CPP students work with living classical composers, develop new works, and perform 20th- and 21st-century masterpieces in the critically-acclaimed ensemble, Tactus.
An advanced graduate program at the forefront of contemporary classical music that prepares students to innovate as artists and entrepreneurs.
Voice
Strings Violin Viola Cello Double Bass
Woodwinds Flute Clarinet Oboe
Percussion
Piano
The Contemporary Performance Program (CPP) is an advanced graduate program dedicated to preparing musicians to thrive as artists working on the forefront of contemporary classical music.
The CPP season performances present highly-crafted performances of 20th- and 21st–century masterpieces. Concerts feature both newly written works and collaborations with established and emerging living composers as well as core 20th-century repertoire by composers such as Webern, Schoenberg, Ives, Varèse, Cage and Ligeti. The program collaborates regularly with MSM faculty composers and the Composition department to develop and premiere new works.
The Contemporary Performance Program is lead by Artistic Director and Chair Margaret Kampmeier.
10th Anniversary Alumni Showcase: Celebrating 10 years of graduates from MSM's Contemporary Performance Program
Coursework in the program is tailored to the needs of the contemporary performer including courses in electronic music for performers, entrepreneurship, and studio classes discussing relevant topics in modern pedagogy among many other offerings.
This new and innovative degree program features a small, personal class size, and the intense level of collaboration and discussion among the students provides a fertile environment for experimentation and the creation of new projects
CPP students form the core of the School’s resident contemporary ensemble, Tactus, playing a large variety of works written in the last 100 years. During its inaugural season, CPP students were featured in a performance by Tactus at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall. Performances in some of New York’s new music clubs are also a regular part of the schedule.
Reviews of Tactus performances
“Ambitious . . . finely polished . . . spirited” —Allan Kozinn, The New York Times
“The deepest, grandest noise of the musical season so far” —Alex Ross, The New Yorker
“Most school concerts don’t generate the sort of buzz that this one did.” —Adam Baer, The New York Sun
Andy Akiho (composer, percussion) Vicky Chow (piano) Joshua Modney (violin)
Tak (Laura Cocks, flute; Liam Kinson, clarinet; Charlotte Mundy, voice; Marina Kifferstein, violin; Ellery Trafford, percussion)
Loadbang (Carlos Cordeiro, clarinet; Andy Kozar, trumpet; Jeffrey Gavett, voice; William Lang, trombone)
Mivos Quartet (Olivia De Prato, violin; Victor Lowrie, viola; Mariel Roberts, cello)
“The deepest, grandest noise of the musical season so far” —Alex Ross, The New Yorker From a review of Tactus, the CPP Ensemble
“The deepest, grandest noise of the musical season so far”
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker
From a review of Tactus, the CPP Ensemble
Prescreening & Audition Procedures
Contemporary Performance Handbook
MSM Course Catalog (A plan of study may also be found at the bottom of this page.)
Margaret Kampmeier, Artistic Director and Chair mkampmeier@msmnyc.edu
NOTE: Curriculum is subject to change. In case of a discrepancy, the MSM Course Catalog is the authoritative source of requirements. View the Course Catalog here.
Total Program Hours: 54-57
Members of MSM's critically-praised Tactus ensemble
Ford Forqurean (clarinet) MM '18. Tactus performs multiple times throughout the academic year.
“One of the huge benefits of MSM is its location in NYC, home to the richest and most saturated scene in contemporary classic, jazz and other genres.” Carrie Frey Viola, Contemporary Performance (MM '16)
“One of the huge benefits of MSM is its location in NYC, home to the richest and most saturated scene in contemporary classic, jazz and other genres.”
Carrie Frey
Viola, Contemporary Performance (MM '16)
MSM's critically-praised Tactus ensemble following a Soundpainting performance led by CPP faculty Todd Reynolds (front, right).
Margaret Kampmeier
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https://www.msmnyc.edu/programs/contemporary-performance-2/
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