Nova Linea Musica
Welcome to Nova Linea Musica, the latest addition to Chicago's vibrant music scene. We are dedicated to the creation, presentation, and promotion of new music. In our 2025-26 season we are commissioning works from leading composers and pairing them with exceptional performers to deliver world premieres that will resonate deeply with you, the listener. Our commitment to new music will continue as we move forward, ensuring that each performance brings fresh and exciting collaborations to the concert hall. These events seek to close the distance between artists and audiences, fostering relationships beyond the stage.
More Than Just Concerts
At Nova Linea Musica, our devotion to contemporary music goes further than live performances. Through high-quality audio and video recordings, we ensure that the voices of our composers and performers will continue to inspire, reaching music lovers everywhere. Whether you're attending in person or enjoying the performances from afar, these moments will leave a lasting impression.
The Ideal Setting
Located in the heart of Chicago's Loop, Guarneri Hall provides an intimate 60-seat performance space. This season, Nova Linea Musica's concerts will be held at this exceptional venue, just steps away from public transportation and ample parking. It offers access to an extraordinary musical experience, making it easy for you to be a part of something special.
Join Us
Discover the captivating world of classical music with Nova Linea Musica. You'll experience imaginative works from the mid-20th century onward, performed by award-winning emerging and established artists. Begin your evening with a lively pre-concert conversation (5:45 pm), intimate concert, and then enjoy a reception with delectables and fine wine (7:30 pm). During the 'Meet and Greet', you'll have the chance to mingle with composers, musicians, and the Nova Linea Musica team, making each event a truly personal and memorable one.
The Visionaries Behind Nova Linea Musica:
President and Executive Director: Michele Mohammadi
Artistic Director: Desirée Ruhstrat (Northwestern University, Lincoln Trio, BlackOak Ensemble)
Composer-in-Residence: Stacy Garrop
Graphic Designer: Mike Grittani (Grittani Creative, Ltd.)
Audio Engineer: Dan Nichols (Aphorism Studios)
Treasurer: Ramzan Dhanji
Photographer: Eric Snoza (SnoStudios)
Upcoming Schedule
February 25, 2026
6:30 pm
Third Coast Percussion
Grammy Award-winning Third Coast Percussion, praised by BBC Music Magazine for “impressively combining creative fearlessness with reverent precision,” presents The Drum Also Sings, an evening that celebrates the boundless possibilities of rhythm and sound.
The Drum Also Sings features the world premiere of an NLM-commissioned and this too, shall pass by JaRon Brown, along with premieres and recent works by today’s leading composers. The program also includes Scoundrel by Robert Dillon, Andrea Venet’s electrifying Bulldog, Ivan Trevino’s luminous Watercolor Sun, and Jessie Montgomery’s striking Study No. 1, Jlin’s driving Derivative, Alexis Lamb’s evocative Matters / Mind, which culminates in Steve Reich’s iconic Music for Pieces of Wood. Join us at the Merit School of Music’s Gottlieb Hall for a thrilling night where percussion not only pulses — it sings.
Featuring: David Skidmore, Robert Dillion, Peter Martin, and Sean Conners
March 11, 2026
6:30 pm
Beyond the Art of Measures
Nova Linea Musica’s Artist-in-Residence series continues with Beyond the Art of Measures, an evening that celebrates the artistic journey from idea to realization.
Violinist Rabia Brooke and pianist Nathaneal Canfield give the world premiere of Art Measures for Violin and Piano, a Nova Linea Musica commission by Jennifer Higdon, one of America’s most acclaimed composers and a three-time GRAMMY Award and Pulitzer Prize winner. The work traces the evolution of a creative idea—from the first spark of inspiration through the shaping and refinement of form—capturing both the mystery and physicality of the artistic process. Higdon honors the vital role performers play in bringing new music to life, measure by measure. The program also includes a meditative work by Jessie Montgomery Peace for violin and piano along with the virtuosic Anthèmes 1 Pierre Boulez.
Sam Rosenthal performs four works for viola and piano: Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel or "mirror in the mirror" which unfolds through endlessly repeated piano fragments, gently echoing the viola’s serene lines; Keoni Bolding’s Paraphrase Act II; and two pieces by GRAMMY AWARD winner Michelle Barzel Ross, including Where Things Weigh Nothing at All and a commission by Nova Linea Musica. Collaborative pianist Tamila Salimdjanova, joins both these artists in this compelling celebration of sound and creation.
Featuring: Rabia Brooke (violin), Sam Rosenthal (viola), Nathaneal Canfield (piano), and Tamila Salimdjanova (piano)
May 6, 2026
6:30 pm
“L’dor v’dor"
Nova Linea Musica proudly presents L’dor v’dor—“from generation to generation”—a moving tribute to the legacy and evolution of Jewish American composers. Soprano Arianna Zukerman, mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson, and pianist Jason Wirth come together for an evening of vocal works that reflect cultural memory, resilience, and artistic innovation. The program features music by Leonard Bernstein, Laura Kaminsky, Ricky Ian Gordon, Laura Karpman, David Leisner, and Alex Weiser, and concludes with the world premiere of a powerful new work by David Hanlon.
Featuring: Arianna Zukerman (soprano), Heather Johnson (mezzo-soprano), and Jason Wirth (piano)
We believe that new music is an essential element of a thriving world.
We believe that great music flourishes in an environment of ongoing reinvention.
We believe that emerging performers are ideal ambassadors for new music.
We believe that new music deserves exceptional performances documented on audio and video to the highest possible standards.
Press Room
Review: Nova Linea Musica Continues to Innovate in a Very Enjoyable Way
“It was very reminiscent of the way people used to play music with friends in the parlor 250 years ago.”
Press Release: Nova Linea Musica continues 2025-26 season with two dynamic concerts featuring three NLM-commissioned World Premieres in February and March
Where GRAMMY-winning visionaries bring NLM premieres to life