CPP students collaborate with living classical composers, develop new works, and perform repertoire of the 20th and 21st centuries with MSM’s premier contemporary ensemble, Tactus.
The Contemporary Performance Program (CPP) is a graduate program for students wishing to focus on contemporary classical music. Our students are creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial. Our alumni thrive as soloists and members of prestigious ensembles.
The Contemporary Performance Program at MSM is a vibrant community of graduate students who are passionate about the music of our time. The curriculum includes classes tailored to the specific needs of the contemporary performing musician.
The program features private instruction, group classes, composer collaborations, and groundbreaking performances with MSM’s premier contemporary ensemble, Tactus.
The intense level of collaboration and discussion among the students provides a fertile environment for experimentation and innovation.
Erin Rogers and Matt Ward serve as Co-Artistic and Administrative Advisors of the CPP Department and as Artistic Directors of its ensemble, Tactus.
10th Anniversary Alumni Showcase: Celebrating 10 years of graduates from MSM's Contemporary Performance Program
Coursework is designed to meet the unique needs of the contemporary performer. Required academic classes include Contemporary Musicianship, Contemporary Music Survey, and Advanced Practicum.
Required performance related classes include Contemporary Ensemble, Composer Workshop/Reading, Composer/Performer Project, and Performing with Electronics.
Weekly lessons provide a forum for in-depth study of classical contemporary music. Students choose electives from the wide array of advanced courses available at MSM.
Students in the Contemporary Performance Program form the core of Tactus, Manhattan School of Music’s premier contemporary ensemble. Students focus on many aspects of contemporary music study, including performance with electronics, improvisation, and overall stylistic fluency. Tactus presents 6 public concerts per year. Each of the 6 concert cycles includes rehearsals, coachings with faculty and composers, repertoire classes, and performances in one of MSM’s glorious halls.
Review of Tactus:
“The deepest, grandest noise of the musical season so far” —Alex Ross, The New Yorker
Since its inception in 2007, the MSM Contemporary Program has been a launchpad for career musicians, artists, and bandleaders in the field, resulting in exciting collaborations and successful ensembles.
Notable alumni include award-winning composer/instrumentalist Andy Akiho, pianist Vicky Chow of the Bang On a Can All-Stars. Olivia de Prato and Victor Lowrie Tafoya of Mivos Quartet, Andy Kozar and William Lang of Loadbang, Leah Asher, Marina Kifferstein, Carrie Frey and Meagan Burke of The Rhythm Method Quartet, Josh Modney and Mariel Roberts of Wet Ink Ensemble, Jeffrey Gavett and Charlotte Mundy of ekmeles plus Laura Cocks and Ellery Trafford of TAK Ensemble, Hannah Levinson of AndPlay Duo, Erika Dohi of Righteous Girls and Isabel “Izzy” Lepanto Gleicher of International Contemporary Ensemble, Ford Fourqurean of unheard-of//ensemble, Caitlin Cawley of Talujon Percussion, Kelley Barnett of Mise-en, and Yoshi Weinberg, and Stefanie Proulx of InfraSound.
“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 Academic Catalog (A plan of study may also be found at the bottom of this page.)
Co-Artistic and Administrative Advisor of the Contemporary Performance Program erogers@msmnyc.edu
Co-Artistic and Administrative Advisor of the Contemporary Performance Program mward@msmnyc.edu
NOTE: Curriculum is subject to change. In case of a discrepancy, the MSM Academic Catalog is the authoritative source of requirements. View the Academic Catalog here.
Total Program Hours: 54-57
Members of MSM's critically-praised Tactus ensemble
The first CPP performance of the 2022-23 season. 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).
Matthew Ward
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https://www.msmnyc.edu/programs/contemporary-performance/
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