SUPPORT DAL NIENTE'S 2008-2009 SEASON!

Dal Niente (appropriately, from nothing) is quietly building a reputation as one of Chicago’s finest chamber ensembles (Hamza Walker, the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago)

Specializing in the performance of new music and the presentation of dynamic, barrier-breaking concert experiences, Dal Niente is an organization with few peers anywhere in the country. Playing to packed halls as diverse as the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, legendary jazz club The Green Mill, and the Chicago Cultural Center, Dal Niente has premiered over 50 new pieces in its three-year performing history.

The organization counts among its members faculty from Northwestern and DePaul Universities, conducting staff from the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and adventurous young professional musicians who have earned advanced degrees from some of the country's finest music schools.

Among Chicago ensembles, Dal Niente is unparalleled in its dedication to performing a vast and comprehensive spectrum of 20^th- and 21^st-century masterpieces that are rarely heard elsewhere. These technically demanding works require a special commitment to detail, precision, and intensity – all of which Dal Niente consistently delivers.

Bringing new music to new audiences in new venues is the ensemble’s mission and its passion. Dal Niente presents its daring musical programs in every corner of the Chicagoland area. With a strong history of commissioning and premiering new works, Dal Niente demonstrates the vitality and relevance of the composer in today’s artistic world. Collaborations with choreographers, visual artists, and playwrights inspire rich new experiences for audiences and artists of various disciplines and styles. Bloggers across the United States are already raving about Dal Niente’s inspired programs and the “mad truth” it shares with its audiences (Marc Geelhoed, former classical music critic for Time Out Chicago).

Dal Niente collaborates regularly with the commission-sponsoring Chicago Composers Forum, provides composition workshops for Chicago-area high school and college students, and has established a particular emphasis on the music of living, local composers. These projects will ensure that contemporary music will be a truly vital, inclusive, and sonically exciting presence on Chicago’s concert stages for years to come.

Dal Niente's admission fees cover less than 10% of the annual operating budget. The ensemble relies on the generous support of its friends to offset the costs of renting music, booking concert halls, and promoting its concerts and educational programs. Your support at any level will make it possible for Dal Niente to launch its 2009-2010 season – its most ambitious project yet – with an estimated total cost of nearly $100,000.

We are asking you to join in this thrilling musical adventure with us. Please email Kirsten Broberg at kirsten@dalniente.com, call 312.342.9703 or click on the link above to contribute.