The annual Music on the Anthology (MATA) Competition serves as a vibrant platform connecting adventurous composers and audacious listeners by means of modern compositions from across the globe. Based in 1996 by Lisa Bielawa, Eleonor Sandresky, and Philip Glass, this New York Metropolis establishment has grown to supply a versatile stage for composers whereas attracting an viewers desirous to embrace sonic dangers for the refreshing rewards of recent views. MATA’s newest name for scores drew in 400 submissions worldwide, from which Govt Director Pauline Kim Harris curated 4 evenings of charming INTERGALACTIC INFINITY live shows.
Kim Harris asserts that house bonds us all. This 12 months’s theme, INTERGALACTIC INFINITY: Music Between Areas, inspired attendees to don sequined or metallic outfits and have interaction with movie rating references, making a enjoyable and versatile entry level for MATA’s numerous viewers and uniting a diverse program with buoyant cohesion. Earlier festivals sought this cohesion by means of prolonged printed supplies or a comic emcee, however this 12 months achieved a really perfect stability. Hosts Bruce Hodges and Steve Smith offered pleasant performances, guiding the viewers by means of every bit, partaking in stay composer interviews, and presenting digital program notes with a light-hearted contact.
The sold-out 2025 competition, partnered with the gorgeous ISSUE Challenge Room in Brooklyn, opened with a unprecedented efficiency by the nineteen-member Solar Ra Arkestra, led by NEA Jazz Grasp Marshall Allen. Composer Jessie Cox, commissioned by the Paul Fromm Basis to put in writing for the ensemble, confessed that the extraordinary vitality of the group initially intimidated him for a 12 months. However, he was irresistibly drawn to the enduring Afrofuturism and unbridled pleasure that characterised their sound. His piece, Enter the Unimaginable (2023), options unique compositions that converse with the Arkestra’s legendary works, triumphing over cynicism with a superb call-and-response dynamic and serene nods to sound baths and meditative tones. A notable solo showcases an digital valve instrument (EVI) in honor of an Arkestra member’s a hundred and first birthday. The mix of Cox’s incorporation of the basic “House is the Place!” with the world premiere of his Sound Drape Portray (2025), impressed by Sam Gilliam’s drape work, creates wealthy spatial textures by means of paper towards a drumhead and sympathetic resonance inside a barely detuned string quartet.
The unimaginable FLUX Quartet performed a significant function in anchoring the competition with their distinctive performances every evening. Diallo Banks’ Sarmad for String Quartet (2025) enveloped the viewers in a meditative ambiance with an expanded shruti field vibe, mixing drone viola sounds, light gongs, and supportive Hammond organ tones. Roscoe Mitchell’s 9/9/99 with Playing cards for String Quartet (2009/2011, Rev. 2021) reworked right into a structured card recreation that prompted improvisation from musicians often not inclined to such spontaneity. The FLUX Quartet expertly navigated every texture and concept, culminating in an exhilarating crescendo of fiddling. They introduced their signature precision to Petra Strahovnik’s Assault (2023), which fervently mimics the relentless expertise of continual ache on account of Lengthy Covid by means of continuous unison downbow assaults. Among the many works introduced was George Lewis’ String Quartet 1.5, “Experiments in Residing” (2016), concluding this system’s centerpiece with putting historic context.
The FLUX Quartet additionally premiered Salmak (String Quartet No. 6) (2023), Reza Vali’s homage to the Thirteenth-century Persian music theorist and composer Safi al-Din Ormavi. This six-movement piece oscillates between Ormavi’s maqam modal custom and modern Dastgâh modes, encapsulating the enduring energy of Persian musical heritage. The fifth motion evoked the spirits of the previous, as described by Steve Smith, whereas the ultimate motion erupted right into a euphoric dance of high-frequency quartet harmonies. One other important dialogue between historical past and modernity was introduced in Anuj Bhutani’s On Letting Go for Solo Cello and Electronics (2020), which drew from Heraclitus’ philosophy whereas incorporating emo/screamo affect to create deep bass drops and accelerando transitions into voids. Bhutani’s expanded composition allowed cellist Tyler J. Borden to traverse delicate variations, reflecting the continued modifications in each inside and outer life.
The competition showcased a outstanding collection of works by 18 rising composers—a testomony to the significance of recognizing artistry no matter how lengthy one has been within the area. Iranian composer Negar Soleymanifar embodies this spirit of early-career creativity. Her piece, Prelude to the Ashes for Cello and Narrator (2023), gives a poetic narrative about grief and the battle of transferring ahead. Soleymanifar, kneeling on the ground, delivered a poignant part in Persian, supported by Borden’s nuanced cello efficiency, earlier than stepping offstage to supply an English translation that remained subtly enveloped throughout the cello’s evocative expressions of sorrow.
A number of works successfully showcased solo devices. Anna Meadors introduced her world premiere Encircle, Recirculate for Saxophone and No-Enter Mixer (2025), creating soothing suggestions loops that complemented a nostalgic saxophone ambiance. In the meantime, FLUX Quartet founder Tom Chiu unveiled Brian Mark’s cosmic meditation Per Aspera Advert Astra for Solo Violin and Digital Delay Processing Pedal with Video (2020), augmented by partaking cosmic visuals. FLUX member Conrad Harris dazzled the viewers with Jee Search engine optimization’s partaking piece On Fever II for Solo Violin (2017). Moreover, Katie Porter delivered a powerful world premiere of Rodrigo Espino’s Responso el en Vacío for Contrabass Clarinet (2023), powerfully conveying deep feelings by means of profound breaths, howls, and evocative musical rumblings.
Many of the items introduced on the competition had been composed throughout the previous 5 years, reflecting ongoing pandemic issues. Whereas the traumatic experiences of COVID-19 might really feel like fading recollections, the compositions provided audiences quite a few avenues for processing these challenges. Kevin Ramsay’s Golden Euphorics for alto flute, Cb clarinet, piccolo A Trumpet, Violin, Cello, Piano, and Baritone (2023), initially commissioned for a home of worship, attracts inspiration from the vivid fever goals throughout his personal COVID hospitalization, leading to trendy Psalms of justice: Ship us, O Lord, that we might flip this river of blood into lava and flood these fools / Say much less… God. / Within the midst of madmen, say much less.
Paul Novak’s outstanding fantasia Seven Goals About My Physique for Microtonal Sextet (2024) encapsulates a poignant reflection on the pandemic, weaving collectively Ravel-inspired orchestration with an attractive, pissed off, and sometimes livid quest for self-discovery. In a lighter vein, Giordano Bruno do Nascimento’s “Vis – à – Vis (a) for 3 Performers and One Grand Piano, 3 Toms and Credit score Playing cards” (2020) humorously confronted social distancing guidelines and canceled contracts by means of theatrical efficiency. Three pianists alternated between distanced performs and plucking piano strings with bank cards, producing an unlimited hammer dulcimer-like sound earlier than playfully collapsing in a comedic crescendo.
New applied sciences had been additionally showcased alongside formal experiments. Inga Chinilina’s Shock Staff (2024) paired saxophonist Wilson Poffenberger and violist Elsie Bae Han from RE:duo towards a randomized array of motors hitting a snare drum, creating rhythmic competitors. Regardless of the tough undertones referencing inhumane competitors, the humanity of Poffenberger and Bae Han prevailed, as their efficiency unfolded superbly, demonstrating cooperation with know-how. Kylan Hillman applied his DataCrasher stutter impact program and unconventional selecting strategies in Strategies of Crunching for Electrical Guitar (2024), rocking the home. In the meantime, Nina Fukuoka’s standout creation, Polka is a Czech Dance for Flutes, Clarinets, Cello, Percussion, Piano, with Video (2023), mixed her multilingual background, love for online game music, and B-horror camp into an unforgettable portrayal of latest life. Navigating by means of AI-generated movies of customer support interactions, sushi-roller commercials, and nature, Fukuoka’s alternative of instrumentation—together with crotales and the whimsical sounds of sweet Pop Rocks—evoked the weird and unsettling realities of our trendy relationships with self, know-how, and nature.
In an interview final 12 months with Lauren Ishida upon her appointment as MATA’s new Govt Director, Pauline Kim Harris shared her dedication to fostering connections by means of the exploration of recent abilities and sounds. The presence of quite a few composers at extra performances and the energetic exchanges amongst attendees throughout intermission are testaments to her profitable imaginative and prescient. The viewers comprised not solely of acquainted faces from modern music but in addition people from numerous backgrounds—starting from meditation lecturers and nannies to consultants and supporters of BIPOC authors—united by an experimental spirit and a shared enthusiasm for innovation. MATA has really succeeded in being a hub for compositional experimentation and communal connection amongst these open to expansive experiences.
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