extended music collective |
Extended Music Collective (EMC) is a boundary-pushing ensemble and creative collective dedicated to commissioning, performing, and co-creating new music that defies category and ignites conversation. Rooted in adventurous curiosity and collaborative spirit, EMC operates at the intersection of contemporary music, interdisciplinary art, and cultural urgency.
EMC’s work spans world premieres, cross-art collaborations, and deeply transformative performances with composers and innovators such as Leilehua Lanzilotti, Jason Eckardt, Baldwin Giang, Kalaisan Kalaichelvan, and many others — alongside artists from a wide range of disciplines, including choreographer Marie Lévêque, visual artist Paulius Sliaupa, poet Mahmoud Albishtawi, live-video performance artist Sigi Torinus, and singer-songwriter Rebecca Driesmans. From radical reinterpretations of figures like Julius Eastman and David Lang to newly commissioned works that unlock untold expressive possibilities. EMC’s programs pair visionary voices with adventurous interpretation, weaving together acoustic prowess, live electronics, theatrical weight, and bold new sonic landscapes. The collective’s work has been recognized internationally through a Harvard University Fromm Music Foundation grant, multiple residencies at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (CA), a residency at Avaloch Farm Music Institute (US), and an upcoming residency at Britten Pears Arts (UK), alongside projects at the American Academy in Rome (IT) and collaborations with the Herbert Foundation in Ghent. EMC has presented its work at leading international platforms including Darmstädter Ferienkurse (DE) and SoundSCAPE Festival at Fondation Hindemith (CH), and was awarded First Prize (Chamber Music) at the Fondazione Flavio Vespasiano International Competition for the Interpretation of Contemporary Music (IT), affirming its commitment to fearless, deeply considered performance. Driven by an expansive vision of what a contemporary music collective can be, EMC functions as an interdisciplinary, collaborative hub, embracing research, residencies, and shared artistic agency through a cooperative and co-creative ethos. We commission artists across borders, disciplines, and mediums — centering both emerging voices and established artists in active dialogue with 21st-century musical thought. EMC strives not only to perform new works, but to build ecosystems where ideas grow, collide, and resonate outward. Whether reshaping familiar forms or amplifying new ones, the collective pushes against tradition in service of a future that is vibrant, inclusive, and alive with possibility. |