Boston Musica Viva

Boston Musica Viva is a Boston, Massachusetts-based music ensemble founded by its music director, Richard Pittman, in 1969 and dedicated to contemporary music.

Composers and compositions
In its 44-year history, Boston Musica Viva has performed more than 600 works by over 250 composers. These include over 150 works written specifically for BMV, over 160 world premieres, and over 75 Boston premieres. Among the composers whose work the ensemble has performed are Pulitzer Prize-winners Ellen Taaffe Zwilich John Harbison, Joseph Schwantner and Steven Stucky.

World premieres
Boston Musica Viva has presented the world premieres of Thea Musgrave’s opera The Mocking-Bird, John Harbison’s A Full Moon in March, Theo Loevendie’s Gassir, the Hero, Martin Brody’s Heart of a Dog, and John Eaton’s Traveling with Gulliver.

Touring
In addition to its Boston concert season, Boston Musica Viva’s touring engagements have taken them to Lincoln Center, the Library of Congress, the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the 92nd Street Y, Tanglewood, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of Michigan. The ensemble has made eight tours of Europe, making appearances that included the Settembre Musica Festival in Turin, Italy.

Boston Musica Viva has recorded for the Albany, Neuma, Delos, CRI,  Nonesuch, Newport Classic and Northeastern Records labels.

Boston Musica Viva received an Aaron Copland Fund grant in 1993 and in 2003, the ensemble received the ASCAP/Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming.

Partial list of composers with works premiered or performed by Boston Musica Viva

 * John Cage
 * Elliott Carter
 * Peter Child
 * Osvaldo Golijov
 * Patrick Greene
 * John Harbison
 * Donald Harris
 * Bernard Hoffer
 * Shirish Korde
 * William Kraft


 * Gyorgy Kurtag
 * Joyce Mekeel
 * Frederic Rzewski
 * Gunther Schuller
 * Joseph Schwantner
 * Ralph Shapey
 * Rand Steiger
 * Steven Stucky
 * Andy Vores
 * Jörg Widmann


 * Chen Yi
 * Evan Ziporyn
 * Ellen Taaffe Zwilich

Violin

 * Bayla Keyes
 * Danielle Maddon
 * Cecile Garcia-Moeller
 * Mary Crowder Hess

Viola

 * Willine Thoe
 * Katherine Murdock

Cello

 * Jan Mueller-Szeraws
 * Ronald Thomas
 * Bruce Coppock

Contrabass

 * Carolyn Davis Fryer

Flute

 * John Heiss (1969–74)
 * Fenwick Smith
 * Renee Krimsier
 * Mauricio Garcia
 * Alicia DiDonato (2003–2008)
 * Ann K. Bobo (2008–present)

Oboe

 * Nancy Dimock

Clarinet

 * William Kirkley

Bassoon

 * Greg Newton

French horn

 * Rick Menaul
 * Bob Marlatt
 * Jean Rife

Trumpet

 * Steve Banzaert

Trombone

 * Robert Couture

Timpani

 * Jeffrey Fischer

Percussion

 * Robert Schulz
 * Dean Anderson

Piano

 * Hugh Hinton
 * Geoffrey Burleson
 * Bruce Brubaker
 * Evelyn Zuckerman

Performers who have appeared with Boston Musica Viva

 * Composer, conductor and pianist Rob Kapilow
 * Vocalist Dominique Eade
 * Mezzo-soprano Janice Felty
 * Pianist Randall Hodgkinson
 * Mezzo-soprano Pamela Dellal
 * Soprano Elizabeth Keusch
 * Soprano Emily Thorner