EarRelevant Staff | 8 JAN 2026
ATLANTA, Georgia— Atlanta-based contemporary music ensemble Chamber Cartel has announced plans for its 15th season, which will include four public concerts, several world premieres by local and national composers, a summer recording project, and additional private salon performances.
The season opens with Chamber Cartel’s ninth appearance at the 2026 SoundNOW Festival on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. The free concert will feature composer Matt Sargent, along with music by Drew Baker and Kaija Saariaho.
In the spring, Chamber Cartel will collaborate with Bent Frequency and other Atlanta new-music ensembles to present Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians on Sunday, May 3, at 2 p.m. The performance will take place at Florence Kopleff Recital Hall.
During the summer of 2026, the ensemble will work with composer Thomas DeLio on a new recording project.
The group’s third concert of the season will include premieres by composers Nickitas Demos, Jordan Benator, and Christopher Adler. Benator is an Atlanta-based composer associated with the Atlanta Space Quartet and the Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective.
The season concludes in fall 2026 with a revival of Iannis Xenakis’ percussion sextet Pleiades. Chamber Cartel previously gave the Southeastern premiere of the work in October 2016 at the Goat Farm Arts Center. The piece is scored for six percussionists and features the Sixxen, a set of handmade 19-note metal keyboard instruments. Chamber Cartel founder, artistic director, and percussionist Caleb Herron constructed a set of Sixxen for the ensemble; fewer than 50 such sets are believed to exist worldwide.
In addition to its mainstage concerts, Chamber Cartel plans to present a series of private salon concerts during the season as a fundraising initiative and to engage more closely with supporters.
More information about Chamber Cartel, including recordings and upcoming events, is available through the ensemble’s website (chambercartel.org) and its Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and social media platforms. Inquiries about private salon concerts can be directed to chambercartel@gmail.com. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Chamber Cartel: chambercartel.org
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