New Music Agency: Lincoln, NE-based ensemble. This group defined for many and redefined for many more, what a "new music" concert is. Rarely is a work over 5 years old performed here. Concerts are family-freindly, cutting-edge, and often visually interesting. I am extremely proud to have been in on the beginning of this group, though the most deserving of credit is Karen Sandene, who was involved with the genesis of the...
Third Chair Chamber Players: This is the group that made chamber music in Lincoln something to EXPORT rather than always import. Serious works, from all eras, presented in a salon-like atmosphere are now a Lincoln institution. I'm indebted to them for giving me some of my earliest important commissions, as well as my first professional concerto performance.
Birmingham Art Music Alliance: This group of composers, performers and presenters formed while I was an undergrad student and provided much-needed relevance for what I was doing. Not only has this group popularized EXTREMELY adventurous programing, they have brought a lot of attention to a city ignored by the serious music world. Though they mostly program works by Birmingham's many award-winning composers, they also provide student composers a chance to be seasoned presenters well before their degree is complete. What a welcome change from the days of a student's first (and probably last) performance being their senior recital!
Sequenza21: Covers the world of new music! Well, it covers New York pretty well. A steady supply of blog-like contributions helps a lot.
J. Campbell: My favorite poet. His poems are about the only texts I will ever set without being paid very handsomely. This link is to a blog he writes about the current state of Tuscaloosa's football program. It's beautiful. Seriously, it feeds the soul.
Craig Hultgren: Possibly the hardest-working cellist in the country. Tireless activist for new music. Located in the Southeast, plays internationally. If you get a chance to see him, do. This link has a good interview with him.
Peter Vonk: Young guitarist from Nebraska. Fresh out of his undergrad studies, he has performed internationally and is teaching at the college level. Look out for this one.
Michael Patilla: Brilliant and hardworking classical guitarist. In a lot of cases, he was the first to bring my compositions to a new region.
Amalgamators: I like bluegrass and punk, and these guys do a good job of blending (amalgamating?) the two. It's rare to see a band that has Bill Monroe's "Kentucky Mandolin" and the Dead Milkmen's "If I had a Gun" on the same list. They have some originals too, though anything they cover becomes a sort of original.