UT Contemporary Music Festival
March 2 – 3, 2026
The University of Tennessee’s Natalie L. Haslam College of Music’s annual Contemporary Music Festival invites audiences to experience today’s most innovative music. Each spring, the festival transforms campus into a hub of bold ideas, boundary-pushing sound, and creative exploration through concerts of new music, engaging workshops, and thought-provoking discussions.
Open to music lovers and the curious alike, the festival brings together visionary performers, scholars, and composers from around the world, offering a rare opportunity to hear cutting-edge works and witness the creative process up close.
This year, we are thrilled to welcome acclaimed guest composer Tanner Porter, whose work exemplifies the innovation and imagination at the heart of the festival.
Tanner Porter
Tanner Porter is a composer-performer and songwriter. In her “original art songs that are by turns seductive and confessional” (Steve Smith, The New Yorker), Tanner explores her passion for storytelling, often framing her work within the imagery of the California coast she grew up on. Tanner’s orchestral music, described as “drop-dead gorgeous” (Jim Munson, Broadway World), has been commissioned by the San Francisco Ballet, Louisville Orchestra, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Reno Chamber Orchestra, Nu Deco Ensemble, and the New York Youth Symphony, among others.
Music as a vehicle for the mingling of artistic mediums is at the heart of Tanner’s work, stemming from a reverence for theatrical productions, and a deep love of song arrangement. She is thrilled to have collaborated with choreographer Claudia Schreier on two new ballets: Slipstream, for the Boston Ballet, and Kin, commissioned by the San Francisco Ballet and hailed as “a total-stage spectacle” (Rachel Howard, SF Chronicle).
2026 Schedule
All events are in the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center. Please note this schedule is subject to change. Please refer to this webpage for the most up-to-date information.
Monday, March 2
5:30 PM | Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall | Pilot Light Out Series Documentary by David Kline
Improvised set to follow with the UT Electroacoustic Ensemble & UT Music alumni.
7:30 PM | | Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall | Concert
The evening will feature performances of works written by Tanner Porter:
- And Even These Small Wonders | Wesley Baldwin, cello
- Lyla, You Are Not Alone | Tanner Porter, voice and Wesley Baldwin, cello
- A Sky To Love More
- Tanner Porter, voice
- Adrian Pena, violin 1
- Hope Welsh, violin 2
- Hillary Herndon, viola
- Wesley Baldwin, cello
- Eileen Downey, piano
Tuesday, March 3
10 AM – 11:30 AM | Research paper sessions
12:55 – 2:10 PM | G40 | Studio Class
Open rehearsal and workshop with Tanner Porter and Professors Kevin Zetina and Denin Slage-Koch.
5:30 PM | Concert
Performances of new works for voice, guitar, and vibraphone by MM composition students, faculty Ryan Lindveit, and CMF call-for-scores winner Meadow Bridgham.
- Tanner Porter, voice
- Denin-Slage Koch, guitar
- Kevin Zetina, vibraphone