In addition to concerts in the Philadelphia area, the ensemble has brought new American music to countless new audiences through national and international tours and commercial recordings.
The orchestra has had great influence on the lives of composers, young and old, in particular, in the relationship it has had with Pulitzer Prize-winning George Crumb.
Recent seasons have included Philadelphia premieres of some of the 20th century’s most challenging works including Pierre Boulez’s Le marteau sans maître, and the first American performance of Frank Zappa’s 17 contemporary classical notated pieces known collectively as The Yellow Shark, taking place in 2018, on the 25th anniversary of their recording and Zappa’s death.
In 2014, Orchestra 2001 received a Knight Arts Challenge grant for “New Music Celebrations of the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King,” including outreach to three African-American communities, the premiere of From the Mountaintop, and a work with gospel choir and jazz trio.
Orchestra 2001 will partner with Northeast Philadelphia’s Teatro Esperanza for annual series programs featuring contemporary classical music from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Argentina.