Ensemble Dal Niente will visit campus Nov. 2-6 as the Department of Music's new Stucky Residency for New Music ensemble. During the residency, the acclaimed new-music collective will work closely with students and faculty on a series of collaborative composition and performance projects.
Dal Niente is dedicated to performing, developing, and championing innovative contemporary music, presenting works that range from intimate chamber pieces to large-scale experimental performances. Committed to fostering meaningful connections among composers, performers, and audiences, the ensemble elevates bold artistic voices while engaging communities in Chicago and around the world.
With a roster of 26 versatile musicians, Dal Niente explores an exceptionally wide spectrum of contemporary repertoire. Over the years, audiences have experienced everything from fully staged operas and multimedia productions to intimate solo performances, reflecting a commitment to creating imaginative, immersive encounters with art and culture.
Recognized for its artistic excellence, Dal Niente received the Fromm Music Foundation Prize in 2019 and the Kranichsteiner Musikpreis Darmstadt in 2012.
As part of their fall visit, Dal Niente will present the following events, which are free and open to the public:
On Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 7:15 p.m. in the Bethe House Common Room, the ensemble will be presenting a workshop on non-traditional notation, projecting graphic and text scores, with performance and discussion.
On Friday, Nov. 6 at 1:30 p.m. in Lincoln Hall 316, they will participate in Composers’ Forum where the ensemble presents their work and discusses their relationship with composers.
On Friday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Barnes Hall, their visit concludes with a performance featuring Anthony Cheung’s Windswept Cypresses, Kelly Sheehan’s RAM, Roscoe Mitchell’s Cards, Igor Santos’ Anima, Rebecca Saunders’ O Yes & I, Alican Camcı’s Harp Close-Up, and a work by Hilda Paredes.
Dal Niente will return to campus in the spring semester to perform premieres by Cornell graduate composers.
The Residency for New Music was created to honor the memory of beloved colleague, educator, and composer Steven Stucky and was funded through the generosity of more than 50 donors.
