How can I stay informed of new art music?

Question

As a composer, it's vitally important that I'm aware of what's happening in the contemporary music world. I find it very difficult to keep myself informed of a field that often flies below the radar of popular culture. Are there any resources for keeping up-to-date on new art music, especially those that are validated by the academic community?

Answer 1

This is a very important aspect of being a composer today. I think the internet is a great resource today since scores to recently composed pieces are difficult to obtain and performances are so rare. If you are attending a University, you can seek out your composition professor and I'm sure they will be able to recommend artists to listen to. Libraries are also a great resource, University libraries often have scores to pieces that are hard to obtain other wise.

Still, the best way to learn about contemporary music is to take a composition class. That is really the best way to learn about what people are doing today and to interact with other composers.

If you are interested I've but a list together of some of my favorite contemporary/ experimental music. A lot of these are pieces that we looked at in my composition seminars at Columbia University.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp-dm9OS10M&list=PLM9I2S6LTfcyVlAIypB6ZjFatwuBZo5yF

I hope this helps!

-Gabe Soileau