the [Switch~ Ensemble]

A new music ensemble for the 21st Century, the [Switch~ Ensemble] is a dynamic group of musicians and composers dedicated to creating and exploring cutting-edge works integrating chamber ensemble and technology. Working at the intersection of artistic innovation and collaborative experimentation, [Switch~] combines acoustic instruments, electronics, multimedia, and emerging technologies to expand the possibilities of chamber music and create immersive experiences.

Founded in 2012 in Rochester, New York, [Switch~] looks toward the future of contemporary music, commissioning and premiering new work for more than a decade. The ensemble has developed long-term artistic partnerships with dozens of emerging and established composers—including Sarah Hennies, Ti McCormack, Sam Pluta, Kitty Xiao, Julie Herndon, Igor Santos, Katharina Rosenberger, Victoria Cheah, and Sivan Eldar—while continuing to perform landmark works by influential figures like George Lewis, Philippe Leroux, Julius Eastman, Stefan Prins, Cathy van Eck, and Stefano Gervasoni. Fostering artistic dialogues that extend beyond a work’s premiere, [Switch~] embraces a creative process where the score is a point of departure rather than a finish line.

[Switch~] has appeared at leading institutions worldwide, including EMPAC, UC Berkeley, Harvard University, Eastman School of Music, Bard, Cornell, June in Buffalo, NYCEMF, San Francisco Center for New Music, SPLICE Institute, Spain's VIPA Festival, and Germany's SinusTon Festival. Commercial recordings include releases featuring works by Christopher Chandler, Juraj Kojs, Stephen Yip, Dorothy Hindman, and Heather Stebbins.

Education and mentorship are central to [Switch~]’s mission. Through residencies, workshops, masterclasses, reading sessions, open rehearsals, and recording projects, the group provides emerging artists direct access to professional performers while building a diverse canon of 21st-century repertoire that leaves space for all voices—especially those historically excluded from our field.

Season highlights for 2026–27 include world premieres by Tonia Ko, Lauren Siess, Alex Stephenson, Inga Chinilina, Annie Hui-Hsin Hsieh, Jason Thorpe Buchanan, Tobias Fandel, and Itzá García. Supported by Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung, Fromm Music Foundation, Amphion Foundation, and New Music USA, performances include Illinois State’s RED NOTE Festival, CMU’s Meshwork Festival, Brown University, and Performing Media Festival.