New Paths Festival

Ars Nova Workshop presented the New Paths Festival in May 2014, a citywide concert series that presented celebrated jazz artists in unconventional locations. These adventurous musicians—all critically acclaimed voices in improvised music, many of whom made their U.S. or regional debuts—played at venues known for their rich histories and deep connections with local communities. Each performed, and sometimes composed, works that were significantly linked or relevant to their respective spaces. Participating artists included MacArthur Fellow Ken Vandermark, who created a new work inspired by the Barnes Foundation's collection, and who performed there with his ensemble Made to Break; free jazz legend and herbalist Milford Graves at Bartram's Garden; and German free jazz musician Peter Brötzmann in a rare solo show at the German Society of Pennsylvania's Joseph P. Horner Memorial Library. Ars Nova Workshop partnered with seven venues in total, each for the first time. In addition, International House Philadelphia presented three film screenings on participating festival artists and the free jazz movement.