Top row, from left: Jascha Nemtsov, David T. Little, David Lang, the Arneis Quartet, Paul Rudy. Bottom row, from left: Suzie Ibarra, Bar Zemach, Amy Williams, Alea III

Music

New Season, New Leadership, New Music

Boston University Center for New Music’s 2026-2027 season will celebrate collaboration and composition, featuring exciting contemporary music performances, visiting artists, and new opportunities for engagement across the Boston University community and beyond.

Visiting artists and faculty composers alike are among the season performers and ensembles. They are the Arneis Quartet; composer David Lang; BU’s Alea III ensemble, horn and shofar artist Bar Zemach and pianist Jascha Nemtsov; composer and pianist Amy Williams; composer David T. Little; composer, sound artist, and educator Paul Rudy, and composer, percussionist, and sound artist Susie Ibarra. Programs listed chronologically. New events this season may be announced.

A year of enriching programs coincides with exciting transitions in Center leadership, with Dr. Yotam Haber, Associate Professor of Music, Composition & Music Theory, appointed Director of the Center for New Music, and Dr. Martin Amlin, Mildred P. Gilfillan Professor of Music, serving as Co-Director. Committed to embracing a wide diversity of artistic practices, genres, aesthetics, cultures, and points of view, they envision the Center as a dynamic space for discovery, exchange, and creative risk-taking.

For over a decade, the BU Center for New Music (CNM) at Boston University College of Fine Arts (CFA) School of Music has been a potent force for new music. BU CNM brings dynamic figures from the contemporary music world to work with BU students and engage with the city of Boston’s groundbreaking arts venues for residencies that include performances, collaborations, and events that merge the realms of composition, improv, electronic music, and visual arts.

2026 – 2027 Events and Residencies

Mark your calendar for this season’s performances, workshops, and residency events.

Center for New Music concerts and public events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Please note that some dates and locations are subject to change.

Composer Forum 

Composer Rodney Lister Presentation

October 6, 2026 • 9:30 a.m.

Boston University School of Music, 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 154

Boston University School of Music’s Center for New Music presents a presentation by composer Rodney Lister, Senior Lecturer in Composition and Music Theory at Boston University. Lister is a composer, pianist, and educator whose music has been performed by ensembles and artists throughout the United States and internationally. Lister will discuss his music, compositional practice, and career with students and members of the Boston University community.

Open to the public.

Ketty Nez Album Release Concert

November 6, 2026 • 8pm

College of Fine Arts Concert Hall, 855 Commonwealth Avenue

Boston University School of Music’s Center for New Music presents an Album Release Concert celebrating composer and pianist Ketty Nez’s new recording, only the path remains, released by Albany Records. Additional musicians include: (violin) Guillaume Combet, (cello) Lawrence Stomberg, (viola) Daniel Dona, (saxophone) Jennifer Bill, (soprano) Ann Moss.

Nez, an associate professor of composition and theory, draws on folk traditions and musical heritage in her work, exploring questions of memory, cultural identity, family history, and musical tradition. The concert will feature music from the new album and celebrate the release of this important new recording.

Arneis Quartet

Workshop, Reading, and Recording Sessions with BU Composers

December 1 & 3, 2026

• December 1 — 10am – 1pm • Room 156
• December 3 — 10am – 1pm • Room 171

Boston University School of Music’s Center for New Music presents a two-day residency with the Arneis Quartet, one of New England’s leading contemporary string quartets. The quartet is dedicated to performing both established and newly commissioned works and has collaborated with a wide range of contemporary composers.

During their Boston University residency, members of the Arneis Quartet will work directly with selected BU student composers on new string quartet compositions. The sessions will provide composers with the opportunity to hear their music performed by professional musicians, receive feedback, and develop their works through rehearsal and discussion. Selected works will also be recorded. Open to the public.

David Lang

Presentation and Masterclass

December 4, 2026 • 2-4pm

855 Commonwealth Ave. Room 156 

Boston University School of Music’s Center for New Music presents composer David Lang for a presentation on his music and a masterclass, held in conjunction with the Boston University Choral Program’s performance of Lang’s The National Anthems.

Lang is one of the most widely performed American composers of his generation. His music encompasses chamber music, orchestral works, opera, and large-scale vocal works, and his the little match girl passion received the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Music. He is also a co-founder and co-artistic director of Bang on a Can.

During his visit to Boston University, Lang will discuss his music and compositional practice and work directly with BU student composers in a masterclass. Open to the public.

Alea III: World Premieres

New Works for Small Chamber Ensemble

December 7, 2026 • 7:30pm

College of Fine Arts Concert Hall

Boston University’s Center for New Music presents Alea III in a concert featuring world premieres of new works for small chamber ensemble. Alea III, Boston University’s ensemble-in-residence, has played a central role in the university’s commitment to contemporary music for nearly five decades. Founded in 1978 by composer and conductor Theodore Antoniou, the ensemble has premiered works by generations of composers and continues to provide opportunities for composers to work directly with professional performers.

The December concert will feature newly composed works by members of the Boston University composition community. Open to the public.

Bar Zemach and Jascha Nemtsov

Shofar and Piano

December 11, 2026

• 3pm • Masterclass & Presentation • 855 Commonwealth Ave. Room 156
• 7:30pm • College of Fine Arts Concert Hall

Boston University School of Music’s Center for New Music presents horn and shofar artist Bar Zemach and pianist Jascha Nemtsov in a program exploring the possibilities of the shofar and piano in contemporary performance.

Zemach is an internationally active horn and shofar artist whose work encompasses contemporary music, historical performance, and Jewish musical traditions. He will be joined by pianist and scholar Jascha Nemtsov, whose extensive career as a performer and researcher has focused particularly on Jewish music and composers whose work was suppressed under Nazi and Soviet regimes. Open to the public.

Arneis Quartet

World Premiere of Crossing Arcs by Ketty Nez

February 5, 2027 • 8pm

College of Fine Arts Concert Hall

Boston University School of Music’s Center for New Music presents the world premiere of Crossing Arcs, a new string quartet by Boston University composer Ketty Nez, performed by the Arneis Quartet.

The premiere continues the Center for New Music’s collaboration with the Arneis Quartet following the quartet’s December residency with Boston University student composers. Nez’s music frequently engages with questions of cultural heritage, folk traditions, memory, and the possibilities of contemporary chamber music. Open to the public.

New Works for Saxophone by BU Composers

February 21, 2027 • 7:30pm

College of Fine Arts Concert Hall

Boston University School of Music’s Center for New Music presents a concert of newly composed works for saxophone by Boston University student composers, performed by students of Professor Kenneth Radnofsky.

The concert will showcase new work by composers in the Boston University School of Music and provide students with the opportunity to develop their music in close collaboration with performers and to hear their compositions presented in a professional concert setting. Open to the public.

Composer Forum

Composer Amy Williams Presentation and Masterclass

March 2, 2027

• Presentation: 9:30am, Room 154
• Masterclass: 12–2pm, Room 171

Boston University School of Music’s Center for New Music presents composer and pianist Amy Williams for a presentation and masterclass. Williams is an internationally active composer and pianist whose work has been presented at major contemporary music festivals and venues in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Williams will discuss her work and career as both a composer and performer before working with Boston University student composers in a masterclass. Open to the public.

Composer David T. Little

Presentation and Masterclass

March 4, 2027 • 12:30-3:30pm

Room 165

Boston University School of Music’s Center for New Music presents composer David T. Little for a presentation and masterclass.

Little is an award-winning American composer whose work crosses the boundaries of contemporary concert music, opera, theater, and interdisciplinary performance. His music frequently engages with contemporary social and political questions and explores new relationships between music, theater, and storytelling.

During his visit to Boston University, Little will discuss his compositional practice and work directly with student composers. Open to the public.

Sound Icon: New Music by BU Student Composers

March 18, 2027 • 8pm

College of Fine Arts Concert Hall

Boston University School of Music’s Center for New Music presents Sound Icon, a concert featuring new works by Boston University student composers.

The program will showcase the diversity of creative work being developed by composers in the Boston University School of Music and provide students with an opportunity to present newly created music in a professional concert setting. Open to the public.

Learn more about BU’s Composition & Theory program.

Alea III: World Premieres

New Works for Large Chamber Ensemble

March 29, 2027 • 7:30pm

College of Fine Arts Concert Hall

Boston University’s Center for New Music presents Alea III in a concert featuring world premieres of new works for large chamber ensemble.

Alea III, Boston University’s contemporary music ensemble-in-residence, has been a central part of the university’s commitment to new music since its founding in 1978. The ensemble has premiered works by generations of composers and continues to provide composers with opportunities to develop new work in collaboration with professional musicians.

The March concert will feature newly commissioned works written for a larger ensemble of professional performers. Open to the public.

Visiting Composer and Sound Artist Paul Rudy: Lecture and Masterclass

April 2, 2027 • 12-2pm

855 Commonwealth Ave., Room 156

Boston University School of Music’s Center for New Music presents composer, sound artist, and educator Paul Rudy for a lecture and masterclass.

Rudy’s work explores sound as a medium for listening, perception, presence, and ecological awareness. His practice encompasses composed music, sound installations, participatory listening environments, and interdisciplinary projects.

During his visit to Boston University, Rudy will discuss his approach to sound and listening and work with students on their own creative projects. Open to the public

Composer Forum

Susie Ibarra: Presentation and Masterclass

April 13, 2027

• 9:30 am • Presentation • Room 154
• 11am – 1pm • Masterclass • Room 165

Boston University School of Music, 855 Commonwealth Avenue

Boston University School of Music’s Center for New Music presents composer, percussionist, and sound artist Susie Ibarra for a presentation and masterclass, in conjunction with the world premiere of her new work with the Arneis Quartet at Boston University.

Ibarra’s interdisciplinary practice encompasses composition, performance, sound mapping, installation, documentary, and collaboration with musicians and artists around the world. Her work explores relationships among rhythm, ecology, landscape, cultural heritage, and listening.

Ibarra will discuss her work and creative practice before working with Boston University student composers in a masterclass. Open to the public.

BU Center for New Music Welcomes New Leadership

In summer 2026, Boston University College of Fine Arts announced that Dr. Yotam Haber, Associate Professor of Music, Composition & Music Theory, was appointed Director of the Center for New Music, with Dr. Martin Amlin, Mildred P. Gilfillan Professor of Music, serving as Co-Director.

They succeed Dr. Joshua Fineberg, whose long, distinguished, and visionary leadership helped establish the Center as one of the nation’s most vital forums for contemporary music.

Over the years, the Center has played a central role in Boston University’s musical life, presenting internationally acclaimed composers, performers, and ensembles, fostering artistic experimentation and dialogue, and creating opportunities for students and audiences to engage with the most compelling music of our time. Haber and Amlin are deeply grateful to Fineberg for his extraordinary contributions and for the strong foundation he leaves for the Center’s next chapter.

Building on this rich history, Haber and Amlin look forward to continuing the Center’s tradition of excellence by bringing an international spectrum of contemporary music to Boston through concerts, lectures, workshops, residencies, and collaborations with some of the world’s leading composers and ensembles.

Advisory Board

2026-2027

• Matthew Aucoin, Visiting Professor of Composition and Conducting
• Harry Castle, Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre
• Dana Clancy, Associate Professor of Art, Painting
• Richard Carrick, Chair, Composition, Berklee School of Music
• Daniel Doña, Senior Lecturer in Music, Viola; Director of Undergraduate Studies; Coordinator, String Chamber Music
• Sarah Ioannides, Director of Orchestral Activities; Associate Professor in Orchestral Conducting
• Samuel Long, BU DMA Candidate, Composition
• Ketty Nez, Associate Professor, Composition and Theory
• André de Quadros, Professor of Music, Music Education
• Kenneth Radnofsky, Lecturer, Saxophone; Director, Saxophone Workshop, BU Tanglewood Institute
• Vincent Stephens, Assistant Provost for Faculty Development and Success
• Allison Voth, Associate Professor, Music; Principal Coach, Opera Institute