Established in 2010, Composers Now has been uplifting the voice of living composers of every genre and medium through performances of opera, musical theater, vocal and orchestral ensembles, as well as dance.  The Dialogue Series, started in 2015, brings these working composers together with an audience to openly converse about what it means to compose and perform in today’s day and age.

Tonight's event finds Composers Now founder & artistic director Tania León in conversation with Jazz Generations Initiative (JGI) co-founder Courtney Bryan, alongside New Orleans composers Sultana Isham and JGI cohort member Steve Lands. The conversation is also accompanied by a performance.

6:30pm Doors | 7:00pm Program

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Marking 15 years of championing living composers and amplifying their diverse creative voices, the renowned Composers Now will continue the celebration of its milestone anniversary season in a city synonymous with musical innovation with Dialogues in New Orleans at the New Orleans Jazz Museum on Thursday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m. This special presentation will launch a dynamic Fall/Winter 2026-2027 season of performances, world premieres, new commissions and composer-centered conversations designed to connect audiences directly with the creators shaping music today.

Dialogues in New Orleans will feature three Louisiana-rooted composer-performers, spotlighting the breadth and vitality of the region’s contemporary landscape to include: New Orleans native, 2023 MacArthur Fellow and composer-pianist Courtney Bryan; Baton Rouge–born composer and trumpeter Steve Lands; and award-winning composer and violinist Sultana Isham. Designed to place composers and their creative processes at the center of the experience, Dialogues pairs live performance with conversation, giving audiences insight into the ideas, influences and creative processes behind their work.

Bringing a distinct musical perspective to the stage, each composer will share a chamber work of approximately 10 minutes. Bryan will perform an excerpt from her piano concerto House of Pianos, newly arranged for piano and string quintet. Lands will perform the Prelude and Part 1 of his Draconid Suite for trumpet, piano and strings. Isham will share a work for string ensemble informed by her interdisciplinary approach to sound and storytelling.

Composers Now empowers all living composers, celebrates the diversity of their voices and honors the significance of their artistic contributions to the cultural fabric of society. LEARN MORE: https://www.composersnow.org/