Birmingham Contemporary Music Group

Established in 1987 by Simon Clugston and Ulrich Heinen, both players with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group functions as a Birmingham-based chamber ensemble devoted exclusively to new music. Simon Rattle served as its founding patron. In addition to conventional fundraising, the ensemble launched its “Sound Investment” scheme, enabling individuals to underwrite specific commissions; participants receive a signed copy of the score or its title page and may observe rehearsals leading to the first performance. More than 175 new pieces have resulted, encompassing works by established figures such as Thea Musgrave and Kevin Volans as well as scores by composers who were still early in their careers when first engaged by the group. A further initiative, the “NEXT Music Study Programme in Contemporary Performance,” remains Britain’s sole training course centered on the performance of contemporary repertoire. Although the ensemble frequently appears without a conductor, it has maintained a sequence of artistic leaders: Thomas Adès (1998–2000), Stephen Newbould (2001–2016), and Stephan Meier (2016–). Regular Birmingham appearances take place at the CBSO Centre, Town Hall, and Symphony Hall, while London engagements occur at Wigmore Hall, the BBC Proms, and the Aldeburgh Festival. International activity has reached the Library of Congress in the United States, numerous European venues, and locations in India. The majority of the group’s recordings have appeared on the NMC label, several of which received major awards; a 2019 NMC release presented David Sawer’s Rumpelstiltskin.