Third season includes EIGHT ONE-NIGHT-ONLY CHAMBER MUSIC EXPERIENCES, each with a newly commissioned piece by an acclaimed composer, post-concert Q&A, and elegant catered reception with the artists
Season presents NINE WORLD PREMIERES of NLM-commissioned works performed by world-class performers including JACK Quartet, Borromeo Quartet, and Nois Quartet, plus a special 90th birthday celebration for revered American composer Philip Glass, and NLM’s first video project with a score by Pulitzer Prize finalist Chen Yi
CHICAGO, IL - (May 18, 2026) Nova Linea Musica (NLM), an innovative chamber music series and new-music incubator, proudly announces its 2026-27 season, taking place on select Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at its current home, Guarneri Hall, 11 E Adams St. NLM’s third season includes eight intimate chamber concerts from world-renowned soloists and ensembles, each featuring a world premiere brought to life through NLM’s robust commissioning program. By the end of the season, NLM will have commissioned and premiered 25 new works in three seasons. Each commission receives not only its live world premiere, but also a full studio recording, ensuring a permanent life beyond its debut.
NLM’s 2026-27 season explores the breadth of contemporary classical music with performances from top string quartets, such as JACK String Quartet and Borromeo String Quartet, in addition to solo performances by piano and violin, the return of Chicago’s own Nois Saxophone Quartet, and a festive 90th birthday celebration honoring revolutionary minimalist composer Philip Glass.
Augmenting each one-night-only concert experience, audiences are invited to delve further into the music with a live, post-concert Q&A with the commissioned composer, followed by an elegant, catered reception with the artists – all included in the single ticket price of $50 (with a limited number of discounted student tickets available). Tickets are now available at novalineamusica.org.
In addition to the eight concerts this season, NLM will present its first multi-media project: an innovative short film featuring My Childhood Memories an NLM commissioned world-premiere score composed by Pulitzer Prize finalist Chen Yi and performed by violinist Rabia Brooke. More information about the film will be announced later in the season.
Beyond the main concert series, Nova Linea Musica supports the next generation of composers and performers through two annual competitions. The Nova Linea Musica Score Call awards three U.S.-based composers' mentorship with renowned Chicago composer Clarice Assad, a performance of their winning work by the NLM Piano Trio, and a professional recording. The Young Artist Chamber Music Competition grants young chamber ensembles a professional recording of their winning program. Both competitions also award $4,500 in cash prizes. For more information, please visit novalineamusica.org.
"When I launched Nova Linea Musica in Chicago in 2024, the goal was simple: close the distance between artists and audiences in contemporary chamber music. Every concert this season offers three points of connection: an intimate performance at Guarneri Hall, a post-concert Q&A with the commissioned composer, and a catered reception where the audience continues the conversation with the performers and composer," said NLM Founder & Executive Director Michele Mohammadi. "Season three is the fullest realization of what we set out to build, eight ensembles and soloists at the top of the field, paired with composers at the forefront of the contemporary repertoire, from Clarice Assad and Zhou Tian to Mehmet Ali Sanlikol and Juri Seo.”
“I am incredibly proud to unveil our third season, a lineup that represents the pinnacle of chamber music today. We’ve curated eight evenings that bridge the gap between established mastery and the cutting edge. Whether it’s the visceral energy of the JACK Quartet, our celebration of Philip Glass’s 90 year with the acclaimed flutist Demarre McGill, or the intimate world premieres where the composer joins us on stage, this season is about connection. It is an honor to bring artists like Claire Huangci, Curtis Stewart, the Poiesis Quartet, Chicago’s own Nois Saxophone Quartet, and the Borromeo Quartet to our stage for what I believe is our most ambitious and vital year yet.” added NLM Artistic Director Desirée Ruhstrat.
The Nova Linea Musica 2026-27 season programming is as follows:
JACK Quartet: Sonare and Celare
World premiere by Juri Seo
September 30, 2026
Undeniably “the leading new-music foursome whose stylistic range, precision and passion have made the group one of contemporary music's indispensable ensembles” (The New York Times), the twice GRAMMY Award-nominated JACK Quartet opens NLM’s third season with a program titled after a pair of works by Turkish composer Cenk Ergün that bookend the concert: Sonare and Celare, Latin for “to sound” and “to hide.” Also included in the program are Treatise on Limited Freedoms: Future Mode I by Edinburgh-born composer and musicologist Keir GoGwilt, and Escape Rites by JACK’s own Austin Wulliman.
Rounding out the program is the world premiere of an NLM-commissioned work by Korean- American composer Juri Seo. In addition to being a professor of music at Princeton University, Seo’s honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Koussevitzky Commission from the Library of Congress, a Goddard Lieberson Fellowship and the Andrew Imbrie Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Philip Glass at 90: A Celebration – featuring Rabia Brooke (violin), Demarre McGill (flute), Desirée Ruhstrat (violin), and Wendy Sutter (cello)
World premiere to be announced
October 28, 2026
NLM Artistic Director and acclaimed violinist Desirée Ruhstrat and NLM Artist-in-Residence violinist Rabia Brooke join forces with Avery Fisher Career Grant and Sphinx Medal of Excellence awardee flutist Demarre McGill and longtime Philip Glass collaborator cellist Wendy Sutter for a celebratory birthday celebration for Philip Glass – one of the most influential American composers of the 20th and 21st centuries – who will turn 90 in January 2027. Known for his iconic minimalist style, Glass’ monumental output spans from works for solo piano and chamber ensemble to symphonies, operas, and film scores. His influence on American music cannot be overstated, and NLM joins companies across the world in celebrating Glass’ impressive career. Full programming will be announced at a later date but will include an NLM-commission from one of Glass’ proteges, as well as two of Glass’ cello suites Songs and Poems and Songs and Poems 2, which were dedicated to Sutter.
Poiesis Quartet: In The Listening
World premiere by Ivan Rodriguez
November 18, 2026
Celebrated for their 'multifaceted artistry' and 'brilliantly idiomatic' programming (The New York Times), the Poiesis Quartet won first prize and the commission prize at the 2025 Banff International String Quartet Competition, one of the most prestigious platforms for emerging quartets. In The Listening features three works commissioned through Poiesis’ own Oberlin Commissioning Project: a project that centers the voices of Queer/Trans Composers of Color including Calvin Ray Shawler’s Order, Max Lang’s commonplace little perils and Maya Irizarry Lambright’s forest of taldeni. Also on the program is Jeff Scott’s Tapestry of the Beloved Beatified and the NLM-commissioned world premiere of a work by Ivan Rodriguez. Rodriguez’s music is inspired by the human experience, social justice, and his Puerto Rican heritage. He is a recipient of ASCAP(American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers)'s prestigious Leonard Bernstein Award and the Morton Gould Young Composer Award honorable mention. He was named Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals of the Year (2021).
Nois Quartet: In Dialogue
World premiere by Clarice Assad
January 27, 2027
With more than 120 world premieres to date, Chicago’s own Nois Saxophone Quartet has had an unwavering commitment to championing new music for saxophone. First seen on the NLM stage in NLM’s debut season, Nois Quartet is the first ensemble to return to the series for a second concert. Nois’ program features all repertoire composed in the past 15 years, including Pulitzer Prize and four-time GRAMMY Award-winner Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte – which will be heard later on in the season in its original version for string quartet, giving audiences the unique opportunity to hear the same piece arranged for two different ensembles. Also on the program are three works by revered Chicago composers: Break Away by Jessie Montgomery and Game Theory by Shawn Okpebholo, alongside the NLM-commissioned world premiere of a work by Clarice Assad. Rounding out the program is Ordinary Time by Nico Muhly.
Curtis Stewart: Between Worlds
World premiere by Curtis Stewart
February 17, 2027
Praised for “combining omnivory and brilliance” (The New York Times), seven-time GRAMMY Award-nominated violinist and composer Curtis Stewart translates stories of American self-determination to the concert stage. Stewart is a rare artist who carries both a major performing career and a serious compositional practice. This program offers audiences the chance to hear not only his exemplary artistry as a performer, but also his compositional voice as he performs his NLM-commissioned world premiere work. Stewart is the Artistic Director of the American Composers Orchestra, a faculty member at The Juilliard School, and a member of the award-winning ensembles PUBLIQuartet and The Mighty Third Rail. Stewart was awarded the 2025 Sphinx Medal of Excellence and has been commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall's Play/USA, the Seattle Symphony, and many others. As a soloist, he has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the 2022 GRAMMY Awards.
Claire Huangci: What the Piano Holds
World premiere by Zhou Tian
March 17, 2027
Described as delivering masterfully interpreted performances, American pianist Claire Huangci captivates audiences with technical brilliance and stylistic certainty. Winner of the first prize and the Mozart Prize at the 2018 Concours Géza Anda, she has received accolades at the Chopin competitions in Europe and the USA, the ARD International Music Competition, and the Grand Prix of the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris Play-Direct Academy. Huangci’s program includes Etude Fantasy by Pulitzer Prize and five-time GRAMMY Award winner John Corigliano, Musica Nara by Japanese composer Minako Tokuyama, Partita-Variations from American composer George Rochberg’s post-serialism phase, and two pieces by Zhou Tian—Prelude and an NLM-commissioned work. Tian is the first Chinese-American composer to be nominated for a GRAMMY Award in the contemporary classical category. His music has been performed by the New York Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, and Yuja Wang, among many others.
NLM Piano Trio: Eternal Memories
World premiere by Stacy Garrop
April 14, 2027
NLM’s Artist in Residence program gives early-career performers the opportunity to not only perform on NLM’s mainstage performances, but also to work closely with top-tier composers, coach with NLM Artistic Director Desirée Ruhstrat, and center contemporary chamber music in their musical careers. NLM’s Piano Trio – made up of Artists in Residence - will present a concert titled Eternal Memories. Anchoring the program is an NLM-commissioned work by NLM Composer-in-Residence Stacy Garrop. One of America's most performed living composers, Garrop is a three-time Barlow Endowment commission recipient and an Aaron Copland Award winner. Her music has been commissioned and performed by the Albany Symphony, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Chicago a cappella, and many others.
Borromeo Quartet: Where We Converge
World premiere by Mehmet Ali Sanlikol
May 26, 2027
Hailed as 'simply the best' by the Boston Globe, the Borromeo Quartet has been inspiring audiences for 35 years racking up dozens of honors including the Avery Fisher Career Grant, Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award, and the Cleveland Quartet Award. The quartet recently premiered a new work by Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, the Turkish-American GRAMMY-nominated composer, jazz pianist, ethnomusicologist, and musical polymath, as commissioned by the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art, and enjoyed working with the composer so much that they will close NLM’s third season with an NLM-commissioned work by Sanlikol. The program also includes Shostakovich’s Prelude and Fugue in B-Flat Minor arranged by Nicholas Kitchen, Five Folk Songs in Counterpoint by Chicago’s own Florence Price, String Quartet No. 4, Mysterium by Pulitzer and GRAMMY Award winner Aaron Jay Kernis and Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte, which will have been performed earlier in the season in an arrangement for saxophone quartet by Nois Quartet.
About Nova Linea Musica
Nova Linea Musica is a Chicago-based contemporary classical chamber music presenter, concert series, and new music incubator that launched its debut season in 2024. Led by Artistic Director Desirée Ruhstrat—a highly sought-after chamber musician in her own right—and Founder & Executive Director Michele Mohammadi, NLM’s mission is threefold: 1) to infuse the new-music ecosystem with the resources essential to the creation and presentation of new works, 2) to close the distance between composers, performers, and listeners, and 3) to elevate Chicago’s reputation as a world-class city for new music. For more information about Nova Linea Musica, visit novalineamusica.org.
###
Photo credits: Top Row L-R JACK Quartet photo by Shervin Lainez; Curtis Stewart photo by Titilayo Ayangade; Poiesis Quartet photo by Eden Davis Middle Row L-R: Nois Quartet photo by Nick Zoulek; Claire Huangci photo by Mateusz Zahora; Borromeo Quartet photo by Jurgen Frank Bottom Row L-R: Desirée Ruhstrat courtesy of the artist; Demarre McGill photo by Carlin Ma; Wendy Sutter photo by Bill Bernstein; Rabia Brooke photo by Alexandr Karjaka.
Press Contacts: Alannah Spencer/Louise Yingduo Liu
The Silverman Group, Inc.
608-692-4778 (cell)/ 312-961-9290 (cell)
alannah@silvermangroupchicago.com/louise@silvermangroupchicago.com
