New Music USA Announces Second Cohort of New Music Inc. – Chicago Awardees

12 small-budget, artist-led music organizations based in Chicago to participate in 18-month incubator initiative that centers cohort learning, peer-to-peer mentorship, and investment in community-centered work.

New Music USA is proud to announce the cohort of 12 new music groups and organizations that have been selected as the awardees for the second cycle of New Music Inc. – Chicago (NMI-Chicago). Made possible through generous support from Walder Foundation, NMI-Chicago is a city-specific incubator initiative supporting small-budget, artist-led new music groups and organizations through pivotal stages of organizational growth. The hands-on program combines financial investment and peer-to-peer learning within a cohort environment that includes leaders who represent a range of music genres, neighborhoods, and backgrounds. A total of $156,000 will be awarded to the 12 organizations: each grantee organization will receive an $8,000 grant to support their participation in the program, plus up to $5,000 for travel exchange with New Music Inc. cohorts in Baltimore, Los Angeles, and New York City – the other cities the program has served – to further promote peer-to-peer mentorship.

The awardees are: 

• ~Nois Quartet 
• AfriClassical Futures 
• Art Song Chicago 
• Beyond This Point 
• Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum 
• Chicago Jazz String Summit 
• Gaudete Brass 
• Missing Piece 
• playOUT! 
• The.BlkRoom 
• TRQPiTECA RECORDS 
• William Ferris Chorale 

NMI-Chicago aims to directly address the stated needs of small-budget, artist-centered music organizations through three primary program areas of New Music USA: grant support, mentorship, and community building. Over the course of the 18-month program, participants meet regularly in a cohort environment to build relationships and engage in peer-to-peer and facilitated mentorship, applying the grant from New Music USA to build a toolbox and plan for their organization’s growth. By the end of the program, grantee organizations will leave with a more robust set of skills, relationships, and information to build and sustain their desired form of multi-year growth, and a deepened connection to their local music community.

Through mentorship, sustained guidance, and financial awards all within a cohort experience, New Music Inc. helps organizational leaders identify, chart, and pursue their unique growth needs. Through its unique offerings, New Music Inc. has helped participants in Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City make significant progress towards self-identified goals, such as:

• Increasing public programming, including education initiatives, residencies, and festivals
• Diversifying income by implementing new models, such as membership, space rentals, and grant funding
• Cultivating new community relationships, including creating advisory councils, recruiting board members, and establishing connections across disciplines (i.e. collaborations between music and dance)

New Music Inc. is facilitated by a Program Coordinator who lives and works in the designated city and serves as a liaison to New Music USA staff. The Program Coordinator for NMI-Chicago is brand strategist and arts executive Kori Coleman, the Executive & Artistic Director of D-Composed. In this role, she will work closely with the participants to connect them with mentors and each other and help them reach their established goals. Coleman was also Program Coordinator for the inaugural cycle of NMI-Chicago in 2023-24. 

The 2026 NMI-Chicago grant cycle drew 51 applications from a diverse range of new music organizations across Chicago including performance groups, collectives, festivals, record labels, and venues. Applications were evaluated and awardees were selected based on the following criteria: Artistry, Impact, and Organizational Readiness and Capacity.

“All leaders benefit from continued learning and a sense of community, and when pursuing meaningful transitions for your organization it can be especially useful. A program like New Music Inc. reminds you that you are not alone, that there are tools and resources available, and that you share a city with other creative people who can help,” says Vanessa Rose, President & CEO of New Music USA. “We were impressed by the bold and thoughtful endeavors shared by this year’s applicants, and we’re grateful to Walder Foundation for making it possible to invest in these changemakers as well as the broader Chicago music community.”

New Music Inc. – Chicago Program Coordinator Kori Coleman shares:

“New Music USA’s New Music Inc. program brings organizations together with the financial support, connections, and shared knowledge they need to grow and truly thrive. We are so proud to congratulate the 12 organizations chosen for this year’s Chicago cohort. Each organization has shown that they are a vital part of the city’s cultural tapestry, and we are excited for the connections they will forge and impact they will make on the Chicago music community.”

New Music Inc. – Chicago awardee TRQPiTECA RECORDS adds:

“We are thrilled to be selected for the 2026-27 New Music Inc. – Chicago cohort! At a moment when funding opportunities for arts organizations are scarce nationwide, investment in sustainable local arts economies is essential to nurture musicians’ creative growth and build community spaces that foster self-expression and collaboration. The opportunity to participate in this program validates our mission and inspires us to lead with intention, and we look forward to sharing the skills insights we gain with our community in Chicago and beyond.”

Visit the program page to learn more about New Music Inc.

New Music USA sincerely thanks the panelists who reviewed the applications for New Music Inc. – Chicago:

Kori Coleman, Sean Connors, LaRob K. Rafael, Heather Ireland Robinson, and Arif Smith.

Thank You to Our Funders

New Music Inc. – Chicago is made possible through generous support from Walder Foundation.

About New Music USA

New Music USA is a national non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing a vibrant and inclusive community for artists and listeners. To us, that means welcoming all the artists, organizations, and audiences contributing to the sounds of today and tomorrow. In addition to providing grants and mentorship to support the many musical ideas being created and performed today, we encourage connections and curiosity to listen forward together. newmusicusa.org

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