about
Ensemble Dal Niente

“Dal Niente is a model of what contemporary music needs, but seldom gets, to reach and engage a wider public.”
—John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune

Ensemble Dal Niente is a Chicago-based contemporary music ensemble dedicated to the promotion and advancement of contemporary music through concerts, commissions and educational activities. Through innovative programming, Dal Niente explores the wealth and diversity of music composed in the past century — from the European avant-garde, to American high modernism, to styles influenced by popular music and jazz.

Dal Niente was founded by composer Kirsten Broberg in 2004 at Northwestern University and has become one of the country's leading new music organizations.  Its members believe that we live in a unique and inspiring musical era and are committed to fostering a positive and vital creative interchange.  The ensemble presents the best of music being written today by established, emerging, and as-yet-undiscovered composers. It commissions new works, gives countless premieres, and champions great but neglected compositions — all in addition to regularly performing contemporary and 20th century masterpieces to bring this exceptional music to audiences.

Dal Niente understands that an essential part of a vibrant and sustainable music community is the education of young composers and performers. Partnered with local high schools, the group performs music of teenage composers, helping guide their musical development.  The ensemble also holds residencies and conducts masterclasses at colleges and universities.  Currently, Dal Diente is the ensemble-in-residence at Columbia College Chicago.

The ensemble is comprised of young artists and international virtuosos who bring challenging repertoire to life with enthusiasm and devotion.  Dal Niente includes in its ranks faculty from DePaul University; conducting staff and members of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago; former participants in the Lucerne Festival and International Ensemble Moderne Academies; and past fellows of the Aspen Music Festival's Contemporary Ensemble.  The ensemble has also collaborated with such world-class composers as Kaija Saariaho, Augusta Read Thomas, Bernard Rands, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Lee Hyla and Alvin Lucier. 

The ensemble has received significant support from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as major commissioning awards from the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University and Meet The Composer. Dal Niente also won a Kranichsteiner Stipendienpreise during the 45th Summer Course for New Music in Darmstadt, Germany, having participated in the ENSEMBLE 2010 program.

Ensemble Dal Niente is dedicated to making new music thrive and invites you to join in this mission.