Beltline Bones/Millenium Composers Initiative

Overview

The Millennium Composers Initiative and the Beltline Bones are collaborating on a groundbreaking program of new works for trombone quartet and fixed media. This project showcases the creativity of emerging composers, highlighting how acoustic and electronic sound worlds can collide, complement, and transform one another in fresh and unexpected ways.

The concert will feature world premieres by Jeremi Edwards, Amy Ian Hardemon, César Ortiz, Ian Lester, David Roche, Ali Balighi, Dalton Regnier, and Eddie Jonathan Garcia Borbón. Each composer brings a unique artistic voice to the program, offering audiences a spectrum of perspectives that stretch the possibilities of contemporary chamber music.

At the heart of the project is the Beltline Bones, a trombone quartet formed in 2021 that has quickly become a compelling voice in new music. Known for their adventurous programming and boundary-pushing collaborations, the ensemble pairs the power and nuance of trombones with electronic textures to create soundscapes that are at once visceral and thought-provoking. Their 2024 EP Audiogenica, released by cmntx records, captured attention for its bold mix of commissioned works by composers such as Jay C. Batzner and Isaac Mayhew.

The Beltline Bones consists of tenor trombonists Cole Bartels, Justin Coyne, Zach Bethel, and bass trombonist Adam Nissenbaum. Together, they bring an expansive range of color, dynamic energy, and technical precision to every performance. By partnering with the Millennium Composers Initiative, they are continuing their mission to champion innovative repertoire and amplify diverse voices in today’s music landscape.

Audiences can expect an evening that reimagines what the trombone quartet can be—where electronics, improvisation, and bold compositional ideas converge to create something entirely new.