Mission + History

Mission

Musiqa’s mission is to enrich and inspire our community through programs that integrate contemporary music with other art-forms. Through interdisciplinary collaborations and educational programming, Musiqa makes modern repertoire accessible and vital to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

History

Musiqa has been raising Houston’s profile as a center for contemporary music for nearly a quarter of a century. Its cross-disciplinary performances function as a vital creative exchange for artists of all sorts across Houston and around the world. Since launching in 2002 as the first composer-centered ensemble in Houston, Musiqa has performed the works of over 300 living composers, presented over 90 world premieres, commissioned new works by established and emerging composers, collaborated with hundreds of dancers, actors, poets, filmmakers, and other Houston artists, and provided educational programs for tens of thousands of young people.

Our honors include awards from Chamber Music America for Adventurous Programming and Interdisciplinary Collaboration, 16 grants from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, 13 grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, and commissions from New Music USA, Chamber Music America, the Fromm Music Foundation, and the French-American Cultural Exchange. Musiqa has established itself as one of the foremost new music ensembles in the country, and our collaborative approach has extended our reach throughout Houston’s diverse artistic community and around the country.

Public Performances

Each season, Musiqa’s Artist Board – in collaboration with a wide range of local and national writers, choreographers, filmmakers and other artists - curates a diverse series of performances that highlight contemporary concert music from living composers paired with other art forms such as literature, film, theatre, art, or dance.

Music+ is Musiqa’s series of adventurous interdisciplinary mainstage performances presented in Houston’s premiere venues. Musiqa is committed to making art accessible to all by offering “Pay-What-You-Can” pricing for these performances. This strategy has increased the number of new and repeat patrons to Musiqa performances. Mixer Concerts are free, informal performances in visual art settings, such as the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. These concerts attract new audiences and often draw standing-room-only crowds. Since 2019, Musiqa has participated in Houston Airport System’s Harmony in the Air program, regularly performing for thousands of travelers at Hobby Airport. Musiqa’s public performances enable the Greater Houston community to experience innovative contemporary concert music while supporting local artists with regular and fair wages, helping to strengthen Houston as a hub for creative careers.

Commissioning New Music & Other Art

The creation of new work is a core value of our organization. To that end, Musiqa has commissioned nearly 50 new works from established artists like Laura Schwendinger, Sebastian Currier, and Trevor Weston to rising stars such as Flannery Cunningham and Kyle Rivera and young creators such as the participants of our MusiqaLab program. The Musiqa Catalyst Commission and Emerging Composer Commission provide yearly paid opportunities to early-career composers. Moreover, in response to the lack of diversity in chamber music, Musiqa initiated the Cross-Country Chamber Consortium (CCCC) in 2020 – a collaboration with four other ensembles from across the United States – offering an annual Black, Latinx and Indigenous Emerging Composer Commission. This program has met with great success, providing an important platform for new voices, and resulting in a “Commission of the Year” award from Chamber Music America in its third year.

Because Musiqa’s work relies on cross-disciplinary collaborations, we have a long history of commissioning other artworks besides music. Whether it is poems by J. Estanislao Lopez, Donika Kelly, and Ayokunle Falomo, choreography by Annie Arnoult, Andy and Dionne Noble, and students of the Houston Ballet II company, or films and librettos by local and national writers, we provide new artistic avenues and support not just for musicians and composers but for all members of the wider creative community.

Music Education

Musiqa is committed to offering its educational programs for free to schools serving low-income and at-risk students to create the composers, performers, and audiences of tomorrow. Musiqa’s long-standing commitment to education began in 2004 with the launch of the award-winning, interactive concert Around the World with Musiqa. Since then, we have presented multiple interactive concert programs, in-school residencies, and online programming.  This year, Musiqa performed for nearly 1,500 students as part of the Hobby Center Discovery Series and has been invited to perform again in January 2026. In recent years, Musiqa has also incorporated an individualized approach to music education: MusiqaLab for Young Composers is our beloved and rapidly expanding classroom-based composition workshop; Musiqa Explorer is a digital program that examines the scientific and historical interpretations of works performed during the Music+ Concert Series; and Musiqa Master Classes bring together young musicians with experienced musicians for specialized music training. Our programs provide economically disadvantaged students access to high-quality music education, training, and performances. Over 21 years, Musiqa has served more than 70,000 public school students and teachers from over 250 Greater Houston area schools.