We recently connected with Ensemble Vim and have shared our conversation below.
Ensemble, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
In January 2023, we received funding from the local AFM union’s fund “Music in Schools” to play for string students at the Title I Young Middle School in Atlanta. We played them pieces by Jessie Montgomery, Alice Hong, Valentin Silvestrov, and Paul Schoenfield, and we demonstrated some of the ways that new music is different from classical music, The students brought refreshing insights to the music, and their genuine enthusiasm for their craft was inspirational! We are grateful that their committed, enthusiastic orchestra director opened his doors for us, and we hope we can go back again soon.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Founded in 2019, ensemble vim is an all women-run contemporary chamber collective dedicated to the performance of music by living composers. We aim to highlight the works of underrepresented artists, especially those with strong ties to the southeastern US. With initiatives that include educational outreach programs and multidisciplinary collaborations, vim is on a mission to foster and elevate new music in Atlanta.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
One of the driving forces that motivates us is our conviction that our work is important, interesting, and relevant and that there is a thirst for our work in the community. We are the only new music group in the region that focuses on interdisciplinary collaborations, composer fellowships, regional composers, and underrepresented artists. We work hard to bring top quality programming to elevate new music in the region. If we didn’t think there was a need or interest in our work, then we wouldn’t do it, but to the contrary, our audiences have responded to our efforts by returning for repeat performances, giving donations, and spreading the word about what we do.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When we had to cancel our Spring 2020 concert – what was supposed to be our second public performance! – we pivoted to an online video series where we interviewed prominent people in the community as well as highlighted regional nonprofits that we encouraged our viewers to support. We continued in 2021 with our “unFOUNDed” project that featured a collaboration with visual artist Hanna Allen. We also put resources towards commissioning the celebrated Florida-based Honourable Elizabeth A. Baker in the large-scale work VOID that we premiered (in person!) in 2022.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ensemblevim.org
- Instagram: @ensemblevim
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ensemblevim
- Youtube: @ensemblevim