The 12th Ivy International Music Festival opens its New York chapter with a forward-looking evening: the New Works Showcase Concert, to be held on July 29, 2026 at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music. More than a concert title, “New Works” is a statements for the Festival’s artistic intent—an invitation to listen for what is being written now, and for the voices shaping classical music’s next vocabulary.

Set in one of New York’s most respected venues for chamber music and contemporary programming, the concert brings together emerging composers and performers from the Ivy community to present newly created pieces alongside fresh interpretations of recent repertoire. Here, “new” does not simply mean unfamiliar. It means music that still carries the warmth of first breath—ideas not yet worn smooth by repetition, textures that ask the ear to stay curious, and stories that belong unmistakably to our time.

The New Works Showcase is also a statement about the Festival’s structure. Built on the foundation of the Ivy International Music Competition, the Ivy International Music Festival extends beyond awards and rankings into a broader ecosystem of artistry: performance opportunities, masterclasses, and cross-cultural exchange. By giving new works a dedicated stage, the Festival affirms a simple but essential belief—young musicians are not only inheritors of tradition, but active contributors to it.

The evening at DiMenna marks the beginning of a Festival journey that continues across the U.S. East Coast, connecting cities, institutions, and audiences through music-making at the highest level. On July 29, New York will hear not only what these artists can play—but what they have to say.