New Music Edmonton’s mission is to contribute to an accessible, healthy, and vibrant artistic ecosystem through support and professional-level presentation of music and sound-oriented art by creatives at diverse career stages who represent the diversity of Amiskwaciy-wâskahikan ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ / Edmonton, and to further engage the public through inspiring community outreach programs.
Our Story
New Music Edmonton (NME) was founded in 1985 by local composers at the suggestion of their teacher, composer Violet Archer. The group began a new concert series in 1985 under the name The Edmonton Composers’ Concert Society. In the nearly four decades since, New Music Edmonton (its name since 2012) has evolved into a multi-faceted presenter and regional hub for diverse, sound-oriented artistic practices. New Music Edmonton’s mandate is to professionally support this creative work through commissioning, professional presentations, and outreach initiatives. Ensuring that these events are as accessible as possible is one of our chief priorities.
Sonic Creativity
Contemporary composition and chamber music, free improvisation, electronic music, sound art, and interdisciplinary projects are among the practices that New Music Edmonton highlights. A careful balance between innovative local and visiting artists informs our programming and commissioning of new work. Each season offers a rich combination of artists and practices, introducing local audiences to unfamiliar, visiting artists, and offering local artists both live performance opportunities and international exposure via digital dissemination.
Collaboration is a high priority with us: we are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to work with collaborators in other disciplines whose perspective might foster new ideas and creative cross-pollination. New Music Edmonton enjoys a growing list of partner organizations across the city and beyond. Increasingly, our seasons reflect the benefits of collaborative practices, including those that transcend discipline, and which are at the creative heart of our fast-growing city.
Community
NME is the only publicly-funded organization in this region whose sole purpose is to advocate and support the always-intriguing and ever-evolving categories of sound-inclusive art production. As a result, we have the privilege of working within a uniquely dynamic, fast-changing community of creatives. As such, we are keenly aware of our responsibility to accurately represent the diversity of the artistic community, and the community as a whole, and to honour the Indigenous heritage of the Treaty Six region. Through direct actions, policies, and consultations, NME will continue to contribute to these areas, moving steadily and sustainably towards the goal of reflecting both the creative practices and the demographics of our region.
Equity
New Music Edmonton recognizes that treating all people equally does not guarantee fairness, but can instead reinforce extant biases. As such, in contributing to a reliably equitable environment in our own presentations, the arts generally, and society as a whole, we endorse and have adopted policies whose outcomes promote fair distribution of opportunities.
Structure
New Music Edmonton is an artist-driven, member-based organization headed by a volunteer Board of Directors, who are elected for a 2-year term by The Membership. For the sake of continuity, we hold elections for half of the board positions each year. The Board elects from within itself an Executive, and The President appoints committees. All votes of the Membership are conducted electronically to ensure maximum participation. The Board plans all areas of operation in consultation with our staff and Membership.
We hold monthly, minuted meetings. An Annual General Meeting is held once a year, and members may initiate an Extraordinary General Meeting. Membership is open to anyone, and costs $10/year.
Our Staff comprises five part-time, full-year contracted employees, including Artistic Director, General Manager, Production Manager, Social Media Coordinator, and Podcast Series Emcee/Senior Producer.
Ben Whittier
President
Ben Whittier is a saxophonist with a profound interest in performing, teaching, improvising, and composing diverse music and sounds. Since completing his Doctorate of Music degree from the University of Alberta in 2022, Ben has been active performing and teaching music in the vibrant Edmonton community and at Edmonton universities. In addition to teaching and performing, Ben works passionately with New Music Edmonton and the Edmonton International Jazz Festival to present and support a variety of artists to audiences throughout Edmonton.
Darren Kooyman
Vice-president
Darren Kooyman is an Alberta born artist who works in abstract acrylic painting, musical composition, screen-printing, and digital imaging.
Diana Tayler
Treasurer
Diana Tayler is a composer, arranger, performer (harp, voice) and musical educator based on Treaty 6 Territory in Edmonton, Alberta. Diana turned to composition as a medium for her artistic expression after spending many years travelling across the country and abroad, engaging and performing with diverse musical communities in Asia and Eastern Europe. Diana has completed graduate studies in composition and linguistics at the University of Alberta. She is active in community music as a clinician, in local arts organisations, and in Edmonton’s vibrant choral community.
Shea Iles
Secretary
Shea Iles is a Métis composer from Grande Prairie, Alberta. He graduated from MacEwan University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Music in Composition and is currently working towards a Master’s degree at the University of Calgary. His musical background consists largely of rock, pop, and jazz, but he was introduced to contemporary classical music through New Music Edmonton concerts. This led to the premiere of his own works “Two Sonnets for Piano Trio” for Land’s End Ensemble at the Alchemy Festival 2023 and “pen and ink for solo cello,” for India Gailey in January 2024, hosted by NME. His compositional process often integrates extramusical inspiration such as film, visual art, and poetry.
Lisa Bourque
Director
Lisa Bourque is an emerging artist born in Fort McMurray and living in Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta). She holds a BFA of Art and Design from the University of Alberta, focusing primarily in oil painting. Since 2024 she has worked as a DJ under the name “Lisa Lo”, cultivating multiple projects within Edmonton’s alternative music community.
Lisa currently leases a studio at Family Drugs Gallery and Collective, where she helps with studio maintenance and installation. Being there since 2023, she hopes to contribute to the downtown Edmonton arts district with this new artist-run center.
Dylan Campbell
Director
Dylan F. Campbell (He/Him) is a Musician, Composer, and Producer currently residing in Edmonton. Holding a BMus in composition from MacEwan University, Dylan bases his practice around sonic exploration, experimentation, and creative play. As the guitarist of activist band First Gen, Dylan works to help champion the voices of first-generation immigrants and create more diverse spaces within the Edmonton music community. Dylan supports young musicians in his work as part of the student services team at Sarah McLachlan School of Music.
Reid Contreras Woelfle
Director
Reid Contreras Woelfle is a Canadian composer, drummer and music educator. He has worked across both Canada and Europe with various musicians and ensembles to perform and compose new works. Reid continually experiments with blending different musical styles and techniques, and he is always striving to create music that is both technically complex and emotionally compelling. Reid holds a bachelor’s degree in music from MacEwan University specializing in composition and music education. He is currently pursuing his Master of Music in Composition at the University of British Columbia
Randi Gallipeau (she/her)
Director
I was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I am 31 years old and am in the middle of completing my 4th year of my Bachelor of Music in Composition at Grant MacEwan University. I was placed in piano lessons at the age of 4, but didn’t truly fall in love with music until I realized I could make up new music. At around 10 years old I would sit for hours at the piano playing sounds to accompany the imaginary landscapes, scenes, and movies in my head. I came to realize late in my young adult life that if I was to do one thing for the rest of my life, it would have to be music. So, I began my music education journey and hope to continue to be involved with music in any and potentially every capacity going forward.
Illia Pokotylo
Director
I’m originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, where I grew up and completed my undergraduate degree at the National Music Academy of Ukraine, graduating in 2021. My major was Cultural Studies, with a strong focus on Western music history and theory. After spending a year in Kraków, Poland, I came to Canada in November 2022 to start a Master of Arts program in Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta. I defended my thesis in May 2025 and will have my convocation in November. Currently, I’m working part-time at the Kule Folklore Centre, located in the Old Arts Building at the University of Alberta, and I’m planning to apply for a PhD program in the same department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies..
Ryan Korbutt
Director
Ryan Korbutt is a composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Edmonton, Alberta. He is currently in his fourth year of study in the Bachelor of Music program at MacEwan University with a major in Composition. As a composer pursuing his undergrad, he is devoting his compositional work and studies to exploring as broad a swathe of styles of music as he can. In March 2025 he received the Ayrshire Composition Award through MacEwan University to compose a Latin piece for the university’s Global Music Ensemble during the Fall 2025 semester. After completing his Bachelor degree he hopes to continue building his composition portfolio and hopefully attend Graduate studies.
Craig Martell
Director
I have been a concert promoter and art curator for 15 years. I was the owner/operator of Wunderbar, have been a talent buyer at The Buckingham, The Starlite Room and Bohemia and developed the music program for The Sewing Machine Factory, The Almanac and Marigold Rooftop.I run Double Lunch Productions and ran Double Lunch Records. I am a music writer and social media manager at Cups n Cakes Network. I’ve also been the regional entertainment manager for all The Rec Room and Cineplex VIP Cinemas in Western Canada, developing their live entertainment program. I am experienced with marketing, budgeting and strategic planning. I am currently a board member of The Avonmore Community League.
Chenoa Anderson (she/her)
General Manager
Chenoa Anderson is a flutist who has been commissioning and performing new repertoire for over 25 years. Current collaborations include UltraViolet, a mixed chamber group specializing in composed and improvised repertoire; Mixtur with composer Ian Crutchley, performing experimental repertoire for flutes, electronics, video and found instruments; and improvising with damn magpies. Chenoa has been the General Manager of New Music Edmonton since 2012, and in 2014 was nominated for the Syncrude Award for Excellence in Arts Management. She has a large garden and small orchard, too many knitting projects, and an expert-level cat. Photo credit: Levi Manchak
Ian Crutchley (he/him)
Artistic Director
Ian Crutchley is Artistic Director of New Music Edmonton as well as a former President of The Board of Directors. He works closely with members of the organization as well as colleagues in the community to help develop NME’s seasons of live events and outreach, and to build and evolve the organization’s equitable approach to programming. Ian’s ongoing education in creativity and in life have been informed by phenomenal teachers, students, and a remarkable menagerie of wise, sharing and loving people he has known at work and at play. A classical composer by training, his practice has broadened in recent years to include improvisation and performances with dancers and other artists.
Ryan Hemphill
Production Manager
Ryan M. Hemphill is a Canadian composer based in Edmonton, Alberta. His music explores the mechanical nature of musical instruments, the incidental musicality of machines, and the contemplation of contemporary soundscapes; combining live musicians, algorithmic composition, and electromechanical devices. Thanks to grants from the Edmonton Arts Council and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, he has been able to conduct research on the collaborations of Seattle-artist Trimpin and American composer Conlon Nancarrow, and the digitization of Nancarrow’s Studies for Player Piano.
Hemphill has worked for several arts organizations as an artistic manager, and is currently the production manager for New Music Edmonton. Recently, he has become impassioned by ceramic arts, and has been enjoying his time refining his skills as a potter at Studio 72 in Edmonton.
Oskar Zybart
NME The No Normal podcast Series Emcee and Senior Producer
Oskar Zybart is a musician and broadcaster, born and raised in Edmonton. His musical tastes range from the popular and traditional, to the experimental and abstract. A concert performer since the early 1990s, he continues to work with other artists as a player and mentor – both on stage and in the studio. With over a decade of experience in broadcast media, Oskar has introduced audiences to new sounds and traditions through his ongoing work as the host of various programs for CKUA Radio.
