Sets at 7:30 and 9:00  

Bowerbird is pleased to present an online talk with Nancy Perloff and Ron Kuivila, hosted by exhibition co-curators You Nakai and Dustin Hurt. Nancy Perloff, curator at the Getty Research Institute, oversees the David Tudor Papers, one of the most significant archives of experimental music in the 20th century. Ron Kuivila, Professor of Music at […]

Sam Wenc + Friends: Sam Wenc pedal steel Sam Yulsman piano Joey Sullivan drums John Moran bass Victor Vieira Branco vibraphone Will Henriksen violin Matthew Lee bass clarinet/saxophone   From Language At An Angle liner notes, by Jack Braunstein: “Language At An Angle” is the latest offering from Sam Wenc (fka Post Moves); an eight-part […]

Tyshawn Sorey, MacArthur Fellow, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and professor of music at Penn, pays tribute to jazz pioneer Max Roach and his 1968 album, Members, Don’t Git Weary, a recording with context embedded in one of the most pivotal cultural periods of the 20th century. For this Philadelphia premiere, Sorey’s new arrangements wink at the […]

Taji Ra’oofNahll/TR7 electronics with Jamal Moore – reeds and electronics Nate Totushek – drums   Sharper than a Serpent’s Tooth Matt Engle/David Mcdonnell / Ryan Rogers  

Bowerbird is pleased to present an online talk with John Driscoll and Phil Edelstein, hosted by exhibition co-curators You Nakai and Dustin Hurt. John Driscoll and Phil Edelstein are founding members of Composers Inside Electronics (CIE), a collaborative group formed in 1973 that has been central to the evolution and continuation of David Tudor’s Rainforest […]

SHOSTAKOVICH Chamber Symphony, Op. 73a

Bowerbird is pleased to present Audra performing an evening of music for voice and saxophone, with repertoire including Meredith Monk’s Hocket for Two Voices, two moody folk-song arrangements by Karin Rehnqvist, and Cecilia McDowall’s dramatic White Fox Woman. Three pieces make up the center of this program: Thomas Kessler’s Is it?, Philippe Leroux Un lieu […]

The lineup is solo trumpeter Eyebee, a guitar and percussion duo called Earthen Jug, and the long-awaited debut of Angel Meat, which is @layer_meat on vocals and @mylesofdestruction on harp.   21+

Spectral Forces Alex ( @alexoteric ) -Synths, Language Julius ( @zooolius ) -Percussion, Mysteries Pete ( @searchfortheinfinitelight ) Basses, Flutes Alex Smith is your guide enmeshed in the parallel universes of Philadelphia. In The Light of The Universe is in Who worlds are brought to life and death by the rhythm section of Julius Masri […]

Miramar: Miramar reimagines the Latin bolero and carries the torch of bolero beat—a genre that rose to international fame in the 1960s by blending nostalgic ballads with psychedelic rock, bossa nova, funk, jazz, and more. An offshoot of the acclaimed indie-salsa band Bio Ritmo, Miramar was one of the first Latin bands to perform on […]

Bowerbird is pleased to present the Arcana New Music Ensemble performing Postal Pieces 2.0, the second iteration of “Postal Pieces,” a concert featuring living composers in Philadelphia and beyond composing postcard-sized works inspired by James Tenney’s unorthodox set of compositions. Tenney’s “Postal Pieces,” composed between 1954 and 1971, are a series of ten concise works […]

JeJaWeDa: The band features the great Dutch sound poet and improvisor Jaap Blonk, trombone virtuoso Jeb Bishop, and the versatile and powerful “rhythm section” of Damon Smith and Weasel Walter. Jaap Blonk is unique for his powerful stage presence and playful freedom in improvisation, combined with a keen grasp of structure. The frenetically prolific bandleader/composer/multiinstrumentalist […]

  Still traveling the spaceways after more than 100 years on the planet, the indefatigable Maestro Marshall Allen remains a brilliant imaginative force whose life has spanned nearly the entire history of jazz. A key member of the Sun Ra Arkestra for more than six decades and its dauntless leader for the last quarter century, […]

Nomad War Machine is an improvised metal duo consisting of guitarist James Reichard and drummer Julius Masri.  In 2023, both musicians entered Baltimore’s Tempo House Recording studio with pedal steel luminary Susan Alcorn Lobato. The release of the album Contra Madre (VG+ Records), on January 31 of 2026, marks the one year anniversary of her passing. The Fire Museum […]

David Tudor is largely remembered for his performances of mid-twentieth-century avant-garde piano music and his close association with John Cage, but much less is known about his personal life or the intentional artist’s community he co-founded in 1954. The Gate Hill Cooperative, established with Cage and others who had emerged from the experimental environment of […]

Ars Nova Workshop presents Polish guitarist Raphael Rogiński, performing his transformative interpretations of the music of John Coltrane and the words of Langston Hughes at Solar Myth on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. A guitarist, composer, improviser, culture animator and musicologist, Raphael Rogiński was educated in jazz and classical music while also studying musical theory and […]

~ Live Sets by David Moore & Discovery Zone ~ DJ Set by RVNG Intl. founder Matt Werth ~ Visual Projections by Klip Collective ~ Beverages by Forin

is the acclaimed quartet of Pat Thomas (piano), Joel Grip (double bass), Antonin Gerbal (drums) and Seymour Wright (alto saxophone). Together, the group re-arrange and re-imagine in real time the music of composer, bassist and oud player Ahmed Abdul-Malik (1927-1993). In a review of their 2024 release Giant Beauty, The Quietus calls , “one of […]

Bowerbird is pleased to present an online conversation with John D. S. Adams, John David Fullemann, David Meschter, and Robert E. Miller, hosted by exhibition co-curators You Nakai and Dustin Hurt. David Tudor’s work with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company required not only innovative compositional thinking but also the technical expertise of skilled audio engineers […]

Drum Major Instinct with Katherine Young: Drum Major Instinct is an experimental music duo from Asheville, North Carolina. Jeff Arnal plays (mostly) percussion and Curt Cloninger plays (mostly) modular synthesizer. The Wire describes Jeff’s drumming as a “highly original concept” having “a balletic sense of time and imaginative deployment of colour;” and Byron Coley says […]

Ars Nova Workshop hosts the record release party for I Want To Be Ready, the latest from Philly-based post-rock experimentalists The Early, at Solar Myth on Sunday, March 1, 2026. The Early began in northern New Jersey in 2004 as a band of high school buddies coming of age at the apex of indie rock […]

Join us for the Experimental Music Ensemble Winter Concert at the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery. This event is free and open to all, register for tickets here. Trough a grant from the Pew Center for Arts & Culture, The Leonard Pearlstein Gallery present exhibit Tudor (1926 – 1996) – A View from Inside: David Tudor will […]

After nearly a decade away from recording as a leader, saxophonist Jason Rigby made his triumphant return in August 2025 with Mayhem, a groundbreaking duo album featuring renowned drummer Mark Guiliana. The project expands to a trio as it arrives at Solar Myth, adding the eclectic bassist Chris Morrissey to the mix. Mayhem represents both […]

Amy Williams is a composer of music that is “simultaneously demanding, rewarding and fascinating” (Buffalo News), “fresh, daring and incisive” (Fanfare). Her compositions have been presented at renowned contemporary music venues on four continents by many of the leading contemporary music soloists and ensembles, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, JACK Quartet, Ensemble […]

Bowerbird is pleased to present pianist Amy Williams and a performance of David Tudor’s Forest Speech led by Phil Edelstein with additional performers to be announced. This concert celebrates David Tudor’s dual legacy as both a revolutionary pianist and electronic music pioneer. The first half features Amy Williams performing works by Morton Feldman, John Cage, […]

Drummer Brendan Canty and bassist Joe Lally were the rhythm section for the iconic D.C. punk band Fugazi from its inception in 1987 until its hiatus in 2002, reuniting for the first time to form The Messthetics with the eclectic guitar wizard Anthony Pirog. One half of the duo Janel & Anthony, Pirog has emerged […]

At once a bass-forward string quartet and at times a downtown band, Owls challenge the way that meaningful concert experiences are conceived. Weaving new works together with original arrangements of music from the 1600s to the present, their PCMS debut program covers a vast timeline that spans from Trollstilt to François Couperin. With their distinctive […]

Lia Kohl: Lia Kohl is a cellist, composer, and sound artist based in Chicago. Her wide-ranging practice includes composition and performance, installation, improvisation, and collaboration. She tours nationally and internationally, working in theater, jazz, rock, and experimental contexts. Her work centers curiosity and patience, an exploration of the mundane and profound possibilities of sound. Zachary […]

The Lepidopterans are a “supergroup” with Baltimore/Philadelphia long-time experimental scene players Toshi Makihara, Tom Borax, Jason Willett and John Dierker. Each member has decades of experience improvising and collaborating, having appeared in a dizzying list of projects, bands and records. They bring out virtuoso chops and strange and humorous theatricality to live sets that are like celebrations linking free jazz, […]

“One of the most vital and original ensembles on the American music scene,” (The New York Times) Alarm Will Sound performs American Stories, a collection of bold, contemporary works that reflect the vast, evolving landscape of our country’s identity. Celebrating 25 years of dynamic virtuosity, the ensemble, joined by composer and interdisciplinary artist Bora Yoon, […]

Bowerbird is pleased to present Composers Inside Electronics—Phil Edelstein, Ron Kuivila, and Michael Johnsen—performing works by David Tudor. Composers Inside Electronics (CIE), formed in 1973 with David Tudor, pioneered a collaborative approach to live electronic music that treated circuits and components as instruments in themselves rather than as tools. This closing concert of A View […]

Kresten Osgood is an extraordinary drummer and improviser who, with the fullest respect to tradition, challenges it at any given moment of his creative endeavors. He has performed and/or recorded with such legends as Roscoe Mitchell, Paul Bley, Lee Scratch Perry, William Parker, Masabumi Kikuchi, Derek Bailey, Wadada Leo Smith, Jason Moran, Oliver Lake, Kurt […]

Presented in collaboration with Philly Iranians Niloufar Shiri & Bahar Badieitabar: Kamancheh player and composer Niloufar Shiri began her musical journey at the Tehran Music Conservatory in Iran. She later immigrated to the USA and pursued her studies in composition at the University of California, San Diego, and Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT) at the University of […]

Drummer/composer John Hollenbeck is a composer of music uncategorizable beyond the fact of being always identifiably his: a conceptualist able to translate the traditions of jazz and new music into a fresh, eclectic, forward-looking language of his own invention, a drummer and percussionist possessed of a playful versatility and a virtuosic wit, and a musical […]

For over 25 years, the Miró Quartet has performed on the world’s most prestigious stages, showcasing their “collective intelligence uncanny precision” (Musical America). Their program includes excerpts from master works by Samuel Barber and Florence Price, as well as a PCMS co-commission for soprano and quartet by the genre-defying, Brooklyn-based composer Tamar-kali. The new work […]

Orcutt Shelley Miller is an avant-rock trio comprised of three highly celebrated figures of experimental music: Bill Orcutt (Harry Pussy), Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth) and Ethan Miller (Howlin Rain, Comets On Fire). Following in the footsteps of the high-firing free jazz and European outer-rock bands of the ‘60s and ‘70s and the Pacific Rim’s subterranean […]

  London-born Shabaka earned widespread renown as a saxophonist with his cosmically-oriented ensembles Shabaka and the Ancestors, Sons of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming before taking an indefinite hiatus from the instrument and dedicating himself to the flute. For his flute-forward album Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge its Grace, Shabaka tapped into a remarkable cadre […]

  London-born Shabaka earned widespread renown as a saxophonist with his cosmically-oriented ensembles Shabaka and the Ancestors, Sons of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming before taking an indefinite hiatus from the instrument and dedicating himself to the flute. For his flute-forward album Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge its Grace, Shabaka tapped into a remarkable cadre […]

Caroline Davis: Alive with nurturing visions of simple sonic offerings to morph our present situation, Caroline Davis’ main reason for playing music is to connect with others, beckoning new vistas among curious listeners. Her musical journey began in Singapore, in a humid climate, hearing sounds underwater that she would recreate by singing to her German […]

Irreversible Entanglements are a liberation-oriented free jazz collective formed in early 2015 by saxophonist Keir Neuringer, poet Camae Ayewa (a.k.a. Moor Mother) and bassist Luke Stewart, who came together to perform at a Musicians Against Police Brutality event organized after the slaying of Akai Gurley by the NYPD. Months later the group added trumpeter Aquiles […]

PROGRAM: Two Thoughts About the Piano Figment V for marimba Esprit Rude/Esprit Doux II Epigrams Enchanted Preludes Gra for clarinet Canon for 4 ARCANA NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE: Anna Lim – violin Tom Kraines – cello Nic Handahl – flute Jonathan Leeds – clarinet David Hughes – piano Andy Thierauf – marimba

In conjunction with The Living Temple, the ongoing exhibition celebrating the life and work of Swedish visual artist and designer Moki Cherry, Ars Nova Workshop presents the Philadelphia-born free jazz collective Irreversible Entanglements, exploring the ecstatic  music of Don Cherry’s groundbreaking Organic Music Society at Solar Myth on Saturday, March 28, 2026. Irreversible Entanglements are […]

Carlos Niño refers to himself musically, and in many aspects of his life, as a “communicator,” a role that encompasses his own work as well as his integral work on projects like André 3000’s New Blue Sun. Producing, playing and making music are just some of the facets of that title, as was his long-running, […]

Carlos Niño refers to himself musically, and in many aspects of his life, as a “communicator,” a role that encompasses his own work as well as his integral work on projects like André 3000’s New Blue Sun. Producing, playing and making music are just some of the facets of that title, as was his long-running, […]

Curtis New Music Ensemble celebrates composer-in-residence Jessie Montgomery with a concert featuring works by the Grammy-winning composer, violinist, and educator. Praised as “turbulent, wildly colorful, and exploding with life” (Washington Post), Montgomery’s music fuses classical with vernacular styles, improvisation, poetry, and social consciousness—offering a profound reflection of 21st-century American sound. A winner of the Sphinx […]

For over 15 years, Cybersounds has brought the latest in electronic music and the digital arts to Philadelphia audiences. The Cybersounds concert series showcases electroacoustic works ranging from the historical to the most exciting recent innovations in the field of music technology. Each semester, leading artists from around the world present their work alongside Temple […]

Tatsuya Nakatani: Tatsuya Nakatani is an avant-garde percussionist, composer, and artist of sound. Active internationally since the 1990s, Nakatani has released over 80 recordings and tours extensively, performing over 150 concerts a year. His primary focus is his solo work and his large ensemble project, the Nakatani Gong Orchestra. He teaches master classes and lectures […]

n March of 2000, Ars Nova Workshop hosted the first of what would become hundreds of performances across Philadelphia, presenting saxophonist Chris Speed and his creative quartet yeah NO at Plays & Players Theater. Much has changed in the ensuing quarter century. Speed has returned to perform for ANW many times in the ensuing years, […]

TAKAAT: TAKAAT (pronounced tuh-cot), meaning “noise” in the Tuareg language Tamashek, for this tour is the duo of Ahmoudou Madassane & Mikey Coltun (joined by a blown out drum machine). Also known as the rhythm section of Mdou Moctar. TAKAAT is sonic chaos, improvisation, freedom of exploration, and the punk styles of bands such as […]

Alex Harding & Lucian Ban duo: The relationship between Alex Harding and Lucian Ban has been long and fruitful. Their combination of elements of improvisational music have helped the pair develop a unique musical language that transcends the expectations of the jazz genre. Pianist Lucian Ban arrived in New York City from Romania to study […]

Few artists have done more to both honor and reinvent the 2000-year history of the pipa than soloist, vocalist and composer Min Xiao-Fen. Classically trained in her native China, she served as a principal pipa soloist at Nanjing Traditional Music Orchestra and was an in-demand interpreter of traditional music before relocating to the United States […]

Biotic (Shawn Lovato/Ingrid Laubrock/Henry Mermer): Shawn Lovato is a New York-based bassist, composer, and improviser “with a distinctive compositional approach and a knack for finding the right partners to bring it to life” (All About Jazz). Growing up on the outskirts of New York City, Lovato was deeply influenced by its underground scenes, including hip hop, […]

Takuya Kuroda is a highly respected trumpeter and arranger born in Kobe, Japan and based in New York City. Over the course of his seven albums to date, Kuroda has evolved a unique hybrid sound blending soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip hop. Kuroda moved to New York to study jazz and contemporary music […]

Sam Prekop’s work over the last 30 years, whether created primarily on his guitar or on his modular synth, is consistent in its powerful melodicism, delicate arrangements and subtle evolution. Prekop’s singular blend of melody, impressionistic lyricism and quietly intricate rhythms are the core of the singular sound of his band The Sea and Cake. […]

Ars Nova Workshop presents punk-jazz power trio The Messthetics, joined by fire-breathing saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, at Solar Myth on Friday, May 8, 2026. Drummer Brendan Canty and bassist Joe Lally were the rhythm section for the iconic D.C. punk band Fugazi from its inception in 1987 until its hiatus in 2002, reuniting for the […]

Best known as the drummer for the two-time Grammy winning, iconic rock band Living Colour, Will Calhoun has played with artists across a diverse range of styles, genres and traditions. He has recorded and/or toured with a staggering list of artists including B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Jaco Pastorious, Harry Belafonte, Pharoah Sanders, Jack Dejohnette, Paul […]

Celebrating the Orchestra’s 125th anniversary and its unique place in the City of Philadelphia, this bravura program opens with a world premiere by Philly-based composer Tyshawn Sorey, commissioned by the Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin and performed by the great pianist Aaron Diehl. The concert closes with Bruckner’s soaring, majestic, thrill ride of a symphony, his […]

Serving as the centerpiece for this program is Philadelphia composer Benjamin C.S. Boyle’s first Cantata: To One in Paradise. The poem “To One is Paradise” is a poem by Edgar Allan Poe dating from his mature poetic period that features many of the poet’s favorite themes: young love, divinity, and death. The Cantata – composed […]

Sun of Goldfinger builds upon an enticing web of relationships: David Torn and Tim Berne have worked together since the ‘90s, with the guitarist producing many of the saxophonist’s prolific releases; Ches Smith has worked with Berne in the latter’s quintet Snakeoil and other contexts. In this electrifying trio, Torn, Berne and Smith spontaneously weave […]

Celebrating the Orchestra’s 125th anniversary and its unique place in the City of Philadelphia, this bravura program opens with a world premiere by Philly-based composer Tyshawn Sorey, commissioned by the Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin and performed by the great pianist Aaron Diehl. The concert closes with Bruckner’s soaring, majestic, thrill ride of a symphony, his […]

Bowerbird is pleased to present the NakedEye Ensemble performing a concert of music by Ben Nobuto. PROGRAM Lucid (2020) for piano and electronics Tell Me Again (2022) for piano, electronics, and film trio (for ivy house) (2024) for flute, cello, piano & electronics Live at Leighton House (2023) for six players & electronics Joy Replica […]

Hailing from the musical hotbed of Houston, Texas, saxophonist and composer Walter Smith III developed under the wings of many of the music’s greats. Smith has been a member of several legendary groups, including the Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band, the Terence Blanchard Quintet, Eric Harland’s Voyager, the Bill Stewart Trio, Jason Moran’s In […]

With its roots in the San Francisco Bay Area, the collective ensemble Get Up With It has been exploring the electric music of Miles Davis since the late 90s. Best known as the drummer for the Grammy-winning, Philly-born rock band The War on Drugs, Charlie Hall is also a professed Miles Davis fanatic who formed […]

With its roots in the San Francisco Bay Area, the collective ensemble Get Up With It has been exploring the electric music of Miles Davis since the late 90s. Best known as the drummer for the Grammy-winning, Philly-born rock band The War on Drugs, Charlie Hall is also a professed Miles Davis fanatic who formed […]

With its roots in the San Francisco Bay Area, the collective ensemble Get Up With It has been exploring the electric music of Miles Davis since the late 90s. Best known as the drummer for the Grammy-winning, Philly-born rock band The War on Drugs, Charlie Hall is also a professed Miles Davis fanatic who formed […]