(4/2/25) – Emilio Modeste presents INSTANT ALTER with Kassa Overall & Special Guests
Saxophonist/composer and 2024-2025 Roulette Commissioned Artist presents his new project, INSTANT ALTER, with Natasha Agrama (vocals), Miguel Russell (drums), and Ryoma Takenaga (bass), joined by a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of special guests, including drummer/producer Kassa Overall. INSTANT ALTER’s debut album, produced by legendary bandmates Stanley Clarke and Lenny White, is set to be released later this year.
(4/3/25) Ballister + Luke Stewart
Long-standing international powerhouse Ballister—Dave Rempis (saxophones), Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), PNL (drums)—returns for their first US tour in 3 years, performing as a trio, followed by a quartet featuring bassist Luke Stewart.
(4/4/25) Shahid Parvez/Shakir Kahn: Indian Masters (RBA)
World-renowned sitarist pushes boundaries in a special performance with his son, co-produced by Robert Browning Associates and Lotus Music & Dance.
(4/5/25) Marshall Allen & the New Dawn
Legendary member and band leader of The Sun Ra Arkestra debuts live material from his first solo album, New Dawn, joined by Knoel Scott (saxophone, clarinet), Cecil Brooks (trumpet), George Gray (drums), and RaDu Ben Judah (bass). Presented in partnership with Boom Collective.
(4/8/25) David Leon: Solo
Miami-born saxophonist, woodwinds player, composer/improviser, and 2024-2025 Roulette Resident presents new solo music for saxophone and modular synthesizers.
(4/9/25) Stephan Crump: Slow Water
Memphis-bred, Brooklyn-based composer/bassist presents his new album Slow Water (Papillon Sounds) with Patricia Brennan (vibes), Carrie Frey (viola), Erica Dicker (violin), Jacob Garchik (trombone), and Kenny Warren (trumpet). The work is inspired by science journalist Erica Gies’s book Water Always Wins and the movement to redefine how we live in an era of rapid environmental change.
(4/10/25) Interpretations: Anthony Davis, Earl Howard, Gerry Hemingway, Kyle Motl
Compositions and improvisations featuring Anthony Davis (piano), Earl Howard (saxophone and synthesizer), Gerry Hemingway (percussion) and Kyle Motl (bass) for the Interpretations Series.
(4/11/25) Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers: Sufi Songs of Pakistan (RBA)
Pakistani ensemble returns with riveting interpretations of qawwali, the ecstatic improvisational Sufi vocal tradition, co-produced by Robert Browning Associates and Lotus Music & Dance.
(4/13/25) claire rousay + more eaze
claire rousay and more eaze (the moniker of violinist/multi-instrumentalist mari maurice) perform their new collaborative album no floor (Thrill Jockey), a departure from the auto-tune inflected pop-psychedelia and found sounds of their previous releases, and a shift toward melancholy, pastoral collage music.
(4/15/25) Wayne Horvitz Workshop: Conduction in History and in Practice
A workshop on Lawrence “Butch” Morris’s “Conduction,” a system of hand gestures to structure a composition in real time with improvising musicians. Led by composer and pianist Wayne Horvitz. Part of Roulette’s ongoing 2025 Workshop Series.
(4/16/25) Wayne Horvitz: Collective Music Ensemble / Electric Circus
Horvitz puts his workshop into practice in an evening with two of his ensembles, Collective Music Ensemble and Electric Circus, both incorporating his friend and mentor Butch Morris’s “Conduction.”
(4/17/25) Nicole Mitchell Quartet: JAD – Life to the Fullest
A suite exploring a personal and lyrical side of flutist/composer Nicole Mitchell’s music, in tribute to her Godmother and Minneapolis-based champion of culture in the arts and humanities, Jean Ann Durades. The quartet includes Orrin Evans (piano), Rashaan Carter (bass), and Chad Taylor (drums).
(4/18/2) FourOneOne at Roulette: Alexis Lombre and Special Guests
A soulful, spirit-led evening with the Chicago-born pianist, vocalist, composer, and producer, plus soon-to-be-announced special guests—presented by FourOneOne in partnership with Roulette. The event is the culminating concert of Alexis Lombre’s residency with FourOneOne.
(4/23/25) FREE PALESTINE: Quartets by John King
Begun in 2013, King’s ongoing series has 160+ quartets thus far, each one named after a Palestinian village that has been ethnically cleansed since the Nakba in 1948. Performed by The FLUX Quartet.
(4/24/25) Henry Fraser // Miriam Elhajli (DOUBLE BILL)
Two solo acts, starting with folk singer, composer-improviser, and musicologist Miriam Elhajli, and followed by double bassist Henry Fraser, whose performance is intended to foster communal, intensive listening that includes the audience as essential partners in the creative process.
(4/25/25) Oghlan Bakhshi & Zyyada Jumayeva: Turkmen Music from the Steppes of Iran and Central Asia (RBA)
Two virtuoso dutar players come together to perform an entrancing night of Turkmen music that is rarely performed in the US. Co-produced by Robert Browning Associates and Lotus Music & Dance.
(4/26/25) Simon Shaheen: Music of the Arab World (RBA)
A performance by the Palestinian-American composer/performer—one of the world’s most influential oud players, with accompanying performers TBA. Co-produced by Robert Browning Associates and Lotus Music & Dance.
(4/30/25) Squanderers (Wendy Eisenberg, David Grubbs, Kramer) // Lea Bertucci, Henry Fraser, Cleek Schrey, and Ben Vida (DOUBLE BILL)
Two new groups make their NYC debut: Squanderers is the glowing trio of guitarists Wendy Eisenberg and David Grubbs alongside multi-instrumentalist and legendary producer Kramer, following a new ensemble joining together two duets: Lea Bertucci and Ben Vida with Cleek Schrey and Henry Fraser.
(5/2/25-5/3/25) Long Play Festival
Bang on a Can’s annual 3-day music festival returns to Roulette for its fourth iteration, featuring a stellar lineup of contemporary music all-stars.
(5/8/25) Roulette’s 2025 GALA Honoring Anthony Braxton
Roulette celebrates experimental music legend, NEA Jazz Master, and MacArthur Fellow Anthony Braxton at its Spring Gala. Tickets available now.
(5/11/25) Macie Stewart
Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist-composer-improviser shares new work from her forthcoming album When the Distance is Blue (International Anthem), out March 21, 2025.
(5/14/25) Selendis Sebastian Alexander Johnson // Alfredo Colon (DOUBLE BILL)
San Francisco-born vibraphonist/trombonist presents her 20-piece big band and her composition Symphony No. 1, which structurally embodies a chronological representation of her experience being trans. // Dominican-American saxophonist, composer, and former Roulette Awarded Artist Alfredo Colón opens with a new set of works for his quintet.
(5/20/25) Lia Kohl // Shane Parish (DOUBLE BILL)
Chicago-based sound artist and composer Lia Kohl performs her recent solo album, Normal Sounds: cello and synthesizer improvisations in conversation with field recordings (Moon Glyph). // Guitarist Shane Parish plays a solo acoustic opening set featuring music from his acclaimed 2024 album, Repertoire (Palilalia Records).
(5/21/25) Yarn/Wire: Currents (2025)
In this edition of Yarn/Wire: Currents, continuing the quartet’s commissioning series (since 2013), Yarn/Wire gives world premieres of two new works by Ashkan Behzadi and Kari Watson.
(5/23/25) John Zorn: New Masada Quartet
Zorn’s beloved ensemble featuring guitar master Julian Lage, bass wizard Jorge Roeder and 30-year Zorn veteran Kenny Wollesen returns to Roulette for the fourth consecutive year for one tight and telepathic set.
(5/25/25) No Land: Double Twilight
Poet and visual artist presents a work of sonic-poetry featuring ensembles of luminous collaborators—including Oliver Ray, Daniel Carter, Shahzad Ismaily, Miriam Parker, and others—for her 2024-2025 Roulette Commission.
(5/27/25) Hans Tammen & Dark Circuits Orchestra: Bohnenberger’s Machine
A large ensemble performance of Tammen’s piece juxtaposing the sonorities of about 20 analog synthesizers with voices and a rhythm section of bass and drums.
(5/29/25) Carlos Niño & Friends
A prolific album producer, expansive percussionist, experimental composer, connector, and communicator, Carlos Niño is known primarily for his main project Carlos Niño & Friends, and for his extensive work on André 3000’s New Blue Sun. Here he presents new material with some very special friends.
(6/10/25) Nava Dunkelman: Arrhythmia
Percussionist, improviser, and 2024-2025 Roulette Resident presents an audio-visual performance with Maria Takeuchi (electronics/visuals), Yoko Murakami (movement), and Akiha Yamakami (visuals).
(6/11/25) Marc Ribot with Shahzad Ismaily
New work from legendary guitarist Marc Ribot with Shahzad Ismaily on drums, guitar, and harmonium.
(6/12/25) Elias Stemeseder
For his 2024-2025 Roulette Commission, the multi-instrumentalist/composer shares a new work of plucked, beaten and electronic instruments in surround sound, with his S-L ensemble featuring Stemeseder (harpsichord, lautenwerk), DoYeon Kim (gayageum), Simon Kanzler (signal processing, sound spatialisation), Shakoor Hakeem (percussion), and others.
(6/13/25) Wet Ink Ensemble
The New York contemporary music ensemble Wet Ink presents new work from their Artists-In-Residence program, premiering compositions by Gelsey Bell (voice/daxophone), Ben LaMar Gay (cornet), Carolyn Chen (keyboards), and Aurora Nealand (saxophone).
(6/18/25) Che Chen / Peter Zummo / Special Guest // Mikel Patrick Avery (DOUBLE BILL)
Improvising trio for guitar, trombone, percussion, and more. // Philly-based drummer, composer/improviser, and multidisciplinary artist Mikel Patrick Avery opens solo.
(6/20/25) Old and New Dreams: The Music of Henry Threadgill – Air, Sextett
Roulette celebrates composer Henry Threadgill with two nights dedicated to ensembles from throughout his career. Night ONE features recently formed “legacy” bands: Air (Marty Ehrlich, Pheeroan akLaff, Hilliard Green) and Sextett (Frank Lacy, Mike Lee, Brian Simontacci, Christopher Hoffman, James Robbins, Pheeroan akLaff).
(6/21/25) Old and New Dreams: The Music of Henry Threadgill – Very Very Circus, Make a Move
Roulette celebrates composer Henry Threadgill with two nights dedicated to ensembles from throughout his career. Night TWO features recently formed “legacy” bands: Very Very Circus (Marcus Rojas, Chris Bates, Brandon Ross, Jose Davila, Miles Okazaki, Gene Lake, Noah Becker) and Make a Move (Brandon Ross, Darius Jones, David Virelles, Stomu Takeishi, JT Lewis).
(6/24/25) Terry Riley 90th Birthday: In C / The Holy Liftoff
A celebration of Terry Riley’s birthday with two of his major works, generative open scores written 60 years apart: The Holy Liftoff (2024) (which premiered recently to acclaim), performed by Claire Chase (solo), and Riley’s legendary In C (1964). Organized by musicians Nick Hallett and Zach Layton, the night brings together a diverse cross-section of the experimental music ecosystem.
(6/25/25) Myra Melford’s Fire and Water
Pianist, composer, and “stalwart of the new-jazz movement,” (The New Yorker) performs with her dynamic all-star quintet and a brand new book of music, featuring Ingrid Laubrock (saxophones), Mary Halvorson (guitar), Tomeka Reid (cello), and Lesley Mok (drums).
(6/26/25) Holland Andrews: parallels / deep touch / generational cavalry
An improvisational score by the vocalist/composer that draws parallels between the shared phenomena of the gift of clairaudience in their lineage, as well as parallels between fascist powers destroying the planet and how they mirror the destruction of collective and individual self-empowerment.
(6/27/25) FUSE ENSEMBLE WITH PAMELA Z: SPEECH AND SILENCE
A rare performance of Pamela Z’s Ways of Looking, with the composer on voice and electronics, along with other works by Nicole Mitchell and Brittany J. Green performed by the electroacoustic chamber group, Fuse Ensemble.
(6/28/25) Arone Dyer’s Dronechoir
A boundary-blurring, ever-shifting choral performance that seeks to introduce a heightened sense of engagement and intimacy from the performers and the audience. Commissioned by Roulette with funding from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).
