The group was founded in 1975 by composers Scott Wheeler, Rodney Lister, and Ezra Sims as the concert giving “annex” of New England Dinosaur Dance Theater.
Recent directors include Sue-Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin, Yu-Hui Chang, Emily Koh, and Scott Wheeler.
Current members include Donald Berman, piano; Gabriela Diaz, violin; Anne Black, viola/violin; Rafael Popper-Keizer, cello; Diane Heffner, clarinets/sax; Sue-Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin, flute; Katherine V. Matasy, clarinets/sax/accordion; and Robert Schulz, percussion.
Notable guest performers and conductors include Gunther Schuller, Lorraine Hunt, John Harbison, D'Anna Fortunato, Pamela Dellal, and Pascal Verrot.
Dinosaur Annex Music Ensemble has commissioned works by a number of composers since the group's establishment in 1975, including Mark Berger, Martin Boykan, Dana Brayton, Jeffery Brooks, Richard Busch, Robert Ceely, Shih-Hui Chen, Tamar Deisendruck, Tom Flaherty, Lee Hyla, David Lang, Arthur Levering, Ruth Lomon, Lansing McLoskey, John McDonald, Malcolm Peyton, David Rakowski, Laurie San Martin, James Russel Smith, Kurt Stallmann, Lewis Spratlan, Peter Van Zandt Lane, Donald Wheelock, and Evan Ziporyn.