New Music Miami Festival Brings In Worldwide Performers

Jason Grioua/Contributing Writer 

Composers from all over the world will reunite for three months at FIU for the New Music Miami Festival.

Starting off the nine-concert festival, composers from North and South America will join to showcase contemporary work.

Violins, violas, cellos, flutes, clarinets, a piano and other instruments will come together to be composed by Chile’s Boris Alavaro and Bolivia’s Edgar Alandia next Wednesday.

The show, titled “Music of the Americas,” will begin with a pre-performance talk with Alavaro and Alandia at 7 p.m., followed by a performance at 7:30 p.m.

Played by the celebrated FIU Amernet String Quartet and members of the FIU NODUS Ensemble, they will perform contemporary works by Alvarado, Alandia, Crumb, Garcia, Lavista and Sudol.

The Amernet String Quartet is recognized as being one of today’s most exceptional string quartets.

The ensemble-in-residence at FIU was called “immensely satisfying” by the New York Times. Their sound has been called “complex” but with an “old world flavor,” according to their website.

The NODUS Ensemble is a professional contemporary chamber music ensemble that vary their sound depending on the concert they play.

Their work includes new music from composers around the world, including work that feature electronics and videos.

Over the past 22 years, the New Music Miami Festival has expanded, now featuring more new music for acoustic and electro-acoustic instrumentations.

“The festival includes performers and composers that are on the cutting edge of their genre and at the top of their fields,” said Orlando Jacinto Garcia, the FIU composer-in-residence of NODUS.

Garcia will be leading this year’s performances.

“In addition to guest composers and performers from elsewhere we also feature incredible performers from South Florida,” he said.

Garcia is most excited about the uniqueness of the styles from the performers and composers.

“This type of music is usually found in major cultural centers… but harder to find elsewhere,” said Garcia.

Those interested in learning about more concerts in the New Music Miami Festival can visit carta.fiu.edu/music/new-music-miami-iscm-festival/.

The opening concert of the festival will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 420 Lincoln Rd. Suite 440, Miami Beach, FL 33139; event runs from 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The festival runs through Apr. 15. No ticket required. Free.