New Music America
Encyclopedia
New Music America was an American
festival of experimental
or Downtown
new music
.
The festival began at The Kitchen
in New York City
in 1979. In this first year, the festival was actually called New Music New York.
In 1980, the festival was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota
and was called New Music America. The 1989 edition was particularly diatribed; composer John Zorn
wrote in the pamphlet with the music for the Brooklyn Philharmonic
:
From 1980 to 1990, the festival was held in a different U.S. (or Canadian) city each year:
A loose-knit group called the "New Music Alliance" oversaw the administration of the festival, but it was sponsored by different institutions and directed by different people in each city. In 1992, the festival was revived as a group of radio-broadcast concerts across the United States, and was called New Music Across America.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
festival of experimental
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
or Downtown
Downtown music
Downtown music is a subdivision of American music, closely related to experimental music. The scene the term describes began in 1960, when Yoko Ono—one of the Fluxus artists, at that time still seven years away from meeting John Lennon—opened her loft at 112 Chambers Street to be used...
new music
New music
New music may refer to:*Contemporary classical music*New Music America*The NewMusic, a weekly television newsmagazine in Canada.* New Musik, an English synthpop group* New Music An umbrella term used by the U.S...
.
The festival began at The Kitchen
The Kitchen
The Kitchen is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary art and performance space located at at 512 West 19th Street, between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1979. In this first year, the festival was actually called New Music New York.
In 1980, the festival was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
and was called New Music America. The 1989 edition was particularly diatribed; composer John Zorn
John Zorn
John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
wrote in the pamphlet with the music for the Brooklyn Philharmonic
Brooklyn Philharmonic
The Brooklyn Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, commonly known as the Brooklyn Philharmonic, is an American orchestra based in the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City...
:
Less than an actual music festival, New Music America is one-sided overview that's more about politics, marketing, and sales than about the music it pretends to support... it's no more than a convention for the people in the music business who try to "out-hip" each other in the manipulation of artists. This postmodern yuppie tendency of business people dictating creative policy to artists is a very real danger that I intend to avoid at all costs.
From 1980 to 1990, the festival was held in a different U.S. (or Canadian) city each year:
- 1980 - Minneapolis
- 1981 - San Francisco
- 1982 - Chicago
- 1983 - Washington D.C.
- 1984 - Hartford
- 1985 - Los Angeles
- 1986 - Houston
- 1987 - Philadelphia
- 1988 - Miami
- 1989 - Brooklyn
- 1990 - Montreal
A loose-knit group called the "New Music Alliance" oversaw the administration of the festival, but it was sponsored by different institutions and directed by different people in each city. In 1992, the festival was revived as a group of radio-broadcast concerts across the United States, and was called New Music Across America.