York Wilson Photography
pulsoptional, Durham, North Carolina’s Band of Composers, challenges and enthralls audiences with its innovative new music programming. Since its inception in January of 2000, the new music ensemble and composers’ collective has developed a diverse, devoted audience and continues to attract listeners new to contemporary music with its boundary/genre-defying, high-energy concerts. pulsoptional creates and performs new experimental works for its eclectic instrumentation, commissions new music by emerging American composers and maintains a repertoire of experimental classics with an emphasis on the American experimental tradition. pulsoptional has performed in music festivals, rock clubs, dance spaces and other non-traditional venues, as well as prestigious concert halls. pulsoptional’s commitment to performing in non-traditional venues has attracted audiences of diverse ages, ethnicities, and social and economic backgrounds. pulsoptional is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting high quality performances in the Triangle area and beyond, especially music by young and/or lesser-known composers.
pulsoptional has offered performance and composition residencies at the North Carolina School of Science and Math, Adelphi University, Greensboro College, Tufts University, Lawrence University, East Carolina University and Duke University. Hailed by Trianglerock.com as “one of the best local releases of 2007, regardless of genre,” pulsoptional’s debut self-titled CD has been featured on WNYC’s New Sounds hosted by John Schaefer. The group has received grants and awards from The Independent Weekly, The Alliance for Improvised Music, The American Music Center’s Henry Cowell Performance Incentive, The Durham Arts Council, The Duke University Department of Theater Studies and The Duke Institute of the Arts.