ANNOUNCING - NEW ORLEANS 2025
FEB 10 - 13 @ ALL SHOWS AT The Broadside

2025 commission: Rob Mazurek's "Instigation Scores (For Multiple Instruments): Volume I and II"

featuring
Jeff Albert - trombone
Mikel Patrick Avery - drums, percussion
Helen Gillet - cello, electronics, voice
Anton Hatwich - bass
Katinka Kleijn - cello
Lia Kohl (cello, voice, electronics)
Damon Locks - electronics, voice
Rob Mazurek - trumpet, video, compositions
Steve Marquette - guitar, electronics
Jesse Morrow - bass
Aurora Nealand - saxophone, voice, accordion
James Singleton - bass
Victor Vieira-Branco - vibraphone

Monday, February 10th, 8pm, $15 ADV / $20 DOS
Instigation Small Groups - Night 1

The first of three nights of small groups featuring improvisers from Chicago and New Orleans including Rob Mazurek, Aurora Nealand, James Singleton, Mikel Patrick Avery, Sasha Masakowski, Lia Kohl, Katinka Kleijn and more to be announced! Final groupings to be announced shortly. 

Tuesday, February 11th, 8pm, $15 ADV / $20 DOS
Instigation Small Groups - Night 2

The second of three nights of small groups featuring improvisers from Chicago and New Orleans including Rob Mazurek, Aurora Nealand, James Singleton, Mikel Patrick Avery, Sasha Masakowski, Lia Kohl, Katinka Kleijn and more to be announced! Final groupings to be announced shortly. 

Wednesday, February 12th, 8pm, $15 ADV, $20 DOS
Damon Locks & Rob Mazurek "New Future City Radio", Instigation Small Groups - Night 3

The third night of the Instigation Festival features Damon Locks & Rob Mazurek's "New Future City Radio", additional sets to be announced shortly.

Thursday, February 13th, 7:30pm, $15 ADV / $20 DOS
The Instigation Orchestra performs Rob Mazurek's "Instigation Scores (For Multiple Instruments): Volume I and II" and Aurora Nealand's "The Book of Communal Howling" 

The 2025 Instigation Festival concludes with a new composition from Rob Mazurek for the thirteen piece Instigation Orchestra and the New Orleans premiere of Aurora Nealand's "The Book of Communal Howling", originally commissioned for the Chicago iteration of the festival in 2023. 

learn how you can support us throughout the year.

 

Albums

 

The Art of flight: for alvin fielder

by Survival Unit III Recorded at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, January 25th, 2018 as part of the Instigation Festival (New Orleans)

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Kobra Quartet

by Aurora Nealand / Steve Marquette / Anton Hatwich / Paul Thibodeaux Recorded at a concert held at the Hungry Brain in Chicago, IL on September 9th, 2018 as a part of the Instigation Festival.

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Cadillac Turns

by Charles Rumback with Jim Baker / James Singleton / Greg Ward
Recorded by David Zuchowski at the Instigation Festival (Chicago) at Constellation September 7, 2017.

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MARKER

By Marker Recorded at a concert held at the New Orleans Jazz Museum in New Orleans, LA on January 25th, 2018 as a part of the Instigation Festival.

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JEFF ALBERT / BEN LAMAR GAY / MATT LUX / QUIN KIRCHNER

By Jeff Albert / Ben LaMar Gay / Matt Lux / Quin Kirchner Recorded at a concert held at the Hungry Brain, Chicago, IL on September 9th, 2018 as part of the Instigation Festival

 
 

ABOUT

The Instigation Festival brings Chicago & New Orleans music, movement and visual artists together for a week of improvised and interesting interdisciplinary collaboration in each city. Since its’ founding in 2016 by guitarist Steve Marquette and movement artist Marie Casimir, they have presented over seventy artists at twenty venues across seven festivals. Now entering its’ seventh year, the Instigation Festival continues its’ work of fostering connections between these cities’ creative arts communities, while expanding the scope to include European performers.

 
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You can support us through our Patreon Page and sign up to get periodic emails from us to learn about events, releases, news and opportunities.

 
The Instigation Festival ends its' 2022 Chicago programming with an evening of two new trios - show at 9pm at @hungrybrainchicago Featuring @sixlugtom @stevemarquette @daverempis @jasonmarsalis @auroranealand @jimbosing Set 1 Doug Garrison - drums
Tomorrow we start! Come along on 5 days of improvisational music, dance, and performance!
"Instigation also tends to be a breeding ground for bracingly inquisitive new works" Thanks @chicagotribune ! HERE WE GO THIS WEEK 🚀
mark your calendar, call your neighbor, get that babysitter, iron that shirt... Saturday the 17 @ 8:30p @constellationchicago Jason Marsalis / Katie Ernst, Jim Baker / Rex Gregory / Anton Hatwich / Jason Marsalis The Instigation Festival is prou
Friday September 16!! After you get a tease on Thursday from the small groups come back to @elasticarts on Friday at 8:30pm for the large groups and a large time! Ken Vandermark's "Two Cities Large" Mars Williams' "The Devil's Whist
"Two Cities Large" and "The Devil's Whistle" Small Groups THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2022 8:30 PM  11:00 PM ELASTIC ARTS 3429 WEST DIVERSEY AVENUE CHICAGO, IL, 60647 The Instigation Festival returns to Chicago in it&rsq
Instigation season is coming up and the lineup is online! Kicking things off at @constellationchicago on Sept 14 3 on 3 - Ben LaMar Gay, Marie Casimir, Doug Garrison WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 8:30 PM  10:00 PM CONSTELLATION3111 NORT
Mark your calendars - the @instigationfestival returns to Chicago for five days of music and movement featuring over thirty performers from Chicago and New Orleans! Watch this space for a full lineup next week! 9/14 - @constellationchicago 9/15 -