PRINCETON
SOUND
KITCHEN

A note from PSK Director, Donnacha Dennehy

Welcome to the Princeton Sound Kitchen, our series of concerts of new music by graduate students and faculty at Princeton University presented throughout the year. Previously known as the Composer’s Ensemble since its inception in 1985, the series was renamed Princeton Sound Kitchen by its then-director, Prof. Barbara White, in 2013.

I love the name ‘Princeton Sound Kitchen.’ It conjures up images of compositions, sounds, notes being cooked up and brought to life. It also more accurately describes what the series has become. Students develop sketches which, more often than not, are then workshopped by visiting groups and soloists who then return to give concerts of the completed compositions a few months later. There is a feedback process between the composers and performers that is essential to the development of new work, and it often feeds into the lessons that those students have with faculty during the year too.  

Some of the world’s leading new music groups have been involved in Princeton Sound Kitchen, including Alarm Will Sound, Yarn/Wire, Sō Percussion, Crash Ensemble, and Aizuiri Quartet, to name just a few. But also there is the possibility to develop work that operates outside a kind of ensemble culture, incorporating improvisation, installation and close collaboration with inspired and open-eared performers and artists. Eventually, when the public-facing concerts and events are held, it presents the opportunity that is vital to all creators: to hear and experience their music through the ears of their colleagues, friends and interested listeners. I always find that moment so fascinating. Suddenly you hear things in your music that you never heard or imagined until that point.