Performance Space

 

ROULETTE's original and ongoing purpose has been to provide opportunities for innovative composers, musicians, sound artists and interdisciplinary collaborators to present their work in accessible, appropriate and professional productions. The organization is committed to supporting work by young and emerging artists as well as by established innovators.

Roulette is a major New York City venue for contemporary music and intermedia art, internationally recognized for the presentation and promotion of experimental contemporary music, an incubator for young talent and a laboratory where new ideas and new technologies are examined, appraised and developed. It is also an artists’ resource center, offering cheap rehearsal space, high quality recording facilities, information and commissions.

Artists represent an extremely broad range of disciplines and backgrounds, a large percentage perform their own work and nearly all concerts feature world premieres. Programs are chosen in direct response to current activity in the field and with careful consideration toward a balanced, inclusive season. Roulette also assists artists in the realization of special projects with potential impact on their careers through the commissioning of new works.

Roulette's programs and services reflect the needs and interests of an international community of composers and performers. Roulette actively seeks minorities and special constituencies as part of its programming policy. Individuals and ensembles representing all minority groups have presented work at Roulette. The organization is committed to presenting innovative new music in all styles and genres. This policy thrives on minority inclusion and leads to a diverse range of music while representing the needs and interests of minorities and special constituencies.

Diverse, imaginative programming attracts a diverse, imaginative audience. One of Roulette's primary goals is to encourage creative, innovative activity as it emerges. While the number of clubs and mainstream concerts halls in New York is considerable, Roulette is unique in its commitment to new, experimental work and the artists who make it. Roulette's audience understands and supports this distinction. Roulette encourages artist-audience interaction and seeks to broaden understanding and awareness of the work presented. Many artists who have performed in this intimate, nurturing setting early in their careers go on to appear in prestigious venues including Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and many European concert halls. As Roulette is offering its 28th season, it has become a familiar and inviting environment for the public to contact innovative new work.

Roulette’s Core Programs

Concert Series of Experimental and Adventurous Music: Since 1978 Roulette has presented over 1000 concerts. This year, Roulette will be doubling its schedule to include over 100 concerts, sound installations, longer runs of music theater and other special events such as the Avant Jazz – Still Moving festival and the annual Festival of Mixology. One of the organization’s primary goals is to encourage creative, innovative activity as it emerges and to promote artist/audience interaction and broaden understanding and awareness of the contemporary music. Artists represent an extremely broad range of disciplines and backgrounds, a large percentage perform their own work and nearly all events feature world premieres. We support artists long before they are recognized by mainstream funding and commissioning programs, and provide audiences with a consistent survey of contemporary work in a wide variety of modalities.

Our Commissioning Program awards four Jerome commissions of $4,000 each to emerging composers each year and recently secured $85,000 for more established artists.

Roulette TV: Over the last several years, Roulette created thirty-two high quality music television programs. Each half-hour program focuses on one composer’s work and is broadcast every Thursday on Manhattan Cable Television, with 500,000 subscribers. Programs are sold to museums and schools. We plan to produce another twelve programs this year.

Roulette’s website broadcasts recordings of our concerts which are accessed by listeners all over the world. Einstein’s Guide to New Music Resources offers composers a unique and current database of over 3,800 contacts for new music. Roulette’s blog carries excerpts from Roulette TV, a selection of concerts, and new features on artists in the concert series for Podcast.

A recent two-year grant from the New York Community Trust will award two $10,000 Van Lier Fellowships to promising young experimental composers who have no financial resources and need economic aid as they begin their careers.

We offer artists cheap rehearsal and performing space, and high quality recording facilities. In the coming year we will extend this offer to other music organizations seeking presentation space.