MISSION

The International Foundation for Contemporary Music is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation, performance, and education of contemporary music around the world.

HISTORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR CONTEMPORARY MUSIC

The International Foundation for Contemporary Music was founded in 2010 by Michael and Mary Kirkendoll in Eudora, Kansas. In 2021 Brianna Matzke was named the Foundation’s new President and CEO, and foundation headquarters were relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio. From the beginning, the IFCM's mission has been to support the creation, performance, and education of contemporary music around the world, and to that end, 2010 saw the founding of our flagship program, the Cortona Sessions for New Music. Throughout the 2010s the IFCM expanded to present a community-based concert series in Kansas called Concerts @ the Hammert, as well as sponsoring and supporting multiple commissioning and performing ensembles and initiatives.

IFCM PROJECTS

Today, the IFCM fulfills our mission to support the creation, performance, and education of contemporary music around the world through our many programs. Educational Programs include the Cortona Sessions for New Music, as well as plans in place to announce new educational programs in 2025. The IFCM Commissioning Programs include the Cincinnati-based initiative, The Response Project, and The Heibert Prize for Contemporary Music Performance at the Cortona Sessions. IFCM-Sponsored Performing Ensembles include New Morse Code, Duo Cortona, and The Cortona Collective. And finally, alumni of any IFCM Educational Programs are eligible for fee-free fiscal sponsorship.

DIVERSITY

The International Foundation for Contemporary Music is committed to supporting the creation of inclusive, supportive, and open environments for music study, performance, and personal development across the music world. We envision musical and educational experiences in which everyone involved feels equally important, equally respected, and equally supported in both their art and their personal convictions. To that end, the IFCM has no tolerance for discrimination of any kind, and is particularly sensitive to issues affecting race, gender, and sexuality. We deliberately invite and sustain collaborations with artists who represent a range of compositional styles and a diverse range of contemporary music experiences in order to encourage an experience that benefits all, and furthers some of these social goals.

International Foundation for Contemporary Music

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