Boston Musica Viva

CONTACT:

353 Beacon Street
Somerville, MA 02143
617-354-6910
www.bmv.org

Lisa B. Barr, Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

Music Director Richard Pittman founded Boston Musica Viva (BMV) in 1969 as the first professional ensemble in Massachusetts devoted to music “of our time”. Their concert repertoire encompasses retrospectives of the revolutionary music of the twentieth century, including jazz, together with commissioned works for chamber ensemble, opera, music theater, and multimedia. With a budget of under $200,000 BMV gives four major performances annually, each one featuring at least one world premiere work. Celebrating their 40th season, BMV has performed more than 585 new works by 238 composers including 160 world premieres, 147 of which were written specifically for BMV. They have championed many young composers early in their careers who have later gone on to win the Pulitzer Prize in composition—e.g., John Harbison, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Joseph Schwantner, Steven Stucky, and Christopher Rouse. They have made three Californian, and eight European tours, appearing in 14 countries performing almost exclusively American repertoire written for BMV. They have been invited to give a four-day festival of American music in London at Kings Place, in March 2010 . BMV has received several first place ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming, and appeared at some of the world’s most outstanding Music Festivals: Tanglewood (3 times), Edinburgh Festival, Holland Festival, Gulbenkian Festival in Portugal, and the Settembre Musica Festival in Turin, Italy. Here is one of the most highly respected ensembles of its kind, with an international reputation for innovation and excellence—and you can have the pleasure and privilege of supporting them!

(2008: CULTURE: Arts: Performing: Music)