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.
Saturday, February 25 ISSUE presents a durational performance between The Necks and a host of invited special guests (to be announced). Starting at 4pm, this long durational, single piece will contain overlapping sets featuring special guests, friends and colleagues of The Necks featuring six hours of continuous music
Friday, February 24th The Necks appear in a standalone performance showcasing their psychic coherence and renowned style of conjuring the mesmerizing, oceanic vistas the trio has embarked upon over their stunning experimental tenure.
Thursday, February 23rd, Chris Abrahams, Lloyd Swanton and Tony Buck each perform solo sets showcasing their distinct instrumental approaches that emphasize independent performative contributions to their collaborative music.
Join ISSUE for an intimate benefit performance with The Necks on Wednesday, February 22nd over cocktails, and hors d'oeuvres from Rucola. Following the performance, the group appears in a Q&A conversation moderated by Nate Wooley. The evening supports rare appearances by international artists at ISSUE during 2017.
Known for his electronic improvisation and use of infrasound, Mario de Vega works in a variety of media all coinciding in an impressive collection of site-specific sonic interventions. Opening the evening, composer and installation artist Cecilia Lopez presents RED -- a work investigating unstable feedback systems.
ISSUE brings together venerable improviser Loren Connors, vocalist and flutist Isobel Sollenberger, best known for her fronting the celebrated Philadelphian psych band Bardo Pond, and poet Steve Dalachinsky for a layered evening of guitar, flute and poetry.
Fearless improviser, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Anaïs Maviel presents a special solo set and an extended collaboration with acclaimed bassist, Michael Bisio, for her debut performance at ISSUE. Maviel first performs a solo vocal set, accompanying herself on the surdo (Brazilian drum) and n’goni.
