Welcome to the 2022-2023 Season of Ensemble CONCEPT/21!

We have decided to completely focus this season on an in-depth shepherding of the new generations of young composers.

While they have always focused on fostering new voices in composition, with about 60 premieres of young composers’ works in the last 9 years, EC/21 would like to develop deeper and even more fruitful relationships with educators, institutions, and young composers in our area.

To this end, we are planning to engage several local public schools through composition workshops where young high school composers will develop from concept to page to stage compositional projects. These workshops will feature professional composers that will lead the young composers through this process and assist high school teachers in follow-up work in developing new pieces, which eventually could be submitted to a Call for Scores by January 2023. Young composers still affiliated to regional educational institutions submit their works for evaluation by a jury of professional composers and conductors through the Call for Scores. The selected works receive a fully professional performance and recording by EC/21.

Selected works from the Call for Scores will receive their premiere in our traditional concert on April 14, 2023 “New Voices in Michiana.” The format of EC/21 concerts have always included not just music, but also engaging “Concert Conversations,” with introductions to the works on each program, and a Q&A opportunity for the audience.

This year, we are also continuing our partnership with South Bend Lyric Opera, which started last season with the performance of Jake Heggie’s opera Three Decembers. This season, EC/21 is collaborating again with the SBLO to bring to you a brand new opera by Indiana composer Paul Herman, The Gift. The premiere performances will be offered in January 2023. For more information, please visit the South Bend Lyric Opera website.

All performances will take place at Indiana University South Bend.

We hope you enjoy our season what we are preparing for you! Thank you for your support of new music and for visiting our website. Please stay tuned for upcoming details on our new 2022-2023 season!