Nova Linea Musica
ABOUT NOVA LINEA MUSICA
Welcome to Nova Linea Musica, where Chicago’s creative spirit meets the transformative power of new music. We exist to bring people together through the commissioning and performance of original works, created in collaboration with today’s leading composers.
In our 2025–26 season, each concert features a newly commissioned world premiere, performed by artists whose voices bring these works vividly to life.
We design our events to shorten the space between the stage and the audience, creating an atmosphere where curiosity, connection, and community flourish.
More Than a Concert Series
Nova Linea Musica is committed not only to presenting extraordinary live performances, but also to preserving the artistic voices behind them. Through high‑quality audio and video recordings, we ensure that the work of our composers and performers reaches listeners far beyond the concert hall.
These captured moments extend the life of each premiere, allowing audiences everywhere to experience the creativity and collaboration that define our community.
A Home for New Music
Our concerts take place at Chicago’s intimate Guarneri Hall and the Merit School of Music’s Gottlieb Hall—spaces known for exceptional acoustics and a welcoming atmosphere. Both venues are easily accessible by public transportation and offer nearby parking, making it simple to join us for an evening of discovery and connection.
At Merit’s Gottlieb Hall, we further our commitment to the next generation by welcoming fifty young musicians to attend select performances, offering them direct exposure to inspiring artists, new works, and the creative process behind contemporary music.
Join Us
Each Nova Linea Musica event is crafted to be immersive and inspiring.
Each concert includes a newly commissioned world premiere, giving you the opportunity to experience music that is being heard for the very first time.
Evenings begin with a 5:45 pm pre‑concert conversation with artists and composers, followed by a performance that highlights imaginative works from the mid‑20th century to today.
After the concert, we invite you to enjoy a catered reception with thoughtfully prepared cuisine and fine wine, offering time to meet the performers, the composers, and the Nova Linea Musica team. These gatherings turn each concert into a shared experience—one that feels personal, memorable, and alive.
What Audiences Are Saying
"An intimate, inspiring evening that made the music feel newly alive.”
— Audience Member
“A rare chance to be close to the artists and hear works you can’t hear anywhere else.”
— Subscriber, Chicago
“Nova Linea Musica makes contemporary music feel welcoming, personal, and deeply meaningful.”
— Featured Composer
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
Upcoming Schedule
February 25, 2026
6:30 pm
Third Coast Percussion - Sold Out
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)
April 12, 2026
7:00 pm
Rabia and Friends
Rabia & Friends brings violinist Rabia Brooke together with a rotating ensemble of close musical collaborators for an evening that blends beloved classics with vibrant new voices. This season features the NLM Piano Trio—violinist Rabia Brooke, cellist Haddon Kay, and pianist Tamila Salimdjanova—performing the second appearance of Stacy Garrop’s Under the shimmering aspens, presented just after its world premiere. The program also includes the second U.S. performance of Smooth • Pluck • Whirl by Shawn Okpebholo, performed by Rabia on solo violin. Garrop and Okpebholo are among Chicago’s leading composers, and Rabia & Friends offers a rare opportunity to hear their music up close, alongside works by the great masters, in an intimate and inspiring setting.
Featuring: NLM Piano Trio: Violinist Rabia Brooke, Cellist Haddon Kay, and Pianist Tamila Salimdjanova
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."