chen, Louis Karchin and Matthew Quayle discuss their respective works and creative processes, with excerpts of their upcoming quartets presented by the Avalon String Quartet

Sponsored by the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute and 19 Washington Square North, NYU Abu Dhabi’s home in New York.

POSTPONED: Concert II

Friday, April 24, 2020 8:00 PM
Tenri Cultural Institute
43a West 13th St. (between 5th and 6th Ave.)
New York, NY

The Avalon String Quartet:
Blaise Magniere and Marie Wang, violins
Anthony Devroye, viola
Cheng-Hou Lee, cello

Shih Hui Chen Fantasia on a Theme of Plum Blossom (2007) New York Premiere
Louis Karchin String Quartet #3 New York Premiere (2015)
Matthew Quayle String Quartet #3 New York Premiere (2016)

Co-sponsored by the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute
Admission $15/8 (free w/NYU ID)

Reception following concert


2018-2019 Season

Concert I

Friday, Oct. 26 8:00 PM
Tenri Cultural Institute
43a West 13th St. (between 5th and 6th Ave.)
New York, NY

Fabio Grasso, …as doth eternity…(2018) world premiere
Louis Karchin, Barcarole Variations (2015) NY premiere
David Liptak, Impromptus (2016) NY premiere
Letizia Michielon, Sternbild—Dialectic Image (2018) world premiere
Adam Mirza, Triangles (2018) world premiere of the revised version
Paul Salerni, Autumn in Parco Querini, (2009) NY premiere
Theodore Wiprud, Mudang (2014) NY premiere
The Washington Square Ensemble:

Alice Teyssier, flute
Benjamin Fingland, clarinet
Susan Jolles, harp
Gamin Kang, piri
Margaret Kampmeier, piano
Blair McMillen, piano
Renée Jolles, violin
Sunghae Anna Lim, violin
Christopher Gross, cello


 
2017-2018 Season

Concert I
Heritage/Evolution Marathon
Celebrating the Saxophone
More Info 
 
March 22, 2018, 7 PM
Leonard Nimoy Thalia Symphony Space
 
Prism Saxophone Quartet
PRISM Quartet
Timothy McAllister, soprano
Zachary Shemon, alto
Matthew Levy, tenor
Taimur Sullivan, baritone
featuring
Dave Liebman, tenor/soprano
Rudresh Mahanthappa, alto
Tim Ries, tenor
Miguel Zenón, alto
 
Tim Ries: Name Day
Miguel Zenón: X Marks the Square
Miguel Zenón: The Missing Piece
Dave Liebman: Trajectory
John Coltrane / Arr. Liebman: Dear Lord
Rudresh Mahanthappa: I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE FOR MY TONE TONIGHT
Steve Lehman: 15 Places at the Same Time
Matthew Levy: Forbidden Drive
J. Martin Daughty and Joel Rust: Refluent, Conspiring (World Premiere)
Chris Potter: Improvisations


Concert II
An Evening of Premieres
Friday, April 27, 2018, 8 PM

Tenri Cultural institute

The Washington Square Ensemble
Alice Teyssier, flute and voice
Thomas Meglioranza, baritone
Lois Martin, viola
Christopher Gross, cello
Michael Truesdell, percussion
Friedrich Kern, glass harmonica
Ashley Jackson, harp
Dan Lippel, guitar
Thomas Sauer, piano

Matthew Bengtson, piano

Charles Wuorinen: Xenolith, world premiere
Brian Fennelly: Sacred Songs, Book 2, world premiere
Friedrich Kern: either/or, US premiere
Anna Thorvaldsdottir: Rain, NY premiere of the version for 2 performers and electronics
Jan Krzywicki: Alchemy, NY premiere
Louis Karchin: Quest, US premiere
 

2016-2017 Season

Saariaho/Barrière
Visual Portrait Concert

Performers:
Margaret Lancaster, flutes Jean-Baptiste Barrière, videos and live electronics Thomas Goepfer, sound design Isabelle Barrière, video cameras Luca Veggetti, stage direction Morgan Hurst, dancer

Thursday, November 3, 2016, 7:30 pm
John L. Tishman Auditorium, The New School University Center
63 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Free Admission

Kaija Saariaho: Laconisme de l’aile – NoaNoa – Dolce Tormento
Jean-Baptiste Barrière: Crossing the Blind Forest – Violance – Contemplation

—
5th International Convention Pure Data Convention

The 5th International Convention Pure Data Convention both celebrates 20 years of Pd and seeks to explore the new ways in which the community of users are interfacing with each other and with Pd.

This is an exciting time for the Pd Community as we attempt to redefine the way in which we contribute to and extend Pd. The final program for the Pure Data Convention is here and includes 7 concerts, 9 workshops, 8 installations, a poster session and 5 paper sessions in what promises to be an unforgettable convention.

Please subscribe to the workshops, check out the papers, and come out to the concerts. The convention will take place at NYU and Stevens, and it is made possible by the generous support of the Washington Square Contemporary Music Society and New Blankets, as well as form Harvestworks and the Waverly Project.

November 16-20th
New York University

—
More Info

2015-16 Season

Concert I
Perspectives: 2016

The Washington Square Ensemble:
Jayn Rosenfeld, flute, Benjamin Fingland, clarinet, Stephen Gosling and Haodong Wu, piano, William Solomon, percussion, Marian Ravot, harp, Curtis Macomber and Anna Lim, violin, Lois Martin, viola, Christopher Gross, cello, Marisa Karchin, soprano, Carl Bettendorf, conductor.

Friday, April 1, 2016, 8pm
Tenri Cultural institute
43a West 13th St. (between 5th and 6th Aves.)
Admission: $15; students and seniors $8.

Benjamin Boretz: “…the sun poured molten glass on the fields…”
Ryan Carter: New Work (World premiere)
Elizabeth Hoffman: …twelve to seven (UV 179) (World Premiere)
Louis Karchin: Luminous Fields (NY Premiere)
Kurt Nelson: After the Darkling Thrush (World premiere)
Jaime Oliver: New Work (World Premiere)
Wolfgang Rihm: Das Rot

—
Please join us for a reception following this event.

Concert II
Brian Fennelly: A Memorial Retrospective

The Parnas Duo, the Da Capo Chamber Players, and Counter)induction:
Patricia Spencer, flute; Benjamin Fingland and Meighan Stoops, clarinet; Curtis Macomber, Madalyn Parnas, Miranda Cuckson, violin; Jessica Meyers, viola; Raman Ramakrishnan and Cicely Parnas, cello; Stephen Gosling and Yu Ning, piano; Sharon Harms, soprano.

Sunday, April 24, 2016, 3pm
Tenri Cultural institute
43a West 13th St. (between 5th and 6th Aves.)
Free Admission

Sigol for Two
Maverick Tango
Skyscapes III
Suhki!
Canzona and Dance
Five Songs with Improvisation
Composition for Liam

—
Please join us for a reception following this event.

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WSCMS

"among the world's most outstanding new music ensembles" - Fanfare
  • Concerts
  • Mission
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