And that odd muse of mine,
My versipel, is with me everywhere,
In carrel and in car, and in my chair.

                                                —Vladimir Nabokov, “Pale Fire”

versipellous/vɜːˈsɪpələs/

– changeable; protean; having a form, nature or appearance that changes often.

Versipel New Music is an organization dedicated to presenting high-quality, innovative performances of new classical music to the New Orleans area and to educating the public about exciting and stylistically diverse works written by living composers both around the world and at home in Louisiana today.

Versipel reflects the idea of the constant morphing of each individual’s artistic muse and how style in contemporary music continuously reforms, reshapes and grows anew. Due to the multifaceted and unique nature of the New Orleans cultural and artistic scene, we have created an organization that is designed to be versipellous, to change shape and take on audience engagement in many different ways. Our mission will be achieved by presenting several types of concerts in the New Orleans area, which will often be accompanied by an educational component in local universities, schools and community centers.

Through our Visiting Artist Series, we will host the most experienced, cutting-edge new music ensembles and musicians from around the country. In our New Music Series, we will present concerts performed by the Versipel Collective, a group of local musicians dedicated to performing new music. As a free-spirited city with its unique convergence of cultures and eclectic traditions in music and in art, New Orleans makes a perfect home for adventurous and innovative new music.