Hailed as “Philadelphia’s most reliable and ambitious presenter of new jazz and improvised music” by The Wire, Ars Nova Workshop has cultivated connection and curiosity through deep listening, improvisation, and joyous creative expression for the last 25 years. To celebrate that remarkable quarter century of innovation and inspiration, Ars Nova is proud to announce its 25th anniversary season, highlighted by a three-month celebration in Spring 2025 featuring more than two dozen acclaimed artists representing a broad spectrum of adventurous musical invention, from venerable avant-garde pioneers to dazzling rising stars, genre-blurring experimentalists to torchbearers of the forward-seeking tradition.
March Events
April Events
May Events
Ars Nova Workshop is more than a presenting platform—it is a site of deep engagement where artists join a network of thinkers, makers, and listeners who recognize the power of fugitive spaces in sustaining artistic and communal life. Through major festivals, traveling exhibitions, archival recordings, and publishing, we preserve and extend the legacies of avant-garde and improvisational traditions, as seen in recent projects featuring Marshall Allen and Muhal Richard Abrams. Our commitment to improvisation is not just thematic; it is foundational to our practice, shaping commissions, site-specific events, residencies, estate work, wellness activities, and podcasts that explore the radical potential of creative music. It also drives our facilitation of visual and compositional commissions and site-specific performances that engage architecture, history, and social meaning. By embedding improvisation into our organizational structure and artistic processes, ANW creates an immersive, multidisciplinary environment that fosters bravery in creation, making each artist’s engagement with us a unique, evolving dialogue.
Ars Nova Workshop emerges to fill a void in creative music presentation in Philadelphia with a now-legendary Wednesday night series at Plays and Players Theatre. That initial one-year experiment has grown and evolved into a remarkable quarter century of innovation and inspiration.
Chris Speed’s YEAH NO plays ANW’s first-ever concert. Speed has returned to perform for ANW many times in the ensuing years, most recently as a member of the acclaimed trio-turned-quartet The Bad Plus.
With the Free Jazz movement as a foundational focus of Ars Nova Workshop, this inaugural year hosts extraordinary performances from some of the music’s greatest practitioners, spanning generations and backgrounds.
Highlights include:
Khan Jamal / Matthew Shipp / Odean Pope Trio
Sunny Murray
Joe Maneri & Mat Maneri
William Parker & Rob Brown
Sabir MateenJoe Morris Trio
Sun Ra Arkestra bandleader Marshall Allen, then at 76, performs a duo with bassist Alan Silva, marking the beginning of one of ANW’s most fruitful artistic relationships.
A performance by Chicago’s Vandermark 5, launched an ongoing relationship with Chicago’s vibrant scene by bringing a steady stream of artists to venues in Philadelphia.
ANW partners with Baltimore’s High Zero Preparation Festival, hosting a mini-festival featuring artists from along the I-95 corridor. Fostering excitement and cross-promotional opportunities for both organizations, this mini-festival was the earliest of many efforts to connect with other like-minded communities in support of the music.
Finally, lending support to Philadelphia saxophonist Daniel Peterson’s Collective Voices Festival, ANW begins another longstanding partnership to spotlight the city’s rich local talent in improvised music.
ANW proudly presents Philadelphia avant-jazz legend Byard Lancaster with his ensemble The Sounds of Newest Africa, while continuing support for Daniel Peterson’s Collective Voices Festival in its second and third years.
Foundational figures from the Free Jazz, loft and Downtown scenes join ANW for must-see concerts, including the Marshall Allen Ensemble, Roy Campbell Quartet, and the Jameel Moondoc VTet.
In 2002, Tim Berne’s Hard Cell joins us, an incredible trio with keyboardist Craig Taborn and drummer Tom Rainey. The irreverent saxophonist, a linchpin of the NYC Downtown scene, would go on to become a favorite of the organization.
Legendary pianist Dave Burrell leads his Full Blown Trio with bassist William Parker and drummer Andrew Cyrille. The concerts became the basis for the High Two Recordings release Expansion, leading to a burst of newfound recognition and a career renaissance for Burrell.
A new multimedia initiative with the Jump Arts American Road Project brings together musicians, poets, painters, and over a dozen dancers, celebrating and embodying the interdisciplinary creativity at the heart of the NYC Downtown scene.
The meeting of musicians from the Chicago and European avant-jazz scenes continue with a special performance by saxophonist Peter Brötzmann and legendary drummer Walter Perkins.
ANW continues to provide a platform for exploratory new bands including Ralph Alessi & Modular Theater and Jim Black’s Alasnoaxis.
ANW continues its support of saxophonist Daniel Peterson’s Collective Voices Festival for its fourth incarnation in 2003.
The influence and reimagining of one generation of groundbreakers on the next is evidenced by the Philadelphia debut of the Die Like a Dog Trio, saxophonist Peter Brötzmann’s tribute to the late, iconic Albert Ayler featuring bassist William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake.
One of the music’s most revered bassists returns to Philadelphia as ANW presents the Dave Holland Quintet, led by the British-born Holland, whose work extends from Miles Davis’ electric bands to the all-star quartet Circle, to essential collaborations with Anthony Braxton and Joe Henderson, to his own brilliant ensembles, many of which helped introduce new generations of jazz stars.
Tim Berne returns to Philly and ANW with the much-anticipated reunion of his trio Big Satan, featuring drummer Tom Rainey and guitarist Marc Ducret.
In 2004, pianist Dave Burrell performs in two distinct trios: once again leading his Full-Blown Trio with bassist William Parker and drummer Andrew Cyrille, while his eponymous Dave Burrell Trio, inspired by African traditions, features belaphon player Abayomi Awodesu and percussionist Juju Jones.
Veteran bassist Mark Helias, known for his associations with giants like Anthony Braxton, Dewey Redman, Abbey Lincoln and Cecil Taylor, appears with his working trio Open Loose, a superb band featuring drummer Tom Rainey and saxophonist Tony Malaby.
ANW hosts the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet, uniting leading figures from the European and Chicago free-music scenes for a raucous improvisatory meeting.
Roscoe Mitchell and Anthony Braxton, two foundational members of Chicago’s influential Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, perform. The AACM’s ongoing efforts to encourage and promote groundbreaking composers free of stylistic labels or obstacles to free-ranging imagination becomes a key influence on the Ars Nova ethos.
Audiences are treated to saxophonist Mats Gustafsson’s blistering trio The Thing and Stephen O’Malley and electronic music composer Peter Rehberg’s duo.
Legendary Free Jazz drummer Sunny Murray returns to Philadelphia to lead a new incarnation of the large ensemble that he founded in the early ‘70s while living in the city, the Untouchable Factor.
Trailblazing cornetists Taylor Ho Bynum and Rob Mazurek perform as well as Chris Speed’s drummer-less, all-clarinet trio featuring Oscar Noriega and Anthony Burr, aptly named The Clarinets.
A rare appearance by the FAB Trio, the longstanding collective group formed by violinist Billy Bang, bassist Joe Fonda and drummer Barry Altschul joins us.
2006 was a great year for fans of innovative drumming, as the ANW calendar included stops by Good For Cows, the corrosive duo of Ches Smith and bassist Devra Hoff; Jim Black returned as part of saxophonist Ellery Eskelin’s venturesome trio also featuring accordionist Andrea Parkins; and the always masterful Peter Brotzmann paired up with the eccentric ICP Orchestra drummer Han Bennick.
ANW presents breathtaking solo performance by Cecil Taylor at International House this year.
Ars Nova debuts the SoundExchange_2007 series, featuring a landmark performance of Horns of Hathor with legendary figures Roscoe Mitchell, tabla master Samir Chatterjee, and Deep Listening pioneer Pauline Oliveros.
In partnership with International House, ANW co-presents Seraphic Light, a tribute to saxophone titan John Coltrane on his 80th birthday. The series includes performances by Coltrane’s collaborators and spiritual successors, including:
- The Philadelphia Four, a supergroup featuring Dave Burrell, Reggie Workman, Muhammad Ali, and Rashied Ali
- The David S. Ware Unit
- ROVA: Orkestrova = Electric Ascension
- Cecil Taylor, in what would become the iconic pianist’s final Philadelphia performance before his passing in 2018
The Instant Composers Pool Orchestra, a Dutch collective delivers a standout performance, blending madcap improvisation with Dadaist theatrical elements.
ANW deepens its partnership with the AACM with a performance by saxophonist/composer Matana Roberts’ Coin Coin exploring her family history and heritage.
Other notable performances include:
- Nels Cline / Toshi Makihara
- Rudresh Mahanthappa Quartet
- Marilyn Crispell / Mark Helias / Andrew Cyrille Trio
- Moppa Elliot’s Mostly Other People Do the Killing
- Fred Hersch Trio +2
- Kidd Jordan Trio
ANW presents the Radical Jewish Music Festival featuring performances by several ensembles playing the music of John Zorn, including Masada Guitars, The Dreamers, Essential Cinema, Electric Masada, and others. The festival includes concerts by Philadelphia trombonist and klezmer innovator Daniel Blacksberg, Jerusalem-born vocalist Ayelet Rose Gottlieb, and more.
A formative group for many ANW listeners, Tim Berne’s Bloodcount reunites for a blistering concert at International House.
Bassist William Parker, an icon of the NYC avant-garde, reveals his R&B influence with his soulful project exploring the Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield.
2008 brings shows by the Steve Lehman Quintet, the Jaimie Branch Trio and the Mary Halvorson Trio and a preview of many unexpected collaborations to come under the ANW banner, including a performance by Arkestra leader Marshall Allen playing a tightrope-walking duo with drum extremist Weasel Walter.
Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog made its Philadelphia debut with a raucous and cutting blend of jazz, punk rock and acerbic politics.
Other season highlights include:
- Misha Mengelberg
- John Tchicai
- Satoko Fuji
- Sonny Simmons/Bobby Few
- Kieran Hebden + Steve Reid
ANW presents Free/Form: Composer Portraits, a six-concert series featuring the music of trumpeter Don Cherry and saxophonist Tim Berne. The festival includes performances by the Ken Vandermark Large Ensemble; vibraphonist and Creative Music Studio co-founder Karl Berger‘s “In the Spirit of Don Cherry”; Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra; Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy; the Collide Quartet; Philadelphia-based pianist and 2012 Pew Fellow Matt Mitchell; the collaborative trio Fieldwork made up of Steve Lehman, Vijay Iyer, and Tyshawn Sorey; and Adobe Probe and Big Satan, a large ensemble and trio led by Berne.
International House and Ars Nova team up to present the Tete-a-tete concert series featuring duo meetings between Mats Gustaffson + Thurston Moore; Tony Conrad + Keiji Haino; Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) + Steve Reid; and a contentious evening with Paul Bley + Richard Poole
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society is featured on Philly PBS station WHYY’s On Tour series broadcasting notable local performances.
An off-kilter duo outing by ICP Orchestra madman/drummer Han Bennick and Sun Ra Arkestra leader/saxophonist Marshall Allen is presented.
Bobby Zankel and the Warriors of the Wonderful Sound Big Band Composer Portrait: Julius Hemphill is featured in AllAboutJazz.
OffOnOff w/ Terrie Ex Dutch punk and European jazz meet on uncompromising terms as The Ex guitarist Terrie Ex teams with Italian bassist Massimo Pupillo of Zu and Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love.
Philadelphia native, drummer and former John Coltrane collaborator Rashied Ali plays his final performance in his home city at an ANW show. He passes away that August at 76.
ANW presents the concert series Anti-Jazz: The New Thing Revisited featuring the Art Ensemble of Chicago; Circulasione Totale Orchestra; Sun Ra Arkestra; and Bill Dixon in collaboration with Rob Mazurek’s Exploding Star Orchestra in what turned out to be Dixon’s final performance.
Karl Berger’s In the Spirit of Don Cherry celebrates the life and work of the legendary trumpeter and world music pioneer Don Cherry, led by the pianist and vibraphonist who co-founded the CReative Music Studio in Woodstock, New York, a breeding ground for fetterless sonic exploration.
Two Philadelphia natives and Free Jazz pioneers join forces as pianist Dave Burrell joins saxophonist Giuseppi Logan, who had recently reappeared on the scene after vanishing for more than three decades.
In 2011, ANW presents the six-concert Great Black Music series, featuring concerts by early AACM members and champions of the avant-garde. Named for the AACM’s motto – “Great Black Music, Ancient to the Future” – the series includes performances by Henry Threadgill & Zooid; Fieldwork; an evening of chamber works by Roscoe Mitchell; and Amina Claudine Myers.
ANW also presents Instant Composers Pool Orchestra featuring founding members Misha Mengelberg and Han Bennink for a three-night residency at Christ Church Neighborhood House.
ANW convenes Han Bennick & Peter Brotzmann along with an international group of contemporary art curators to develop the framework for Drawings, Paintings & Objects at Vox Populi. The exhibition displays the visual art practices of these two prolific European improvising musicians.
Two veteran practitioners of exploratory, era-defying jazz from separate contents meet as pianist Dave Burrell plays duo with drummer Han Bennink.
Our dedication to the long-flourishing Chicago scene continues with a 40th anniversary celebration for Kahil El-Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble and a concert by the audacious Chicago Underground Duo.
Trumpeter/composer Amir ElSaffar draws on the musical traditions of his Iraqi heritage in his Two Rivers Ensemble.
Philadelphia debut of Nate Wooley Quintet Alpha, the experimental trumpeter’s band featuring musicians at the forefront of the Brooklyn jazz scene.
As part of the Hidden City Festival, ANW presents irrepressible composer John Zorn’s Book of Angels at the historic Shivtei Yeshuron-Ezras Israel row house synagogue in 2013.
Ars Nova premiers the New Paths Festival, featuring site-specific performances including Milford Graves at Bartram’s Garden; Peter Brotzmann at the German Society of Pennsylvania; John Zorn’s Hermetic Organ at Girard College; Mats Gustafsson at the American Swedish Museum; and Ken Vandermark’s Made to Break at the Barnes Foundation.
The New York Times praises ANW’s “textbook embodiment” of a “more site-specific and curatorial” approach to music presentation in the New Paths Festival.
One of Philly’s favorite sons and youngest member of the Heath Brothers dynasty, drummer Tootie Heath plays a swinging homecoming show with pianist Ethan Iverson and bassist Ben Street.
Members of Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber collaborate with iconic filmmaker and musician Melvin Van Peebles wid Laxative.
A world-class quintet led by saxophonist Bobby Zankel celebrates Cecil Taylor’s 85th Birthday, including Dave Burrell, Henry Grimes, William Parker and Andrew Cyrille.
Experimental folk-jazz excursions as singer-songwriter Sam Amidon teams with Bill Frissell and Shahzad Ismaily.
ANW celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the influential Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) with a performance by trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith’s Golden Quartet.
Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Guitar Orchestra convenes a remarkable all-star ensemble of six-string innovators under the improvisatory baton of percussionist Adam Rudolph. Includes Nels Cline, Miles Okazaki, Liberty Ellman, Brandon Ross, Kenny Wessel, Joel Harrison and others.
In 2016, Ars Nova Workshop, in association with The Barnes Foundation, curates Room 21, a musical performance piece by composer Jace Clayton for the opening night of the 2016 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. A site-specific performance, composed and choreographed by Clayton responses to the art and objects in the Barnes Collection, specifically “room 21” as well as Dr. Albert C. Barnes’s own vinyl collection.
Presentations with Bartram’s Garden explore the relationship of creative music and the natural world, including a world premiere by Billy Martin inspired by William Bartram’s writings.
ANW presents “Endless Shout,” a series of performances in conjunction with The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music, 1965 to Now at the ICA, a stunning exhibition linking the vibrant legacy of avant-garde jazz within the African American arts scene on the South Side of the Chicago, particularly the innovations of the AACM, with today’s contemporary art and culture. The series features encounters and improvisation experiments by Raul de Nieves, Danielle Goldman, George Lewis, The Otolith Group, and Taisha Paggett.
Trombonist, composer and AACM chronicler George Lewis presents his “Calder” at the ICA, written in tribute to American sculptor Alexander Calder.
Pianist Vijay Iyer + spoken word artist Mike Ladd perform “Holding It Down: The Veterans Dreams Project” at the Kimmel Center, dramatizing the dreams and nightmares of veterans of American wars.
In 2017, Ars Nova Workshop debuts The October Revolution, a multi-day festival aimed in the presentation of the jazz and contemporary music the organization has long supported. Described by The New York Times as “pulling together various strands of American experimentalism that have blossomed in micro-scenes across the country,” the inaugural edition features The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Moor Mother, Zeena Parkins + Brian Chase Duo, and consistent collaborators like the Sun Ra Arkestra, Anthony Braxton and Claire Chase.
The season brings Suzanne Ciani, Kamasi Washington, The Necks and Wadada Leo Smith to Ars Nova stages, as well as a 65th birthday celebration for bassist William Parker.
Union Transfer hosts the world premiere of the ANW-commissioned Lovers (for Philadelphia) by Nels Cline, a City of Brotherly Love-tailored twist onthe “quietly ravishing” (New York Times) album Lovers, released by Blue Note Records. Cline’s compendium of “mood music” (employing the broadest of possible definitions) is updated using solely Philly-associated composers, including McCoy Tyner, Byard Lancaster, The Delfonics, Paul Motian, Benny Golson and others. The performance is captured and broadcast by NPR’s Jazz Night in America and accompanied by the publication of a catalog with new essays edited by Sun Ra biographer John Szwed.
ANW proudly presents the second annual October Revolution festival, featuring performances by Annette Peacock; Laraaji; Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids; and more.
A Memorial Concert for influential drummer and Philadelphia native Sunny Murray features performances and tributes by Khan Jamal, Henry Grimes, Odean Pope, Dave Burrell, Bobby Zankel, Monnette Sudler, Elliott Levin and others is presented.
This season also includes concerts by Jeff Parker’s The New Breed; International Contemporary Ensemble; Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones; and the Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit.
The October Revolution festival returns with performances by Fred Frith Trio; Roscoe Mitchell & Moor Mother Duo; Makaya McCraven; Go: Organic Orchestra & Brooklyn Raga Massive; and more
Dave Burrell is the recipient of the inaugural Nova Award, ANW’s annual presentation honoring the legends of this music.
In conjunction with the ICA’s Introducing Tony Conrad: A Retrospective, ANW presents Dreamweapons, a series of live performances celebrating the multivalent influences of Tony Conrad. The retrospective was the first large-scale museum survey devoted entirely to Conrad, a central figure in numerous experimental film, music, and performance communities from the early 1960s until his death in 2016.
ANW hosts performances by innovative artists from the new music, minimalism, ambient and electronica realms, including Charlemagne Palestine, Sarah Davachi, and the trio of YoshimiO, Susie Ibarra, and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe.
Lea Bertucci premieres her ANW-commissioned piece Of Shadow and Substance in response to the 2019 Philadelphia oil refinery explosion.
In a landmark achievement, Ars Nova Workshop continues its collaboration with the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Philadelphia to present Milford Graves: A Mind-Body Deal in 2020. ANW’s first major museum exhibition is a retrospective of the American polymath and is accompanied by a catalog co-published by Inventory Press; a series of virtual conversations featuring Graves during the final months of his life; and an in-gallery solo performance by Jason Moran.
A Philadelphia summit meeting also took place this year featuring bassist Christian McBride in collaboration with celebrated Black Arts Movement poet Sonia Sanchez.
In March, guitarist Jeff Parker and The New Breed perform to a packed house at Johnny Brenda’s. A vibrant highlight of the season, and unbeknownst to all, this would become the final ANW performance for over a year. Just two days later, a scheduled concert by Tim Berne’s Snakeoil at the same venue is canceled, signaling the onset of the lockdown era. This marked a profound shift, as ANW pivoted to navigate the unprecedented challenges of a global shutdown.
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Ars Nova Workshop partners with The Woodlands to present New Grass, a series of outdoor concerts held in the historic Victorian cemetery and garden. Highlights include new music choir The Crossing with Matana Roberts in an immersive walkthrough performance; an intergenerational meeting between saxophonists Immanuel Wilkins and Odean Pope with drummer Chad Taylor; and a symposium on the life and work of John Coltrane.
Embracing virtual programming, Indie rock icons and longtime Sun Ra Arkestra collaborators Yo La Tengo perform Ra’s “We Travel the Spaceways” for ANW’s virtual fundraiser.
The annual Nova Award is presented to Marshall Allen, honoring the legendary saxophonist’s extraordinary contributions to music and his ongoing leadership of the Sun Ra Arkestra.
Solar Myth opens. ANW’s first permanent home after 23 years of nomadic concerts creates a thriving hub for the city’s creative music scene.
The Immanuel Wilkins Quartet celebrates the release of The 7th Hand, the band’s acclaimed sophomore release for Blue Note Records, at PhilaMOCA. The performance is broadcasted by NPR’s Jazz Night in America.
Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons, an all-star band of improvisers led by the indefatigable saxophonist and bandleader of the Sun Ra Arkestra, debuts at Solar Myth. In the months leading up to his 100th birthday in 2024, Allen will lead several iterations of the band with special guests including Immanuel Wilkins, James Brandon Lewis, William Parker, Eric Revis, Wolf Eyes, and members of Yo La Tengo, The War on Drugs, and Irreversible Entanglements.
Grammy-winning bassist Anthony Tidd reunites his ensemble Quite Sane, hailed by JazzTimes as a “sublime melange of rap, jazz and R&B,” celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band’s groundbreaking debut album.
Scintillating meetings of artists from a wide swath of the creative music world, including the trios of Ambrose Akinmusire, Kris Davis and Gerald Cleaver, and Craig Taborn, Ches Smith and Mette Rasmussen.
Acclaimed trumpeter Jaimie Branch makes her final Philadelphia appearance prior to her tragic death for a captivating performance by her band Fly or Die hosted by ANW at the RUBA Club.
We present a residency by the mesmerizing Chicago trio Bitchin Bajas.
Monette Sudler is the recipient of the annual Nova Award.
In Solar Myth’s first full year of operation, ANW quadruples the number of live concerts it presents each year.
Harmolodic blues guitar master James Blood Harper, Richmond-based cosmic Afro-funk ensemble Plunky & Oneness of Juju and spiritual jazz pioneer Billy Harper join us.
ANW hosts a three-night residency featuring Fieldwork, the collective trio featuring widely celebrated composer-performers Vijay Iyer, Steve Lehman and Tyshawn Sorey, reuniting after nearly a decade.
Programming also includes pianist Orrin Evans’ Trio with greats Robert Hurst and Marvin “Smitty” Smith; the explosive trio of guitarists Steve Gunn and Bill Nace and percussionist John Truscinski, soon to be formalized as Glass Trio; laouto/drum duo Xylouris White bridging ancient Cretan music and contemporary sounds; and Hamid Drake’s Turiyaa, paying homage to the iconic Alice Coltrane.
Marshall Allen’s eclectic Ghost Horizons series continues, including collaborations with Chad Taylor, Mikel Patrick Avery, Eric Revis, Immanuel Wilkins, and Brian Marsella.
Odean Pope is the recipient of the annual Nova Award.
The ANW stage at Winter Jazzfest in NYC features performances from Ursula Rucker, Anthony Tidd, Charlie Hall, Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons, and more. New York Times remarks, “There was a roar of hopeful assent from a crowd hungry for a message that could meet this political moment.”
Commissioned by Ars Nova, guitarist-composer Nels Cline premieres a body of work for his new Consentrik Quartet.
Milford Graves: A Mind-Body Deal visits Bennington College’s Usdan Gallery and features performances from Jason Moran, William Parker, and others.
Residencies include Shabaka, Makaya McCraven, William Parker’s In Order to Survive, and The Bad Plus.
With Bartram’s Garden and Spirits Up!, ANW presents Another Space, Another Time, establishes an ongoing and free space for mindfulness.
Philadelphia debuts of rising stars Isaiah Collier, Andre 3000-collaborator Surya Botofasina, and Brandon Woody, now signed to Blue Note Records, visits ANW stages.
Sun Ra Arkestra’s Marshall Allen celebrates his 100th birthday with a capacity crowd at Union Transfer as well as many other living legends: Azar Lawrence, Doug Carn, Billy Harper, and David Murray.
The New School Collective series debuts with a sold-out Kamasi Washington show. Focusing on emerging Philadelphia talent curated by Philadelphia keyboardist Kayla Childs aka Black Buttafly, performances include Nazir Ebo and Immanuel Wilkins and more.
ANW launches Ad Hoc: Why Improvisation Matters, a new podcast series on the power improvisation and featuring Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, Olympic gold medalist Bob Beamon, medical researcher Dr. Charles Limb, composer and drummer Susie Ibarra, and more.
Philadelphia premieres of recent works from Kris Davis, Anna Meredith, Laurie Spiegel’s seminal Expanding Universe, Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble’s Suite grace ANW stages.
Lovett Hines is the recipient of the annual Nova Award.
Ars Nova Workshop is more than a presenting platform—it is a site of deep engagement where artists join a network of thinkers, makers, and listeners who recognize the power of fugitive spaces in sustaining artistic and communal life. Through major festivals, traveling exhibitions, archival recordings, and publishing, we preserve and extend the legacies of avant-garde and improvisational traditions, as seen in recent projects featuring Marshall Allen and Muhal Richard Abrams. Our commitment to improvisation is not just thematic; it is foundational to our practice, shaping commissions, site-specific events, residencies, estate work, wellness activities, and podcasts that explore the radical potential of creative music. It also drives our facilitation of visual and compositional commissions and site-specific performances that engage architecture, history, and social meaning. By embedding improvisation into our organizational structure and artistic processes, ANW creates an immersive, multidisciplinary environment that fosters bravery in creation, making each artist’s engagement with us a unique, evolving dialogue.
Ars Nova Workshop emerges to fill a void in creative music presentation in Philadelphia with a now-legendary Wednesday night series at Plays and Players Theatre. That initial one-year experiment has grown and evolved into a remarkable quarter century of innovation and inspiration.
Chris Speed’s YEAH NO plays ANW’s first-ever concert. Speed has returned to perform for ANW many times in the ensuing years, most recently as a member of the acclaimed trio-turned-quartet The Bad Plus.
With the Free Jazz movement as a foundational focus of Ars Nova Workshop, this inaugural year hosts extraordinary performances from some of the music’s greatest practitioners, spanning generations and backgrounds.
Highlights include:
Khan Jamal / Matthew Shipp / Odean Pope Trio
Sunny Murray
Joe Maneri & Mat Maneri
William Parker & Rob Brown
Sabir MateenJoe Morris Trio
Sun Ra Arkestra bandleader Marshall Allen, then at 76, performs a duo with bassist Alan Silva, marking the beginning of one of ANW’s most fruitful artistic relationships.
A performance by Chicago’s Vandermark 5, launched an ongoing relationship with Chicago’s vibrant scene by bringing a steady stream of artists to venues in Philadelphia.
ANW partners with Baltimore’s High Zero Preparation Festival, hosting a mini-festival featuring artists from along the I-95 corridor. Fostering excitement and cross-promotional opportunities for both organizations, this mini-festival was the earliest of many efforts to connect with other like-minded communities in support of the music.
Finally, lending support to Philadelphia saxophonist Daniel Peterson’s Collective Voices Festival, ANW begins another longstanding partnership to spotlight the city’s rich local talent in improvised music.
ANW proudly presents Philadelphia avant-jazz legend Byard Lancaster with his ensemble The Sounds of Newest Africa, while continuing support for Daniel Peterson’s Collective Voices Festival in its second and third years.
Foundational figures from the Free Jazz, loft and Downtown scenes join ANW for must-see concerts, including the Marshall Allen Ensemble, Roy Campbell Quartet, and the Jameel Moondoc VTet.
In 2002, Tim Berne’s Hard Cell joins us, an incredible trio with keyboardist Craig Taborn and drummer Tom Rainey. The irreverent saxophonist, a linchpin of the NYC Downtown scene, would go on to become a favorite of the organization.
Legendary pianist Dave Burrell leads his Full Blown Trio with bassist William Parker and drummer Andrew Cyrille. The concerts became the basis for the High Two Recordings release Expansion, leading to a burst of newfound recognition and a career renaissance for Burrell.
A new multimedia initiative with the Jump Arts American Road Project brings together musicians, poets, painters, and over a dozen dancers, celebrating and embodying the interdisciplinary creativity at the heart of the NYC Downtown scene.
The meeting of musicians from the Chicago and European avant-jazz scenes continue with a special performance by saxophonist Peter Brötzmann and legendary drummer Walter Perkins.
ANW continues to provide a platform for exploratory new bands including Ralph Alessi & Modular Theater and Jim Black’s Alasnoaxis.
ANW continues its support of saxophonist Daniel Peterson’s Collective Voices Festival for its fourth incarnation in 2003.
The influence and reimagining of one generation of groundbreakers on the next is evidenced by the Philadelphia debut of the Die Like a Dog Trio, saxophonist Peter Brötzmann’s tribute to the late, iconic Albert Ayler featuring bassist William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake.
One of the music’s most revered bassists returns to Philadelphia as ANW presents the Dave Holland Quintet, led by the British-born Holland, whose work extends from Miles Davis’ electric bands to the all-star quartet Circle, to essential collaborations with Anthony Braxton and Joe Henderson, to his own brilliant ensembles, many of which helped introduce new generations of jazz stars.
Tim Berne returns to Philly and ANW with the much-anticipated reunion of his trio Big Satan, featuring drummer Tom Rainey and guitarist Marc Ducret.
In 2004, pianist Dave Burrell performs in two distinct trios: once again leading his Full-Blown Trio with bassist William Parker and drummer Andrew Cyrille, while his eponymous Dave Burrell Trio, inspired by African traditions, features belaphon player Abayomi Awodesu and percussionist Juju Jones.
Veteran bassist Mark Helias, known for his associations with giants like Anthony Braxton, Dewey Redman, Abbey Lincoln and Cecil Taylor, appears with his working trio Open Loose, a superb band featuring drummer Tom Rainey and saxophonist Tony Malaby.
ANW hosts the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet, uniting leading figures from the European and Chicago free-music scenes for a raucous improvisatory meeting.
Roscoe Mitchell and Anthony Braxton, two foundational members of Chicago’s influential Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, perform. The AACM’s ongoing efforts to encourage and promote groundbreaking composers free of stylistic labels or obstacles to free-ranging imagination becomes a key influence on the Ars Nova ethos.
Audiences are treated to saxophonist Mats Gustafsson’s blistering trio The Thing and Stephen O’Malley and electronic music composer Peter Rehberg’s duo.
Legendary Free Jazz drummer Sunny Murray returns to Philadelphia to lead a new incarnation of the large ensemble that he founded in the early ‘70s while living in the city, the Untouchable Factor.
Trailblazing cornetists Taylor Ho Bynum and Rob Mazurek perform as well as Chris Speed’s drummer-less, all-clarinet trio featuring Oscar Noriega and Anthony Burr, aptly named The Clarinets.
A rare appearance by the FAB Trio, the longstanding collective group formed by violinist Billy Bang, bassist Joe Fonda and drummer Barry Altschul joins us.
2006 was a great year for fans of innovative drumming, as the ANW calendar included stops by Good For Cows, the corrosive duo of Ches Smith and bassist Devra Hoff; Jim Black returned as part of saxophonist Ellery Eskelin’s venturesome trio also featuring accordionist Andrea Parkins; and the always masterful Peter Brotzmann paired up with the eccentric ICP Orchestra drummer Han Bennick.
ANW presents breathtaking solo performance by Cecil Taylor at International House this year.
Ars Nova debuts the SoundExchange_2007 series, featuring a landmark performance of Horns of Hathor with legendary figures Roscoe Mitchell, tabla master Samir Chatterjee, and Deep Listening pioneer Pauline Oliveros.
In partnership with International House, ANW co-presents Seraphic Light, a tribute to saxophone titan John Coltrane on his 80th birthday. The series includes performances by Coltrane’s collaborators and spiritual successors, including:
- The Philadelphia Four, a supergroup featuring Dave Burrell, Reggie Workman, Muhammad Ali, and Rashied Ali
- The David S. Ware Unit
- ROVA: Orkestrova = Electric Ascension
- Cecil Taylor, in what would become the iconic pianist’s final Philadelphia performance before his passing in 2018
The Instant Composers Pool Orchestra, a Dutch collective delivers a standout performance, blending madcap improvisation with Dadaist theatrical elements.
ANW deepens its partnership with the AACM with a performance by saxophonist/composer Matana Roberts’ Coin Coin exploring her family history and heritage.
Other notable performances include:
- Nels Cline / Toshi Makihara
- Rudresh Mahanthappa Quartet
- Marilyn Crispell / Mark Helias / Andrew Cyrille Trio
- Moppa Elliot’s Mostly Other People Do the Killing
- Fred Hersch Trio +2
- Kidd Jordan Trio
ANW presents the Radical Jewish Music Festival featuring performances by several ensembles playing the music of John Zorn, including Masada Guitars, The Dreamers, Essential Cinema, Electric Masada, and others. The festival includes concerts by Philadelphia trombonist and klezmer innovator Daniel Blacksberg, Jerusalem-born vocalist Ayelet Rose Gottlieb, and more.
A formative group for many ANW listeners, Tim Berne’s Bloodcount reunites for a blistering concert at International House.
Bassist William Parker, an icon of the NYC avant-garde, reveals his R&B influence with his soulful project exploring the Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield.
2008 brings shows by the Steve Lehman Quintet, the Jaimie Branch Trio and the Mary Halvorson Trio and a preview of many unexpected collaborations to come under the ANW banner, including a performance by Arkestra leader Marshall Allen playing a tightrope-walking duo with drum extremist Weasel Walter.
Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog made its Philadelphia debut with a raucous and cutting blend of jazz, punk rock and acerbic politics.
Other season highlights include:
- Misha Mengelberg
- John Tchicai
- Satoko Fuji
- Sonny Simmons/Bobby Few
- Kieran Hebden + Steve Reid
ANW presents Free/Form: Composer Portraits, a six-concert series featuring the music of trumpeter Don Cherry and saxophonist Tim Berne. The festival includes performances by the Ken Vandermark Large Ensemble; vibraphonist and Creative Music Studio co-founder Karl Berger‘s “In the Spirit of Don Cherry”; Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra; Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy; the Collide Quartet; Philadelphia-based pianist and 2012 Pew Fellow Matt Mitchell; the collaborative trio Fieldwork made up of Steve Lehman, Vijay Iyer, and Tyshawn Sorey; and Adobe Probe and Big Satan, a large ensemble and trio led by Berne.
International House and Ars Nova team up to present the Tete-a-tete concert series featuring duo meetings between Mats Gustaffson + Thurston Moore; Tony Conrad + Keiji Haino; Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) + Steve Reid; and a contentious evening with Paul Bley + Richard Poole
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society is featured on Philly PBS station WHYY’s On Tour series broadcasting notable local performances.
An off-kilter duo outing by ICP Orchestra madman/drummer Han Bennick and Sun Ra Arkestra leader/saxophonist Marshall Allen is presented.
Bobby Zankel and the Warriors of the Wonderful Sound Big Band Composer Portrait: Julius Hemphill is featured in AllAboutJazz.
OffOnOff w/ Terrie Ex Dutch punk and European jazz meet on uncompromising terms as The Ex guitarist Terrie Ex teams with Italian bassist Massimo Pupillo of Zu and Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love.
Philadelphia native, drummer and former John Coltrane collaborator Rashied Ali plays his final performance in his home city at an ANW show. He passes away that August at 76.
ANW presents the concert series Anti-Jazz: The New Thing Revisited featuring the Art Ensemble of Chicago; Circulasione Totale Orchestra; Sun Ra Arkestra; and Bill Dixon in collaboration with Rob Mazurek’s Exploding Star Orchestra in what turned out to be Dixon’s final performance.
Karl Berger’s In the Spirit of Don Cherry celebrates the life and work of the legendary trumpeter and world music pioneer Don Cherry, led by the pianist and vibraphonist who co-founded the CReative Music Studio in Woodstock, New York, a breeding ground for fetterless sonic exploration.
Two Philadelphia natives and Free Jazz pioneers join forces as pianist Dave Burrell joins saxophonist Giuseppi Logan, who had recently reappeared on the scene after vanishing for more than three decades.
In 2011, ANW presents the six-concert Great Black Music series, featuring concerts by early AACM members and champions of the avant-garde. Named for the AACM’s motto – “Great Black Music, Ancient to the Future” – the series includes performances by Henry Threadgill & Zooid; Fieldwork; an evening of chamber works by Roscoe Mitchell; and Amina Claudine Myers.
ANW also presents Instant Composers Pool Orchestra featuring founding members Misha Mengelberg and Han Bennink for a three-night residency at Christ Church Neighborhood House.
ANW convenes Han Bennick & Peter Brotzmann along with an international group of contemporary art curators to develop the framework for Drawings, Paintings & Objects at Vox Populi. The exhibition displays the visual art practices of these two prolific European improvising musicians.
Two veteran practitioners of exploratory, era-defying jazz from separate contents meet as pianist Dave Burrell plays duo with drummer Han Bennink.
Our dedication to the long-flourishing Chicago scene continues with a 40th anniversary celebration for Kahil El-Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble and a concert by the audacious Chicago Underground Duo.
Trumpeter/composer Amir ElSaffar draws on the musical traditions of his Iraqi heritage in his Two Rivers Ensemble.
Philadelphia debut of Nate Wooley Quintet Alpha, the experimental trumpeter’s band featuring musicians at the forefront of the Brooklyn jazz scene.
As part of the Hidden City Festival, ANW presents irrepressible composer John Zorn’s Book of Angels at the historic Shivtei Yeshuron-Ezras Israel row house synagogue in 2013.
Ars Nova premiers the New Paths Festival, featuring site-specific performances including Milford Graves at Bartram’s Garden; Peter Brotzmann at the German Society of Pennsylvania; John Zorn’s Hermetic Organ at Girard College; Mats Gustafsson at the American Swedish Museum; and Ken Vandermark’s Made to Break at the Barnes Foundation.
The New York Times praises ANW’s “textbook embodiment” of a “more site-specific and curatorial” approach to music presentation in the New Paths Festival.
One of Philly’s favorite sons and youngest member of the Heath Brothers dynasty, drummer Tootie Heath plays a swinging homecoming show with pianist Ethan Iverson and bassist Ben Street.
Members of Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber collaborate with iconic filmmaker and musician Melvin Van Peebles wid Laxative.
A world-class quintet led by saxophonist Bobby Zankel celebrates Cecil Taylor’s 85th Birthday, including Dave Burrell, Henry Grimes, William Parker and Andrew Cyrille.
Experimental folk-jazz excursions as singer-songwriter Sam Amidon teams with Bill Frissell and Shahzad Ismaily.
ANW celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the influential Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) with a performance by trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith’s Golden Quartet.
Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Guitar Orchestra convenes a remarkable all-star ensemble of six-string innovators under the improvisatory baton of percussionist Adam Rudolph. Includes Nels Cline, Miles Okazaki, Liberty Ellman, Brandon Ross, Kenny Wessel, Joel Harrison and others.
In 2016, Ars Nova Workshop, in association with The Barnes Foundation, curates Room 21, a musical performance piece by composer Jace Clayton for the opening night of the 2016 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. A site-specific performance, composed and choreographed by Clayton responses to the art and objects in the Barnes Collection, specifically “room 21” as well as Dr. Albert C. Barnes’s own vinyl collection.
Presentations with Bartram’s Garden explore the relationship of creative music and the natural world, including a world premiere by Billy Martin inspired by William Bartram’s writings.
ANW presents “Endless Shout,” a series of performances in conjunction with The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music, 1965 to Now at the ICA, a stunning exhibition linking the vibrant legacy of avant-garde jazz within the African American arts scene on the South Side of the Chicago, particularly the innovations of the AACM, with today’s contemporary art and culture. The series features encounters and improvisation experiments by Raul de Nieves, Danielle Goldman, George Lewis, The Otolith Group, and Taisha Paggett.
Trombonist, composer and AACM chronicler George Lewis presents his “Calder” at the ICA, written in tribute to American sculptor Alexander Calder.
Pianist Vijay Iyer + spoken word artist Mike Ladd perform “Holding It Down: The Veterans Dreams Project” at the Kimmel Center, dramatizing the dreams and nightmares of veterans of American wars.
In 2017, Ars Nova Workshop debuts The October Revolution, a multi-day festival aimed in the presentation of the jazz and contemporary music the organization has long supported. Described by The New York Times as “pulling together various strands of American experimentalism that have blossomed in micro-scenes across the country,” the inaugural edition features The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Moor Mother, Zeena Parkins + Brian Chase Duo, and consistent collaborators like the Sun Ra Arkestra, Anthony Braxton and Claire Chase.
The season brings Suzanne Ciani, Kamasi Washington, The Necks and Wadada Leo Smith to Ars Nova stages, as well as a 65th birthday celebration for bassist William Parker.
Union Transfer hosts the world premiere of the ANW-commissioned Lovers (for Philadelphia) by Nels Cline, a City of Brotherly Love-tailored twist onthe “quietly ravishing” (New York Times) album Lovers, released by Blue Note Records. Cline’s compendium of “mood music” (employing the broadest of possible definitions) is updated using solely Philly-associated composers, including McCoy Tyner, Byard Lancaster, The Delfonics, Paul Motian, Benny Golson and others. The performance is captured and broadcast by NPR’s Jazz Night in America and accompanied by the publication of a catalog with new essays edited by Sun Ra biographer John Szwed.
ANW proudly presents the second annual October Revolution festival, featuring performances by Annette Peacock; Laraaji; Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids; and more.
A Memorial Concert for influential drummer and Philadelphia native Sunny Murray features performances and tributes by Khan Jamal, Henry Grimes, Odean Pope, Dave Burrell, Bobby Zankel, Monnette Sudler, Elliott Levin and others is presented.
This season also includes concerts by Jeff Parker’s The New Breed; International Contemporary Ensemble; Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones; and the Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit.
The October Revolution festival returns with performances by Fred Frith Trio; Roscoe Mitchell & Moor Mother Duo; Makaya McCraven; Go: Organic Orchestra & Brooklyn Raga Massive; and more
Dave Burrell is the recipient of the inaugural Nova Award, ANW’s annual presentation honoring the legends of this music.
In conjunction with the ICA’s Introducing Tony Conrad: A Retrospective, ANW presents Dreamweapons, a series of live performances celebrating the multivalent influences of Tony Conrad. The retrospective was the first large-scale museum survey devoted entirely to Conrad, a central figure in numerous experimental film, music, and performance communities from the early 1960s until his death in 2016.
ANW hosts performances by innovative artists from the new music, minimalism, ambient and electronica realms, including Charlemagne Palestine, Sarah Davachi, and the trio of YoshimiO, Susie Ibarra, and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe.
Lea Bertucci premieres her ANW-commissioned piece Of Shadow and Substance in response to the 2019 Philadelphia oil refinery explosion.
In a landmark achievement, Ars Nova Workshop continues its collaboration with the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Philadelphia to present Milford Graves: A Mind-Body Deal in 2020. ANW’s first major museum exhibition is a retrospective of the American polymath and is accompanied by a catalog co-published by Inventory Press; a series of virtual conversations featuring Graves during the final months of his life; and an in-gallery solo performance by Jason Moran.
A Philadelphia summit meeting also took place this year featuring bassist Christian McBride in collaboration with celebrated Black Arts Movement poet Sonia Sanchez.
In March, guitarist Jeff Parker and The New Breed perform to a packed house at Johnny Brenda’s. A vibrant highlight of the season, and unbeknownst to all, this would become the final ANW performance for over a year. Just two days later, a scheduled concert by Tim Berne’s Snakeoil at the same venue is canceled, signaling the onset of the lockdown era. This marked a profound shift, as ANW pivoted to navigate the unprecedented challenges of a global shutdown.
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Ars Nova Workshop partners with The Woodlands to present New Grass, a series of outdoor concerts held in the historic Victorian cemetery and garden. Highlights include new music choir The Crossing with Matana Roberts in an immersive walkthrough performance; an intergenerational meeting between saxophonists Immanuel Wilkins and Odean Pope with drummer Chad Taylor; and a symposium on the life and work of John Coltrane.
Embracing virtual programming, Indie rock icons and longtime Sun Ra Arkestra collaborators Yo La Tengo perform Ra’s “We Travel the Spaceways” for ANW’s virtual fundraiser.
The annual Nova Award is presented to Marshall Allen, honoring the legendary saxophonist’s extraordinary contributions to music and his ongoing leadership of the Sun Ra Arkestra.
Solar Myth opens. ANW’s first permanent home after 23 years of nomadic concerts creates a thriving hub for the city’s creative music scene.
The Immanuel Wilkins Quartet celebrates the release of The 7th Hand, the band’s acclaimed sophomore release for Blue Note Records, at PhilaMOCA. The performance is broadcasted by NPR’s Jazz Night in America.
Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons, an all-star band of improvisers led by the indefatigable saxophonist and bandleader of the Sun Ra Arkestra, debuts at Solar Myth. In the months leading up to his 100th birthday in 2024, Allen will lead several iterations of the band with special guests including Immanuel Wilkins, James Brandon Lewis, William Parker, Eric Revis, Wolf Eyes, and members of Yo La Tengo, The War on Drugs, and Irreversible Entanglements.
Grammy-winning bassist Anthony Tidd reunites his ensemble Quite Sane, hailed by JazzTimes as a “sublime melange of rap, jazz and R&B,” celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band’s groundbreaking debut album.
Scintillating meetings of artists from a wide swath of the creative music world, including the trios of Ambrose Akinmusire, Kris Davis and Gerald Cleaver, and Craig Taborn, Ches Smith and Mette Rasmussen.
Acclaimed trumpeter Jaimie Branch makes her final Philadelphia appearance prior to her tragic death for a captivating performance by her band Fly or Die hosted by ANW at the RUBA Club.
We present a residency by the mesmerizing Chicago trio Bitchin Bajas.
Monette Sudler is the recipient of the annual Nova Award.
In Solar Myth’s first full year of operation, ANW quadruples the number of live concerts it presents each year.
Harmolodic blues guitar master James Blood Harper, Richmond-based cosmic Afro-funk ensemble Plunky & Oneness of Juju and spiritual jazz pioneer Billy Harper join us.
ANW hosts a three-night residency featuring Fieldwork, the collective trio featuring widely celebrated composer-performers Vijay Iyer, Steve Lehman and Tyshawn Sorey, reuniting after nearly a decade.
Programming also includes pianist Orrin Evans’ Trio with greats Robert Hurst and Marvin “Smitty” Smith; the explosive trio of guitarists Steve Gunn and Bill Nace and percussionist John Truscinski, soon to be formalized as Glass Trio; laouto/drum duo Xylouris White bridging ancient Cretan music and contemporary sounds; and Hamid Drake’s Turiyaa, paying homage to the iconic Alice Coltrane.
Marshall Allen’s eclectic Ghost Horizons series continues, including collaborations with Chad Taylor, Mikel Patrick Avery, Eric Revis, Immanuel Wilkins, and Brian Marsella.
Odean Pope is the recipient of the annual Nova Award.
The ANW stage at Winter Jazzfest in NYC features performances from Ursula Rucker, Anthony Tidd, Charlie Hall, Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons, and more. New York Times remarks, “There was a roar of hopeful assent from a crowd hungry for a message that could meet this political moment.”
Commissioned by Ars Nova, guitarist-composer Nels Cline premieres a body of work for his new Consentrik Quartet.
Milford Graves: A Mind-Body Deal visits Bennington College’s Usdan Gallery and features performances from Jason Moran, William Parker, and others.
Residencies include Shabaka, Makaya McCraven, William Parker’s In Order to Survive, and The Bad Plus.
With Bartram’s Garden and Spirits Up!, ANW presents Another Space, Another Time, establishes an ongoing and free space for mindfulness.
Philadelphia debuts of rising stars Isaiah Collier, Andre 3000-collaborator Surya Botofasina, and Brandon Woody, now signed to Blue Note Records, visits ANW stages.
Sun Ra Arkestra’s Marshall Allen celebrates his 100th birthday with a capacity crowd at Union Transfer as well as many other living legends: Azar Lawrence, Doug Carn, Billy Harper, and David Murray.
The New School Collective series debuts with a sold-out Kamasi Washington show. Focusing on emerging Philadelphia talent curated by Philadelphia keyboardist Kayla Childs aka Black Buttafly, performances include Nazir Ebo and Immanuel Wilkins and more.
ANW launches Ad Hoc: Why Improvisation Matters, a new podcast series on the power improvisation and featuring Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, Olympic gold medalist Bob Beamon, medical researcher Dr. Charles Limb, composer and drummer Susie Ibarra, and more.
Philadelphia premieres of recent works from Kris Davis, Anna Meredith, Laurie Spiegel’s seminal Expanding Universe, Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble’s Suite grace ANW stages.
Lovett Hines is the recipient of the annual Nova Award.