TEMPO Ensemble

(The Epicenter Musical Performance Organization), dedicated to the pursuit, performance, and perseverance of contemporary music, was formed in 2008 at California State University, Northridge by Daniel Kessner and Julia Heinen. The ensemble of flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, and percussion consists of faculty, alumni, and friends, all of whom share a passion for performing works from the 20th and 21st centuries. In addition to TEMPO’s concerts each season at CSUN, the group has been invited to perform as the guest ensemble at Fresno’s New Music Festival, as well as on the guest artist series at Dabney Lounge at the California Institute of Technology. Aside from programming established contemporary works, TEMPO hosts an annual call for scores and selects several works each season from composers from around the world who submit their new or recently composed works for possible performances by the ensemble. This season, four works were chosen for this honor: Ingrid Stölzel’s “The Voice of the Rain”; Lansing McLoskey’s “Specific Gravity 2.72”; Wendy Lee’s “Silent Blooms”; and Ryan Molloy’s “Gornagarn II”. This year, TEMPO celebrates its 10th season of bringing contemporary music to the world.