Allan Kozinn

The polyglot nature of modern composition means that style is no longer polemics, and women composers can make the music they need to.

New recordings by Caleb Burhans, Alex Weiser, and Caroline Shaw show their broad interests and influences.

Jennifer Koh, Rachel Barton Pine, and Hugh Marsh tap into fresh founts of inspiration ranging from rural blues to electronic processing.

Recordings of new music rooted in tradition that still is uncompromisingly contemporary — and sometimes unsettling.

In the latest recordings from Robert Honstein and Rob Schwimmer, the soloist is the whole story, while Simone Dinnerstein and A Far Cry take on Philip Glass's Piano Concerto No. 3.

Keeping up with these quartets isn't easy, because, as new recordings show, they are always doing something new.

Du Yun's Pulitzer Prize-winning opera breaks new ground, as does composer Andy Akiho and the duo Subtle Degrees.

New albums show contemporary musicians and groups can do rock and folk and classical well.

With the structure in place, Bang on a Can continues to spread its gospel, looking forward rather than at its accomplishments.

New music without Bang on a Can would be a lot less visible, a lot grayer, and a lot less fun. Here’s the story of their breakthrough ideas.