Sound Atlas New Music Festival

04/01/2026

Composers from CANADA, USA, and beyond, please consider applying to this composer residency! You will have the opportunity to work intimately with our host ensemble, Latitude 49 this summer to workshop and premiere your new work at Merkin Hall in New York City! Latitude 49 is committed to supporting and furthering the composers we work with and the works we premiere, so there is a HIGH chance we will want to share your works at Sound Atlas Festival in the future! Apply now, deadline is April 7!

Big news!!! 🎉 We are beyond thrilled to share that we have been selected as the ensemble-in-residence for the 2026 Composers + Musicians Collaborative Residency! 🙌

Over ten days, we’ll be working intimately with six composers in the field of new music. We’ll be workshopping their pieces, taking artistic risks together, and culminating in a New York premiere at the iconic Merkin Hall. ✨

But it doesn’t stop there. We’ve committed to programming and performing all six new works across our next two concert seasons, because new music deserves to be heard more than once. We can’t wait to dig in. 🎶

Know a composer who should be in the room? Tag them below! 👇

03/03/2026

Due to popular demand, the deadline for applications to the 2026 Sound Atlas Festival Contemporary Performance Lab has been extended to March 14th, 11:59 pm MDT. If you were not able to apply due to time constraints, now is your chance!

In its fourth year running, the 2026 Sound Atlas New Music Festival invites you to apply to our Contemporary Performance Lab for 2026, taking place from June 22nd to 28th at Contemporary Calgary.

For the Sound Atlas 2026 New Music Festival, we are once again assembling a group of talented and creative individuals to form an in-residence student ensemble: the Contemporary Performance Lab. While positions in the CPL are limited, if selected, you will have the opportunity to work with featured musicians (including our very own Latitude 49), receive an all-access festival pass, perform at our “industry night” and be featured at the festival, all free of charge! CPL fellows will have the opportunity to:
🎵Take centre stage during the Sound Atlas Festival as a mixed chamber ensemble
🎵Receive live coaching from members of Latitude 49 New Music Ensemble
🎵Attend Latitude 49’s open rehearsals
🎵Engage directly with living composers through various festival events
🎵Perform in pop-up style sets as soloists or chamber musicians
🎵Perform in our “industry night”
🎵Receive a complimentary all-access festival pass

Through workshops, mentorship and one-on-one training, fellows will work directly with composers and industry experts, gaining essential skills for artists of today. This is a great opportunity to connect with peers and professionals and to experience something new while developing your creative identities—for free!

Spots are limited; the final roster will consist of 6-8 musicians. The new application deadline is Sunday, March 14th, 11:59 pm MDT.

To apply, click the link here: https://forms.gle/1tMSPj6udgBSB8aL9

To learn more about Sound Atlas Festival, please visit https://www.soundatlasfest.com/

07/01/2025

That’s a wrap on Industry Night 2025! ✨🍻

It was an amazing night filled with delicious beer, ethereal music, and wonderful people.

Thank you to all who showed up for Industry Night, and special shoutout to for providing the world’s best beer and for hosting us!

And thank you to Chris Santos, our wonderful festival photographer, for capturing all the special moments. 📸

We can’t wait to see you all at Sound Atlas Fest 2025, which is kicking off this Friday!

📍 June 2025, 27-29 | Contemporary Calgary
🎟️ Tickets on sale on our website NOW!

07/01/2025

✨ SAF 2025 — DAY 1 IN PHOTOS! ✨

What. A. Night. Calgary showed up and showed out for Day 1 of the Sound Atlas Festival!

From Jinjoo Cho’s mesmerizing performance of Toy Store by Juri Seo (with stunning visuals by Changyeob Ok), to Latitude 49’s genre-defying second set, a surprise Atrium performance by our amazing CPL Fellows, and a show-stopping closer by SUBVERDANT — the energy was electric from start to finish. ⚡🎶

Relive the magic (or see what you missed!) through these incredible shots by our festival photographer, the one and only Chris Santos 📸💥

More to come — SAF 2025 continues all weekend long! 🌟

07/01/2025

✨ DAY 2 of SAF 2025 — IN PHOTOS ✨

Another unforgettable night of immersive sound and artistic brilliance in Calgary 🎶

Before the show, a Composer Chat with Juri Seo and Allen Gordon Bell.

We began in the Grotto with Latitude 49 and The Bagatelles Project I — a spatial, walkable experience that surrounded the audience in sound.

Then came a stunning performance by Edmonton’s UltraViolet, with works by Jordan Nobles, Alex Jang, and George Lewis. Huge love to Nia Devetzis for stepping in on percussion! 💜

We also had a surprise pop-up from Sound Ground (Sean + Nia), performing Spoons by Juri Seo — playful and totally captivating.

To end the night, The Bagatelles Project II swept us into an otherworldly soundscape… from soft shimmer to full-out sonic chaos. 🔥😵‍💫

These moments were beautifully captured by our amazing photographer Chris Santos 📸

Today’s the last day! We hope to see you at 2pm here in !

06/30/2025

✨ SAF 2025 — DAY 3 IN PHOTOS ✨

The final day of Sound Atlas Festival was one for the books — full of joy, emotion, and unforgettable performances.

We began with Vincent Ho’s Terry’s Whimsical Dream of Fanciful Birds… in C, performed by our amazing CPL Fellows and Latitude 49, who moved through the Edwards Theatre in a playful, surround-sound journey. 🐦

Andy Hudson gave a powerful and heartfelt solo clarinet set — from the soaring The Sky is Bigger Here, to the touching Radiance Streams No. 3, For Jeff, to the explosive closer History is Going to Change. There were definitely goosebumps (and some tears). 💔🔥

In the Grotto, Jesse Morrison stunned with works for solo viola by Brett Dean, Alice Ping Yee Ho, and Chris Paul Harman — a set of depth, nuance, and resonance. 🎻

Then, the CPL Fellows returned to close out the festival:
✨ A Five Note Chord… – Garrett Schumann
🚗 Day Trip – Benjamin Williams
🦅 Raven Tales – Marcus Goddard
A vibrant finale of bold sound and youthful energy!

Finally, Latitude 49 brought it all home with Juri Seo’s Rondeau, Ostinato, and Fantasia. The applause was deafening — and the post-show album release party in the Atrium (with free cake!) wrapped it all up in celebration, connection, and laughter. 🍰🥂

We’re so grateful to everyone who made SAF 2025 possible — performers, staff, volunteers, and our wonderful audience. And a special thanks to Contemporary Calgary for welcoming us into their stunning spaces.

All these incredible moments were captured by our brilliant photographer Chris Santos 📸💛

Until next year, SAF fam. See you in 2026. 🧡