Bassist and composer James Ilgenfritz (2011 AIR) returns to ISSUE, joined by Joe McPhee and AC Diamond for their first performance as a trio. This event marks a new shared context for three artists deeply invested in improvisation as a mode of inquiry.
ISSUE presents the premiere of three audiovisual compositions by Matt Mottel (2010 AIR). These works bring Mottel’s distinct artistic sensibility into dialogue with formative figures in his life and in New York’s avant-garde, tracing a lineage that is both deeply personal and central to ISSUE’s history.
Monarch Butterfly by rocío sánchez (2026 AIR) features Melissa Almaguer (tap dance and percussion) and Kenneth Jiménez (double bass). Together, the trio explores the elusive monarch’s migratory journey through sound and movement, with each instrument articulating distinct states of motion.
Isabella Thorpe-Woods presents "Envelop/e," her second program as ISSUE’s 2026 Suzanne Fiol Curatorial Fellow. Bringing together choreographers Jade Manns and Ella Dawn W-S for site-specific duets, they navigate presence and absence, repetition and rupture, and the tension between inherited geometries and shifting landscapes.
"Spiriting Off" is a new solo work by luthier Webb Crawford (2026 AIR) for electric guitar, tenor banjo, and five-string banjo.
ISSUE closes the summer season with the return of Matana Roberts (2009 AIR). Opening the evening, Ben Vida (2013 AIR) will perform music from his 2026 release, "Oblivion Seekers" with vocalist Sara Magenheimer.
With Womens Work
ISSUE is pleased to stream Soleil Solace, a new work by multidisciplinary artist and experimental musician Julia Santoli in collaboration with sound artists Caroline Partamian and Suzueri.
ISSUE is pleased to stream ENDEAVORING PURITY, a new work by sound artist, producer, and DJ SYANIDE, part of the Womens Work series.
With Womens Work
ISSUE is pleased to stream Vulnerability & Growth, an erotic short film by artist and interdisciplinary designer Crystal Peñalosa, part of the With Womens Work series.
Choreographer and performer Ayano Elson responds to a score by pioneering composer and accordionist Pauline Oliveros as a part of the With Womens Work series.
With Womens Work
ISSUE is pleased to host an event for ISSUE Members with Annea Lockwood and crys cole in conversation around their respective work, as well as the formation and influence of the Womens Work scores. The conversation and Q&A will be moderated by Irene Revell.
With Womens Work
Wednesday, February 3rd at 8pm EST, ISSUE is pleased to stream sound artist crys cole’s Valid ForeverrRrrRRrrr… (pt.1), a lockdown interpretation of composer Beth Anderson’s Valid For Life.
Thursday, January 28th, ISSUE and Abrons Arts Center are pleased to present a new video piece by Elysia Crampton Chuquimia, as well as the premiere of Seasons in a Quasar, a new collaborative work by Brooklyn-based vocalist and producer Embaci and South African via NYC artist Dasychira.
Artists-In-Residence 2020
Composer and performer John McCowen presents his third and final performance as a 2020 ISSUE Artist-In-Residence with LOW QUARTET, featuring Leila Bordreuil, Zach Rowden, & Lester St. Louis.