The Next Festival of Emerging Artists

06/01/2026

THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, personal stories become extraordinary music. Details 🔽

Next Fest performs six works by women immigrant composers, aligning with America’s 250th anniversary.

From family WhatsApp chats and childhood immigration to handwritten signatures, Chinese puzzles, and opera heroines, here's a look inside the exceptional music you'll hear.

FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2026 | 7:30 PM
PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance, Chatham, NY

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2026 | 7:30 PM
National Sawdust, Brooklyn, NY

GET TICKETS: next-fest.org/attend

Andrea Casarrubios (Spain), The Book of Signatures (World Premiere) - a new double concerto for cello, percussion, and strings inspired by the disappearing art of handwriting and the search for authentic human connection in a digital age.

Niloufar Nourbakhsh (Iran/US), For Love Seemed Easy at First (World Premiere, String Orchestra Version) - a poignant reflection on family, loss, and staying connected across three continents. Its title comes from both a poem by Hafez and her family's WhatsApp group chat.

Adeliia Faizullina (Tatarstan/Uzbekistan), Six, Before She Knew and After (World Premiere) - inspired by immigrating at age six, saying goodbye to the only piano she thought existed, and discovering a new life through music.

Wang Lu (China), Tangrams (World Premiere, String Orchestra Version) - inspired by the ancient Chinese puzzle, transforming a handful of musical ideas into endlessly surprising new forms.

Clarice Assad (Brazil), Impressions: Slow Waltz & Perpetual Motion - two vivid musical portraits: one inspired by classic Hollywood film noir, the other by dazzling virtuosity and perpetual motion.

Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia), Ur Song (U.S. Premiere, String Orchestra Version) - drawn from the final moments of her award-winning opera Mileva, where memories, loss, and the possibility of happiness converge.

05/31/2026

Performances this Friday in the Hudson Valley and Saturday in NYC.

LEARN MORE / GET TICKETS: next-fest.org/attend

As she anticipates the premiere of her new double concerto The Book of Signatures at Next Festival, Andrea Casarrubios reflects on gesture and memory in music, and on writing for the interplay between cello, percussion and strings. Link in comments.

📷Titilayo Ayangade

05/30/2026

Meet our 2026 String Fellows!! Over 2 weeks, they’ll rehearse, record & perform new music together in NYC & beyond.

6/5, 7:30pm – PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance
6/6, 7:30pm – National Sawdust
6/11, 7:30pm – Gibney

GET TICKETS: next-fest.org/attend

From top left to bottom right:

Noelia Carrasco – NYYS GRAMMY® album cellist; solo debut opening for Melinda Gates.
Jonah Cohen – Juilliard composer/cellist heading to Yale; international outreach founder.
Sundari Joseph – Athletic Brooklyn dancer/choreographer performing original duets globally.
Nathaniel Grohmann – NYC freelance cellist/bassist in classical and bluegrass.
[Returning] Taylor Tookes – Atlanta violinist who toured with Jeezy and orchestrated films.
[Returning] Jack Corcoran – Double bassist and Bard fellow spanning orchestra to live improv.
[Returning] Maya Johnson – Violinist, FSU PhD candidate, and multimedia creator.
MeiXing D**g – Pittsburgh violinist, dancer, and former Rensselaer Symphony Concertmaster.
Laura Caridad Avila – Multi-instrumentalist/poet highlighting underrepresented narratives.
Ania Custodio Folch – Fulbright Scholar and cellist who has performed solo across Europe.
Lina Maria Casas – Violinist who toured globally for a decade with Colombian Youth Phil.
Finn Cruit – St. Paul violist and former Irish dancer now at New England Conservatory.
Tongtong Lei – Chinese violinist/Juilliard grad who debuted at Carnegie's Weill Hall.
Alicia Pucci – Eastman-trained violist with a full scholarship to Bard Conservatory.
Thu Vo – Vietnamese cellist, FSU PhD student, and Wyoming Cello Fest Director.
Daniel Knapp – Cellist who debuted at Carnegie; Bright Shiny Things label manager.
Heather Lambert – Texas-born violinist and Bard grad; former Asheville Symphony Asst Concertmaster.
Charlie Picone – Boston violist/writer specializing in non-canonical performance.
Joanne Wu – Violinist/pianist who was concertmistress at Italy's InterHarmony.
Farangiz Takhirova – Violin DMA candidate; led 5 Michigan orchestras and founded crossover trio.
Elyssa Peters – Chicago violinist dedicated to amplifying underrepresented historical composers.
Rachel Smith – Multi-instrumental player specializing in Renaissance to modern music.
Sarah Aurora Chavarria – SF Philharmonic violinist who performed with Kronos Quartet.
Maya Miro Johnson – Curtis/Yale grad starting PhD at Brown; works played by Kronos.

05/28/2026

SOLOIST UPDATE for JUNE 5 & 6: While composer Andrea Casarrubios was eager to perform the solo in her newly commissioned double concerto, The Book of Signatures, she has had to step back from travel this summer.

However, we are absolutely thrilled to announce that the phenomenal Dr. Tommy Mesa, Cellist will be stepping in to headline these world premiere performances!

FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2026 | 7:30 PM
PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance, Chatham, NY

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2026 | 7:30 PM
National Sawdust, Brooklyn, NY

GET TICKETS: next-fest.org/attend

Tommy is a Cuban-American cellist, 2025 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, and Sphinx Organization Medal of Excellence winner.

"Tommy has been a longtime champion of my music, always performing it with the utmost dedication. I’m excited for audiences to experience the piece through his incredible musicianship!" - Andrea Casarrubios

He joins our brilliant featured percussionist Garrett Arney and the Next Fest Orchestra under the baton of Peter Askim to debut this extraordinary piece, a sonic journey exploring human connection, handwriting, and authenticity in a digital world.

Join us in giving Tommy a massive Next Fest welcome!

📸: Francesca Sacco

05/27/2026

NEXT FEST RETURNS ON JUNE 6! We were last at National Sawdust in 2019 performing Reena Esmail’s Teen Murti, a propulsive piece weaving traditional raag and classical string architecture together.

This June, we return with another bold program of global voices shaping what American music sounds like.

SATURDAY, JUNE 6 | 7:30 PM
National Sawdust | Brooklyn, NY
GET TICKETS: nationalsawdust.org/event/the-next-festival-2026-featuring-andrea-casarrubios

Our 2026 season features powerful works by women immigrant composers including GRAMMY®-nominated Andrea Casarrubios(Spain), Niloufar Nourbakhsh (Iran/US), Adeliia Faizullina (Tatarstan/Uzbekistan), Wang Lu (China), Clarice Assad (Brazil), and Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia).

Part of Next Fest 2026 (May 29–June 12), a global gathering of artists creating what’s next in music. Learn more at next-fest.org/attend

05/26/2026

PERFORMANCE JUNE 5! Each year, our Fellows arrive from around the world to live, train, and perform together at PS21, surrounded by meadows, trails, and open sky.

This season, aligning with America’s 250th anniversary, these Fellows will premiere pieces by women immigrant composers shaping the American sound.

FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2026 | 7:30 PM
PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance
Chatham, NY 12037

GET TICKETS: ps21chatham.org/event/next-fest

Featuring bold 21st century music by the GRAMMY®-nominated Andrea Casarrubios (Spain), Niloufar Nourbakhsh (Iran/US), Adeliia Faizullina (Tatarstan/Uzbekistan), Wang Lu (China), Clarice Assad (Brazil) and Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia).

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

05/22/2026

The world premiere of Peter Askim’s Songs My Mother Taught Me, performed at Next Fest 2025, is now on YouTube.

Inspired by his mother’s work with refugees, immigrants, and survivors of domestic violence, the piece is a deeply personal reflection on compassion, resilience, and our capacity to connect across borders and lived experiences.

WATCH THE WORLD PREMIERE: youtube.com/watch?v=4L1vYXZVzfk

Those same experiences also shaped Next Fest 2026, a season centered on women immigrant composers for America’s 250th anniversary.

Featuring works by Andrea Casarrubios (Spain), Adeliia Faizullina (Tatarstan/Uzbekistan), Wang Lu (China), Niloufar Nourbakhsh (Iran/US), Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia), and Clarice Assad (Brazil).

JUNE 5 / 7:30 PM – PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance
JUNE 6 / 7:30 PM – National Sawdust
JUNE 11 / 7:30 PM – Comp/Choreo Workshop, Gibney

LEARN MORE: next-fest.org/attend

Video by Danie Harris

05/19/2026

HELP US CELEBRATE the composers for our powerful program of bold premieres and timely works.

Aligning with America’s 250th anniversary, this season celebrates vital contributions of women immigrant composers.

FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2026 | 7:30 PM
PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance, Chatham, NY
“A supercool avant-garde hothouse...” (NY Times)

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2026 | 7:30 PM
National Sawdust, Brooklyn, NY
“The city's most vital new-music hall” (NY Times)

LEARN MORE & GET TICKETS: next-fest.org/attend

Andrea Casarrubios (Spain): GRAMMY®-nominated cellist/composer praised by The New York Times for her "intense and elegiac" global works.

Niloufar Nourbakhsh (Iran/US): "Darkly lyrical" composer whose work Knell was featured at the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony.

Adeliia Faizullina (Tatarstan/Uzbekistan): Multi-instrumentalist blending avant-garde vocal colors with rich Tatar folklore.

Wang Lu (China): Guggenheim Fellow creating acclaimed works from urban sounds and traditional Chinese music.

Clarice Assad (Brazil): Multi-GRAMMY® nominee and 2026 Andrew Imbrie Award winner championed by Yo-Yo Ma.

Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia): 2024 Grawemeyer winner known for her landmark, decades-long Kronos Quartet collaboration.

05/18/2026

The word is out about Next Fest 2026!

Hear Peter Askim break down a vision for boundary-breaking, global music with Seth Boustead for "Relevant Tones" and read on in NYS Music.

RELEVANT TONES: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-askim-and-the-next-festival-of-emerging-artists-part-i/id1509291821?i=1000767271037

NYS MUSIC: nysmusic.com/2026/05/09/the-next-festival-of-emerging-artists-announces-2026-season-across-new-york

Our landmark 14th season stretches from the Hudson Valley to Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan.

Aligning with America’s 250th anniversary, this season celebrates vital contributions of women immigrant composers, like Andrea Casarrubios (Spain), Adeliia Faizullina (Uzbekistan), Wang Lu (China), Niloufar Nourbakhsh (Iran/US), Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia), and Clarice Assad (Brazil).

From orchestral concerts at National Sawdust and PS21 : Center for Contemporary Performance to dance workshops at Gibney, this June is a celebration of the global voices shaping our contemporary landscape.

LEARN MORE: next-fest.org/attend

Special thanks to Primo Artists for setting these up!

05/15/2026

What does immigration have to do with the future of American music?

In this personal message, Next Fest Founder Peter Askim 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), Adeliia Faizullina (Uzbekistan), Wang Lu (China), Clarice Assad (Brazil), and Aleksandra Vrebalov (Serbia).

LEARN MORE ABOUT NEXT FEST 2026 (5/29-6/12): next-fest.org/attend