About

Artistic Statement

A new music ensemble for the 21st Century, the [Switch~ Ensemble] is dedicated to the creation of new works for chamber ensemble: we bring bold new acoustic, electroacoustic, and multimedia projects to life. At the core of each performance is our commitment to the total integration of technology and live musicians. We strive for compelling artistry achieved through the seamless creation, production, and execution of new music, and believe that working directly with composers—in a medium where the score is a point of departure rather than a finish line—allows for new and thrilling musical possibilities.

[Switch~] contributes to the future of the genre by strongly advocating for and commissioning the music of a new generation of emerging young composers. We have enjoyed fruitful collaborations with both emerging and established composers, with commissions and premieres of works by composers including Anna-Louise Walton, Alican Çamci, Igor Santos, Katherine Young, Stefano Gervasoni, Stefan Prins, Wojtek Blecharz, Anthony Vine, Rand Steiger, Philippe Leroux, Timothy McCormack, Tonia Ko, James Bean, Matt Sargent, Marianthi Papalexandri-Alexandri, Esaias Järnegard, Sivan Eldar, Julio Zúñiga, Zeynep Toraman, Alexander Schubert, Adrien Trybucki, Elvira Garifzyanova, Santiago Diez-Fischer, Lisa Streich, Anthony Pateras, and many others.

Recent engagements include performances and residencies at Cornell, Bard College, University of Chicago, Ithaca College, Buffalo State, UC Berkeley,  the VIPA Festival (Spain), Eastman School of Music, and Avaloch Farms Music Institute, as well as concerts at the Image/Sound Festival, San Francisco Center for New Music, MATA Interval Series, NYCEMF, Vanguard New Music Series at Kent State University, the Queens New Music Festival, the CD release of Christopher Chandler’s Smoke and Mirrors on the SEAMUS label, and more.

2019-20 season highlights include a workshop and performance at UC San Diego for a new commission by Katharina Rosenberger; the premiere of her work at the DiMenna Center in New York City; a return engagement at Eastman Audio Research Studio; and residencies with Harvard Group for New Music, Miami’s Frost School of Music, and the SPLICE Institute.

Founded in 2012 at the Eastman School of Music, the [Switch~ Ensemble] looks toward the future of contemporary music. We are dedicated to performing high-level chamber music integrated with cutting-edge technology and supporting emerging and early career composers. We are passionate about helping to build a diverse canon of 21st century works that leaves space for all voices—especially those that have historically been excluded from our field.

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Megan Arns

Production Director

Percussion

Megan Arns

Production Director

Percussion

Christopher Chandler

Finance Director, Co-Founder

Composer and Sound Engineer

Christopher Chandler

Finance Director, Co-Founder

Composer and Sound Engineer

Clay Mettens

Director of Development

Composer and Sound Engineer

Clay Mettens

Director of Development

Composer and Sound Engineer

Zach Sheets

Composer and Flutes

Zach Sheets

Composer and Flutes

Jason Thorpe Buchanan

Artistic Director, Co-Founder

Composer and Sound Engineer

Jason Thorpe Buchanan

Artistic Director, Co-Founder

Composer and Sound Engineer

Madison Greenstone

Clarinets

Madison Greenstone

Clarinets

Matt Evans

Saxophones

Matt Evans

Saxophones

Lauren Cauley

Violin

Lauren Cauley

Violin

T.J. Borden

Cello

T.J. Borden

Cello

Wei-Han Wu

Piano

Wei-Han Wu

Piano