New Music Chicago (NMC), an organization dedicated to the performance and support of experimental and non-mainstream music, will be hosting its second annual Impromptu Fest, a celebration of Chicago composers, musicians, and enthusiasts of contemporary music.
Impromptu Fest will showcase NMC members in a series of eight concerts featuring 16 Chicago-based ensembles playing newly composed music. This year, Impromptu Fest showcases a number of student ensembles and a wealth of multimedia presentations incorporating video, electronics, still images, and live improvisation.
Impromptu Fest curator Amy Wurtz says “This year we are celebrating homegrown music with the work of 22 Chicago-based composers, including several performing their own work, and well-known Chicago groups such as Gaudete Brass, Fifth House Ensemble, and Crossing Borders Music. The music ranges from completely acoustic to totally electronic and everything in between. We also are including performers from outside the city, including Elmhurst, Evanston, and Naperville. And we are so pleased to help introduce more music lovers to Guarneri Hall, which has exquisite acoustic engineering and state-of-the-art equipment in an intimate, 75-seat setting.”
Among the highlights:
