"NOW... imports a catchy inflection to classical forms... Striking a balance between the old and the new has rarely sounded this good." Seth Colter Walls, Newsweek “...the formal elegance of chamber music with a pop-honed concision and rhythmic vitality." Steve Smith, Time Out New York "The vibrant sound of NOW Ensemble... does something more than offer composers an alternative to the ubiquitous 'Pierrot ensembles plus singer or percussion.' It breathes the air of this planet: the musical air of indie rock, rap, jazz, pop, and minimalism variously synthesized by classically-trained composers and instrumentalists. Three of NOW's founding members are composers, and a community of...like-minded others have responded to the opportunities NOW embodies: to defy specialization, reject alienation, and inspire deft musicians to convey a sense of private amusement that enlivens the music they perform." Jeffrey Edelstein, International Concert Review Press Rodney Lister, Sequenza21.com "As to the performances, to say that they were completely masterly (and, in some cases masterful) technically and wonderfully powerful and expressive would be to slander them by using faint praise. It was the kind of playing which was so concentrated and focused that it could melt through steel." Rebecca Epstein, LA City Beat "NOW Ensemble...works experimental, chamber-music miracles with its wide array of instruments and fertile relationship with emerging composers." Steve Smith, The New York Times "NOW Ensemble offered highly attractive, unabashedly rock-influenced works by Mark Dancigers, Missy Mazzoli and Judd Greenstein." Alex Ross, The New Yorker "Folk Music...is one of the freshest pieces I've heard so far this year." Justin Davidson, "The Next New Wave", New York Magazine "The second act was the NOW Ensemble, one of those we-can-play-anything chamber collectives of Yale and Juilliard hotshots whose style molds itself to its repertoire: quick and light, in the case of [Judd] Greenstein's Folk Music, with lots of tricky repetitions and smoothly handled turns." Richard Allen, The Silent Ballet "NOW Ensemble is a New York collective of classical composers and performers whose collaborative efforts aid each individual member while contributing to the whole...[NOW] is frequently challenging but offers a window into one of the many possible futures of contemporary chamber music." Ed Montgomery, Context Studios "This is a new voice lifting in the context of a smaller world, suggesting the shape of the sounds that will define art music in the early part of this new century." Alex Ross, The New Yorker, "Celebrating Steve Reich" "[Steve] Reich changed music, and he also changed how music relates to society. In the face of early incomprehension he took a do-it-yourself approach to getting his work before the public....With his namesake ensemble, Reich performed in galleries, clubs, and wherever else he felt welcome. The effects of this paradigm shift can be seen on any day of the week in New York, as composer-led ensembles proliferate. Bang on a Can is the longtime leader, and the NOW Ensemble is a deft young group gaining attention....Post-Reich, composers are evolving into a more mobile, adaptable species." Press For Our Albums Song From The Uproar, Released November, 2012, New Amsterdam Records: Seth Colter Walls/Rhapsody #18 on “Top 20 Classical Albums of 2012” Time Out New York 5/5 Stars, “Splendid” National Public Radio Featured on “All Things Considered” Mia Clarke, Time Out Chicago 4/5 Stars Time Out New York #3 of “The best events of 2012” WQXR’s Q2 “Album of the Week” Textura #6 of Ten Best Albums of 2012 “The instrumental support contributed by the Now Ensemble to the recording lends it remarkable distinction. Pianist Michael Mizrahi (who issued his own impressive collection, The Bright Motion, earlier in 2012), clarinetist Sara Budde, and flutist Alexandra Sopp leave especially memorable fingerprints on the recording, though double bassist Logan Coale and guitarist Mark Dancigers make their presence felt, too. In the absence of vocals, “Oblivion Seekers” becomes an impassioned showcase for the ensemble players' versatility. During an instrumental interlude, we hear seagulls, a boat's creaking hull and bells, with clarinet and distant voices providing instrumental colour. Coale also has a powerful solo spotlight that finds him coiling his hypnotic lines around the vocalist's equally entrancing performance. If anything, Song from the Uproar is as much a Now Ensemble showcase as it is one for the vocalists. The vocal dimension of the recording shouldn't be downplayed, however, as Mazzoli composed a score that offers its singers, mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer and a vocal quintet, an incredibly fertile playground within which to play. Much of the work's emotional impact rests on Fischer's shoulders, of course, but it's a challenge she more than meets.” Press For Our Albums Awake, Released April, 2011, New Amsterdam Records: The Silent Ballet "Album of the Month...an energetic, enthralling showcase of modern chamber music...The real triumph of the album, however, is the personality that the ensemble brings to each of the compositions...Awake solidifies NOW Ensemble's place as a serious player in the field of modern composition." Michael Quinn, The Classical Review "...there's an obvious challenge in the music's mix of old, new and the exotic, and one that is rewarded by repeated listening as its interweaving of superficially contrary elements coalesce into something fresh and vibrant." David Weininger, The Boston Globe "...an album that offers a lot of engaging new music, as well as one piece [Change] I am sorely tempted to call a masterpiece." WQXR's Q2 "Album of the Week" National Public Radio “Change” included in NPR Music’s “100 Favorite Songs of 2011” Awake featured on NPR’s “Weekend All Things Considered” The Bangkok Post "music [that] speaks very eloquently for itself" Scott Morrow, Alarm Press “Throughout Awake, simple and complex repetitions are deftly woven together, forming patterns that engage listeners while urging their ears to dig deeper, layer by layer." Jerry Bowles, Sequenza 21 "If you're not smiling by the end, try Prozac." The New Haven Advocate "Ovations [are] sure to greet the release of NOW's forthcoming second album, Awake." Press For Our Albums NOW (Self Titled), Released January, 2008, New Amsterdam Records: Time Out New York "...the formal elegance of chamber music with a pop-honed concision and rhythmic vitality" Dave Lewis, AllMusic.com "All of this music is bright, engaging, witty and, yes, youthful... NOW Ensemble isn't running any kind of agenda; the music is free and intuitive and they are not afraid to draw on modality, melody, jazz harmonies or even rock rhythms, but the music remains unquestionably classical in terms of its focus and musicianship... NOW is a first-class debut for NOW Ensemble, and, pace George Bernard Shaw, isn't a waste of youth or anything else - more of this is demanded, not requested." Time Out New York, Time Out Chicago "5 Stars" Textura "The seven pieces comprising its eponymous debut are splendidly realized... The outfit's relatively small size enables it to interact like a well-oiled machine with instruments playing in unison or counterpoint, playing solo, pairing up, or playing en masse... Taken as a fifty-one-minute whole, NOW shows the group making good on its 'chamber music outfit for the 21st century' claim." Bradley Bambarger, Newark Star-Ledger "Machine-like minimalist rhythms rub up against pop-song melodies and a lot of fluttering flute. The playing has a charming lightness, and Burke's balletic 'All Together Now' and Greenstein's pensive, lovely 'Sing Along' are memorable compositions." Molly Sheridan, The Washington Post "Setting up shop closer to the classical camp is the outstanding seven-member NOW Ensemble's debut, NOW. Composers Nico Muhly, Patrick Burke, Mark Dancigers and Judd Greenstein...provide repertoire plenty deep enough to be dredged on multiple passes without crawling up inside its head so far it misplaces its soul." Press For Our Albums Continued Praise for NOW (Self Titled): Marc Geelhoed, Time Out Chicago "(Five Star Review) On its first recording, [NOW Ensemble] makes a point of playing happy music with a pop sensibility that's nonetheless pretty rigorous....The melancholy flute line, above bobbing piano chords, of Judd Greenstein's Folk Music is one of the disc's highlights...like a lot of [Nico] Muhly's music, the energetic throb [of How About Now] has a poppish sensibility but takes a crack team of players to pull off easily. And can this group make it sound easy. Flutist Alexandra Sopp and clarinetist Sara Phillips shine as soloists and as ensemble players, and pianist Michael Mizrahi does as well. Greenstein's works open and close the disc, starting and ending it on a clean and pure current." Steve Smith, Time Out New York "(Five Star Review) [Judd] Greenstein's wistful Folk Music and passionate Sing Along serve as bookends on the eponymous debut recording by NOW Ensemble, a polished, versatile chamber group...Members Patrick Burke and Mark Dancigers contribute two works apiece; rising star Nico Muhly provides How About Now. Despite their diversity, what unites these pieces is the way they combine the formal elegance of chamber music with a pop-honed concision and rhythmic vitality." Recent Performances Bang On A Can Marathon, World Financial Center, New University of South Carolina, School of Music, Columbia, York, NY SC MATA Festival, Le Poisson Rouge,