OUR HISTORY

MATA Founders Philip Glass, Lisa Bielawa, and Eleonor Sandresky take a bow at MATA's 20th Anniversary Gala

MATA Founders Philip Glass, Lisa Bielawa, and Eleonor Sandresky take a bow at MATA's 20th Anniversary Gala

MATA was founded in 1996 by Philip Glass, Lisa Bielawa, and Eleonor Sandresky, to address the lack of presentation opportunities for unaffiliated composers. What started as concerts in apartments and lofts turned into an internationally recognized new music festival and is home to hundreds of composers, sound artists, and performers from around the world.

Over the years MATA has presented numerous events and activities open to the general public, included among them: public sound art installations, (2003, 2008-10, 2015); lectures and panel discussions (2002-04, 2007-09); workshops related to the business of composing (2011-present); a “Composer’s School” (2014-15); public art events (Composer’s Petting Zoo, 2005; Super Critical Mass’s Swelter, 2011; David Bird’s Fields, 2014); Interactive apps (MATA Walk With Me, 2015); composer reading sessions (2002-04, 2013-14); and showcases (MATA at the Atlantic, 2015).