The Next Festival

What is the Next Festival? It's several distinct and transformative events for young string players, and a gift to the audiences who get to experience their talents live. It's a countryside RESIDENCY, New York PERFORMANCE TOUR, and groundbreaking COLLABORATIVE WORKSHOP with promising young choreographers and composers, all on a pay-what-you-can model. VISIT next-fest.org and JOIN the email list for more. Video by @danieeharris Featuring (in order of appearance): Kayleigh Butcher, Managing Director Peter Askim, Artistic Director Jessica Meyer, Composer, Guest Artist @kayleigh214 @peteraskim @jessicameyermusic #contemporarymusic #artistresidency #musiciansofinstagram #musiciansofig #stringplayer #youngmusicians #celloplayer #violinists #doublebassist #violist

What does immigration have to do with the future of American music? In this personal message, Next Fest Founder @peteraskim shares how arriving in America shaped our 2026 Festival - and why we’re spotlighting women immigrant composers and global emerging artists for America’s 250th anniversary. RIGHT NOW, we urgently need your support to make this season possible. Though it costs $5,000 to support each of our 21 Fellows, artists pay only what they can afford - often nothing at all. If you believe fresh voices in music deserve to be heard, make a tax-deductible donation today. SUPPORT WHAT’S NEXT IN MUSIC: next-fest.org/support And, get ready for our 2026 program, featuring works by GRAMMY®-nominated @andrea_casarrubios (Spain), @niloufar.nourbakhsh (Iran/US), @adeliiacomposer (Uzbekistan), @wanglu.composer (China), @clariceassad (Brazil), and Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia). LEARN MORE ABOUT NEXT FEST 2026 (5/29-6/12): next-fest.org/attend #newmusic #contemporaryclassical #womencomposers #supportthearts #immigrantvoices

Swipe from @peteraskim as a child newly arriving in America to the global artists making uniquely American music that your tax-deductible donation supports. Read the story below for more. SUPPORT WHAT’S NEXT IN MUSIC: next-fest.org/support Born in Denmark to an American mother and Norwegian father, Next Fest Director Peter Askim arrived in the U.S. at four years old with a funny accent, unusual foods in his lunchbox, and the feeling of both belonging and seeing America from the outside. THAT PERSPECTIVE shaped Next Fest 2026. For America’s 250th anniversary, we’re spotlighting women immigrant composers including GRAMMY®-nominated @andrea_casarrubios (Spain), @niloufar.nourbakhsh (Iran/US), @adeliiacomposer (Uzbekistan), @wanglu.composer (China), @clariceassad (Brazil), and Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia). WE REFUSE to let finances determine who gets to perform this music. Our Fellows come from around the world to live, rehearse, and create together in New York. Though it costs nearly $5,000 to support each Fellow, artists pay only what they can afford, often nothing at all. RIGHT NOW, we urgently need support to close the funding gap for our 2026 class. If you believe bold new voices belong in the future of American music, please consider making a donation. SUPPORT WHAT’S NEXT IN MUSIC: next-fest.org/support LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2026 FESTIVAL (5/29–6/12): next-fest.org/attend #newmusic #contemporaryclassical #womencomposers #supportthearts #immigrantvoices

Our 2026 season officially opens up with a bang on June 5th. Returning to PS21 for the fourth year in a row, Peter Askim (@peteraskim ) and the Next Festival of Emerging Artists (@next_fest ) bring vitality and spark to our campus and community during their week-long residency. The festival is headlined by Grammy-nominated Spanish-American cellist and composer Andrea Casarrubios (@andrea_casarrubios ) premiering her brand new double concerto for cello, percussion, and strings – a not-to-be-missed performance. Year after year, Next Fest brings riveting new music to our stage, but this year we feel especially moved by the program highlighting new works by all immigrant women: Iranian-American Niloufar Nourbakhsh, Adeliia Faizullina (Uzbekistan), Wang Lu (China), Clarice Assad (Brazil) and Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia). We can’t wait to be back under the pavilion. This one sold out last year, so grab your tickets today! Photo by @sjtaylor0974

Here, you’re watching a new piece take shape in real time as part of Next Fest’s annual Composer/Choreographer Workshop. Each year, our Composer, Choreographer, and Performance Fellows collide across disciplines- creating bold new work from scratch in just a few days, culminating in an open showing of ideas fresh from the studio. THURSDAY, JUNE 11 | 7:30pm @gibneydance (Lower Manhattan) LEARN MORE: [link in bio] eventbrite.com/e/the-next-festival-of-emerging-artists-composerchoreographer-workshop-tickets-1987781272295 Composers will be mentored by Festival Director @peteraskim , and the Pulitzer Prize and GRAMMY-winning @aaronkernis . Choreographers will be mentored by the Bessie-nominated @sidraleighbell . 🎥: 2025 Comp/Choreo Workshop, in rehearsal with Fellows @amelialarsonn and @afroheart7 , and dancers @chip__lol , @eolivierr , @bryannastricklandd , @emmaweiss__ #nycdancers #contemporaryclassical #contemporarydance #multidisciplinary #artistcollaboration

Help us celebrate a triumphant return to @nationalsawdust on JUNE 6! We were there in 2017 pushing sonic boundaries with @jenniferkohmusic (pictured here). This year we continue that mission with a lineup of global voices shaping American music today. Our 2026 program features powerful works by women immigrant composers, including the GRAMMY®-nominated @andrea_casarrubios (Spain), @niloufar.nourbakhsh (Iran/US), @adeliiacomposer (Uzbekistan), @wanglu.composer (China), @clariceassad (Brazil) and Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia) SATURDAY, JUNE 6 | 7:30 PM National Sawdust | Brooklyn, NY LEARN MORE: [link in bio] nationalsawdust.org/event/the-next-festival-2026-featuring-andrea-casarrubios Part of Next Fest 2026 (May 29 – June 12), a global gathering of artists creating what’s new in music in real time. Visit next-fest.org/attend #brooklynmusic #newmusic #contemporaryclassical #stringmusic #immigrantvoices

Imagine a perfect week in the woods with music everywhere. Be part of it on JUNE 5! Each June, our Fellows arrive from around the world to live, train, and perform together at @ps21chatham , surrounded by meadows, trails, and open sky. Days are full of rehearsals, workshops, and community engagements. Nights are full of shared meals, making new contacts and a live performance in an open-air pavilion. Featuring bold 21st century works by the GRAMMY®-nominated @andrea_casarrubios (Spain), @niloufar.nourbakhsh (Iran/US), @adeliiacomposer (Uzbekistan), @wanglu.composer (China), @clariceassad (Brazil) and Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia). FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2026 | 7:30 PM PS21: Center for Contemporary Performance Chatham, NY 12037 LEARN MORE: [link in bio] ps21chatham.org/event/next-fest Part of Next Fest 2026 (May 29 – June 12), a global gathering of artists shaping what’s new in music. Learn more at next-fest.org/attend Photos by Steven Taylor, Brian Valentyn, and Fellows @maya.c.johnson , @filmic_standard #artistresidency #newmusic #stringorchestra #hudsonvalley #contemporaryclassical

JUNE 11! Our Choreographer, Composer and Performance Fellows cross the disciplinary divide to create something truly original for an open showing, after a week of spontaneous creation. Join us for the 2025 Composer / Choreography Workshop. THURSDAY, JUNE 11 | 7:30pm @gibneydance (Lower Manhattan) Free Tickets or by Donation: [link in bio] next-fest.org/attend Composers will be mentored by Festival Director @peteraskim , and the Pulitzer Prize and GRAMMY-winning @aaronkernis . Choreographers will be mentored by the Bessie-nominated @sidraleighbell . Image by @joelpeterjohnson #nycdancers #nycdance #contemporaryclassicalmusic #multidisciplinary #artistcollaboration

THIS JUNE, Next Fest brings our world premiere program centering immigrant women composers to Brooklyn's @nationalsawdust , "The city's most vital new-music hall" (@nytimes ). SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2026 | 7:30 PM National Sawdust 80 N 6th Street Brooklyn, NY 11249 LEARN MORE: [link in bio] next-fest.org/attend Artistic Director @peteraskim leads the string orchestra in bold world premieres by the GRAMMY®-nominated @andrea_casarrubios (Spain), @niloufar.nourbakhsh (Iran/US), @adeliiacomposer (Uzbekistan), and @wanglu.composer (China), alongside timely works by @clariceassad (Brazil) and Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia). Graphic by @joelpeterjohnson #brooklynmusic #newmusic #contemporaryclassical #stringmusic #immigrantvoices

THIS JUNE, musicians from around the world gather in the Hudson Valley- training, rehearsing, and performing among the unspoiled woodlands around @ps21chatham . Experience a performance of 21ST CENTURY MUSIC at its most urgent- as we premiere a powerful program by women immigrant composers in PS21's stunning open air pavilion. FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2026 | 7:30 PM PS21: Center for Contemporary Performance 2980 Route 66, Chatham, NY 12037 LEARN MORE: [link in bio] ps21chatham.org/event/next-fest Artistic Director @peteraskim leads the string orchestra in bold world premieres by the GRAMMY®-nominated @andrea_casarrubios (Spain), @niloufar.nourbakhsh (Iran/US), @adeliiacomposer (Uzbekistan), and @wanglu.composer (China), alongside timely works by @clariceassad (Brazil) and Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia). A mecca for original artistic voices, PS21 is “a supercool avant-garde hothouse in Columbia County” (@nytimes ). Graphic by @joelpeterjohnson #hudsonvalleymusic #chathamny #newmusic #contemporaryclassical #stringmusic

Next Fest 2026 has arrived. SAVE THE DATES: May 29 – June 12 Marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we spotlight women immigrant composers shaping the American sound, featuring GRAMMY®-nominated cellist/composer @andrea_casarrubios . LEARN MORE: next-fest.org/attend Key Dates: JUNE 5 / 7:30 PM – @ps21chatham JUNE 6 / 7:30 PM – @nationalsawdust JUNE 11 / 7:30 PM – Comp/Choreo Workshop, @gibneydance WEEK ONE: Artistic Director @peteraskim leads the string orchestra in bold world premieres by @niloufar.nourbakhsh (Iran/US), Festival alumna @adeliiacomposer (Uzbekistan), and @wanglu.composer (China), alongside timely works by @clariceassad (Brazil) and Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia). Centerpiece: a newly commissioned double concerto for cello, percussion, and strings by the Spanish-born Casarrubios. WEEK TWO: Rising creators push the edge of music and dance collaboration with mentorship from Pulitzer and GRAMMY-winning @aaronkernis and acclaimed choreographer @sidraleighbell . Global voices. New work. The next generation, live. LEARN MORE: next-fest.org/attend Graphic by @joelpeterjohnson #contemporaryclassical #musicfestival #immigrantvoices #stringorchestra

She’s one of the most sought-after voices in string music right now, and she’s coming to Next Fest. @the_strad_ just spotlighted @andrea_casarrubios , tracing her rise from world-class cellist to a composer whose music is now performed globally and programmed by major orchestras. Her work is raw, intimate, and deeply human, music she describes as a way to “process everything… to transform, grow, and release.” Read on at thestrad.com And this June, experience it live with us. 👀 Festival announcement coming soon. Author: Anthony Arnone Photographer: @titilayoayangade #contemporaryclassical #newmusic #stringorchestra #femalecomposer #immigrantvoices