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The Kitchen, the sprawling performance center on Manhattan's West Side, has provided a forum for experimental artists in many disciplines over the past three decades (like Philip Glass, David Byrne, Robert Wilson and Sonic Youth, to name a few). Some say it vanished from the cultural map for part of the 1990s, but lately the art space has enjoyed renewed energy, and it is currently presenting "New Sound, New York," a six-week, city-wide festival that celebrates both its legacy and its future with performances, talks and more. Today, we look at its wild history with executive director Elise Bernhardt and Stephen Vitiello, a sound artist and curator at the space. We then shift our focus Uptown—physically, if not artistically speaking—with a look at a festival devoted to improvisation in orchestral music, hosted by the American Composers Orchestra. We’re joined by three participants: saxophonist Oliver Lake, violinist and composer LeRoy Jenkins, and Tom Chiu of the Flux String Quartet.

» View slideshow of New Sound, New York
Additional Resources:
» New Music, New York +25 hosted by John Schaefer
» A 'dream team' of The Kitchen's new music composers on New Sounds' Five from the Vaults
» The Kitchen Web site
» American Composers Orchestra Improvise Festival Web site