S E M Ensemble Inc

SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1970, THE MISSION OF THE S.E.M. ENSEMBLE HAS BEEN TO PERFORM AND PRODUCE CONCERTS OF ARTISTICALLY DEMANDING AND ADVENTUROUS MUSIC. THE ENSEMBLE'S FOCUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON COMPOSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED BY THE MAINSTREAM MUSIC WORLD: MUSIC THAT MAKES AN IMPACT ON COMPOSITION AND PERFORMANCE, BY COMPOSERS WHOSE VOICES DESERVE TO BE HEARD. SEM'S COMMITMENT TO ARTISTICALLY DEMANDING WORK HAS BEEN CONSTANT SINCE ITS FOUNDING. COMPOSERS SUCH AS JOHN CAGE, JULIUS EASTMAN, MORTON FELDMAN, PAULINE OLIVEROS, EARLE BROWN, ROSCOE MITCHELL, MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS, AND CHRISTIAN WOLFF HAVE ALL WORKED WITH THE ENSEMBLE. SEM ALSO REGULARLY PERFORMS WORKS BY YOUNGER EMERGING COMPOSERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. PROGRAMS CONSISTENT WITH SEM'S MISSION - AND THE EXCELLENCE OF THEIR MUSICAL EXECUTION - HAVE HELPED THE ENSEMBLE SUCCEED THROUGHOUT ITS 50 YEARS OF EXISTENCE. SEM PERFORMS A YEARLY SERIES AT PAULA COOPER GALLERY IN MANHATTAN AND AT ITS OWN SPACE, WILLOW PLACE AUDITORIUM IN BROOKLYN HEIGHTS. MAJOR CONCERTS ARE PRODUCED AT VENUES SUCH AS CARNEGIE HALL, ALICE TULLY HALL, MERKIN CONCERT HALL, BOHEMIAN NATIONAL HALL, AND ROULETTE. SEM ALSO TOURS ANNUALLY IN EUROPE. SINCE 2001, THE S.E.M. ENSEMBLE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE OSTRAVA CENTER FOR NEW MUSIC (CZECH REPUBLIC) IN PRODUCING CONCERTS IN NEW YORK AND IN EUROPE (BIENNIAL OSTRAVA DAYS INSTITUTE AND FESTIVAL; BIENNIAL NODO FESTIVAL). SEM ACTIVELY SEEKS OUT WORKS BY EMERGING COMPOSERS FROM COUNTRIES THAT ARE OFTEN MARGINALIZED MUSICALLY, AND BRINGS THESE UNIQUE VOICES TO NEW YORK AUDIENCES, FURTHER DIVERSIFYING THE MUSICAL CULTURE OF THE CITY. RECORDINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON ASPHODEL LTD. (SAN FRANCISCO), DOG W/A BONE (NEW YORK), FROZEN REEDS (FINLAND), MODE (NEW YORK), AND WERGO (GERMANY).