Ensembles-In-Residence
The Mostly Modern Orchestra (MMO) (formerly American Modern Orchestra) is the house orchestra for the Mostly Modern Festival and had its inaugural season in 2018. MMO’s mission is to “turn traditional programming on its head,” performing works by living composers who attend the Festival and Institute, alongside 20th and 21st century classics.
The MMO roster consists of our Artist Faculty performing side-by-side with musicians from around the world who audition for spots in the orchestra. Guest conductors have included maestros Kent Tritle (Musica Sacra, Oratorio Society of New York), David Amado (Delaware Symphony), Peter Bay (Austin Symphony Orchestra), JoAnn Falletta (Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Cleveland Institute of Music), Ruth Reinhardt (Assoc. Dallas Symphony), Alan Pierson (Alarm Will Sound), Christopher Rountree (WildUp), and Ward Stare (Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra).
MMO is led by conductors who champion new music, with the addition of the conducting participants, who lead rehearsals and performances and conduct readings of brand-new works. Two works are chosen to be performed on the orchestral programs and conducted by the conducting participants. MMO performs concertos each season featuring two MMF Concerto Competition winners.
Future plans may include top composers being performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City and/or producing professionally-released recordings.
“Devoting a program to Minimalist and microtonal compositions could easily amount to an egghead agenda; leave it to the American Modern Ensemble to make it a party instead.”
Founded in 2005, American Modern Ensemble (AME) spotlights contemporary music via lively thematic programming, performing a wide repertoire, particularly by living composers. AME is a dynamic, creative force in the modern music scene. Robert Paterson serves as Artistic Director as well as house composer.
With a world-class ensemble made up of NYC’s finest, AME is “simply ‘first-rate” (The New York Times). AME has performed works by living composers in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to National Sawdust, and has "consistently demonstrated a flair for inventive programming" (Steve Smith, Time Out New York). AME programs both cutting edge and traditional works, presenting unique, engaging events that encourage dialogue between artists and audiences. Sold out crowds are a winning testament to their fan base and ever expanding popularity. The Mostly Modern Festival is the summer home for AME. AME presents programs using a robust combination of instrumentalists, vocalists, and conductors.
For more information, visit the American Modern Ensemble site.