by Rob Shepherd / Published October 1, 2023
While many organizations present contemporary classical music, the International Contemporary Ensemble has stood out since its founding twenty-two years ago. The Ensemble’s success has come largely due to its stated goal of cultivating a musical ecosystem that honors diversity while focusing on equity, belonging, and cultural responsiveness. The organization’s openness and consideration of all musical ideas starkly contrast a status quo that often marginalizes or outright ignores the compositional thoughts of anyone other than a white man. Emphasizing increased inclusiveness and diversity allows the Ensemble to present more compelling pieces than most. This ethos also partly explains the group’s April 2022 selection of George Lewis as its most recent Artistic Director. Although all previous holders of the designation came from artists within the Ensemble’s ranks, Lewis – a composer at the front lines of musical decolonization and representation of Afrodiasporic voices – was a natural choice for the role despite his outsider status. Indeed, the Ensemble’s performance at Roulette Intermedium on October 5, 2023, George Lewis: Hearing Voices, is built upon the composer’s continued explorations of how decolonized music may sound.
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