about us
The Meridian Arts Ensemble was founded in 1987 by students at Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music. Seeking a meaningful chamber music experience, the young ensemble embarked on an effort to create new works for brass quintet and to play music that was not getting the attention it deserved. In the next two years the group won four competitions, culminating in a First Prize win at the 1990 Concert Artists Guild New York Competition. In 1992, a pivotal meeting with Frank Zappa helped to focus the group’s purpose: to play great music with impeccable style and palpable excitement. Meridian’s performance resume has always been broad and inclusive: formal chamber recitals, rock/jazz clubs, private house concerts, alternative venues (before alternative was “in”), stages large and small, and schools. Countless school concerts around New York City in the early days were invaluable. Auditoriums full of 3rd and 4th graders applauding enthusiastically for the music of JS Bach, Witold Lutoslawski, and Alvin Etler was proof that no matter your audience, quality performance of quality music will surely elicit a reaction.
Meridian has commissioned new works by Milton Babbitt, Dave Ballou, Stephen Barber, Nick Didkovsky, Gerardo Ghandini, John Halle, Ed Jacobs, Ana Lara, Tania Leon, Robert Maggio, Gustavo Matamoros, Kirk Nurock, Hermeto Pascoal, Tom Pierson, Dafnis Prieto, Andrew Rindfleisch, David Sanford, Elliott Sharp, Rich Shemaria, Su Lian Tan, Britton Theurer, and Norman Yamada (this is very much a partial list). The group has also championed pre-existing works by Elliott Carter, Alvin Etler, George Lewis, Frank London, Jan Radzynski, David Sampson, Stanley Silverman, Ira Taxin, and Iannis Xenakis in performances and recordings, working with composers whenever possible. Compositions by ensemble members and our own arrangements of music by J. S Bach, Don Carlo Gesualdo, Jimi Hendrix, King Crimson, Giacomo Carissimi, Frank London, Arvo Pärt, Astor Piazzolla, Silvestre Revueltas, Igor Stravinsky, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart), Kenny Wheeler and Frank Zappa round out the MAE’s programming vision.
The Meridian Arts Ensemble has performed and taught extensively in 49 states, Europe, Asia, and Latin and South America. The group has fifteen CD recordings and one live DVD of commissions, original works, and arrangements on Channel Classics, innova, and 8bells Records.
