Dal Niente Composition Reading

Hear how new compositions are brought forth into the world by Williams composition students, faculty, and a guest ensemble whose specialty is the fostering and performing of new works.

Ensemble Dal Niente is a 20-member Chicago-based contemporary music collective that presents and performs new music in ways that redefine the listening experience and advance the art form. The programming, brought to life by a flexible repertoire-based instrumentation, seeks to challenge convention and create engaging, inspiring, and immersive experiences that connect audiences with the music of today.

The ensemble’s name, Dal Niente (“from nothing” in Italian), is a tribute to Helmut Lachenmann’s work for clarinet Dal niente (Interieur III), the courageously revolutionary style of which serves as an inspiration for its musicians. The ensemble’s name also references its humble beginnings — founded in 2004 by a group of music students at various Chicago schools, the ensemble has risen from obscurity to a position as one North America’s most prominent new music groups.