[3] Since its inception in 1972, Collage New Music has maintained a reputation for performing works by the great composers of the 20th and 21st century,[4] such as Edgar Varese, John Cage, Yehudi Wyner, Olivier Messiaen, and Joan Tower.
Collage opened the 2001 Festival of Contemporary Music at Tanglewood with a concert featuring composers long associated with the ensemble: Gunther Schuller, John Harbison, and Donald Sur.
[5] While honoring the music of the earlier 20th century, Collage has a longstanding tradition of commissioning new works by living composers and often providing many Boston premieres.
[6] Collage also host a composer-in-residence each year that allows the ensemble to engage with young Boston composers, and attain a consistent working relationship with the community through various outreach activities.
Collage now host annual composer competitions for high school students, fostering the development and progression of music.