Fonema Consort
Fonema Consort commissions, performs, and records new and experimental music that explores the limits of the human voice in a radical chamber setting. Known for their “enthusiastic embrace of daring new music” (Chicago Reader), Fonema is driven by a fascination with pieces that foster rich interplay of voices and instruments characterized by a vibrant viscerality. The ensemble is highly committed to presenting works by Latin American composers to US audiences and encouraging musical and cultural exchange between these regions. Fonema Consort was founded in 2011 by singer Nina Dante and composers Pablo Santiago Chin and Edward Hamel. Since its founding, the ensemble has premiered over 50 works, and traveled widely across the US and increasingly in Latin America. National performance highlights include appearances with the Americas Society (NYC) the Mexican Consulate’s Mexican Cultural Institute (Washington DC), National Sawdust (New York City), the Chicago Cultural Center, the Latino Music Festival (Chicago), WFMT’s Thirsty Ear Festival (Chicago), the Frequency Festival (Chicago), the 113 Composer’s Collective (Minneapolis), and many more. Fonema Consort has held residencies and given performances at Columbia University, Oberlin Conservatory, Harvard University, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, UC Berkeley, New England Conservatory, and many others. Fonema Consort is a recipient of a FACE grant (2013), an Aaron Copland Fund for Music grant (2016), two Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation grants (2016 and 2017), and two Amphion Foundation grants (2018 and 2019).
