In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the American Music Center, the history of the AMC is here presented exclusively in the words of its six founders–Aaron Copland, Howard Hanson, Otto Luening, Quincy Porter, Marion Bauer, and Harrison Kerr–culled from archival interviews, books and letters and then shuffled and re-organized to emulate a conversation.

Tod Machover shares some of the extraordinary new musical interfaces he has been creating at the MIT Media Lab and explains how and why these new technologies will redefine music in the 21st century.

To celebrate The Philadelphia Orchestra’s centenary on November 16, 2000, the artistic and management team of the orchestra decided to devote their entire 2000-2001 concert season exclusively to music composed since the orchestra was founded–that is to say the music of the 20th century.

Although raised in Cuba, Tania León was born into a family that had roots from all different parts of the globe. Since arriving in the United States, where she has been based since 1967, she has come to realize that her own multicultural heritage is what makes her a quintessentially American composer.

During his tenure as the President and CEO of The Ravinia Festival, Zarin Mehta (would would later become Executive Director of the New York Philharmonic), explained the delicate balancing act of presenting live music, a balancing act which is sometimes at odds with the presentation of new music.

One of the original “indie-classical” labels, San Francisco-based New Albion Records defined the West Coast Sound and helped to launch the careers of John Adams, John Luther Adams, Ingram Marshall, Paul Dresher, Stephen Scott, Chen Yi, Sarah Cahill, David Tanenbaum, Margaret Lang Tan, and many others. New Albion’s founder Foster Reed explains the label’s philosophy.

For the premiere issue of NewMusicBox (May 1999), the three founders of Bang on a Can–Michael Gordon, Julia Wolfe, and David Lang–met at ASCAP for a lengthy conversation with Frank J. Oteri, Richard Kessler, and Fran Richard about the current state of new music.

Two major American maverick composers talk via telephone about creating music without compromise, the impending end of the 20th century, and how to develop new audiences for new music in the future.

Composer and American Composers Forum co-founder Libby Larsen talks about how she came to music, taking charge of her own path as a composer, and how to be a good musical citizen.

Saxophonist, composer, band leader, and one-time Miles Davis sideman Dave Liebman talks about the changing directions in jazz during his four decades involved in the scene.