New Music Concerts has been bringing the world’s most noted contemporary musical art forms to Toronto since its founding in 1971 by internationally acclaimed Canadian musicians Robert Aitken and Norma Beecroft. NMC is English Canada’s longest-running contemporary music series, with a mandate to present the most recent works of Canadian and international composers in concerts covering many styles and genres, reflecting the face of contemporary music throughout the world. Since its inception NMC has presented more than 280 concerts, commissioned more than 100 works and performed more than 550 Canadian and world premieres. New Music Concerts’ artistic policy demands extensive rehearsals for the works undertaken and the finest musicianship in the ensembles. Composers are invited to be present for the preparation of the concerts, thus assuring that performances are faithful to the composers’ intent and providing our audience a glimpse into their creative personalities.
Now celebrating its 34th year, NMC has produced or performed on nine recordings, the latest of which include the best-selling Takemitsu Chamber Music, released in 2003 on the Naxos label, and Eve Egoyan’s performance of Rudolf Komorous’ The Seven Sides of Maxine’s Silver Die with the New Music Concerts Ensemble under Robert Aitken’s direction on the CD Strange Sphereî (Artifact Music, 2004). In 2005 Naxos will release New Music Concerts’ recording of four works by the iconic American composer George Crumb.