newRUCKUS is a contemporary music ensemble in residence at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. With a mission to champion new and innovative works, newRUCKUS is dedicated to supporting innovative artists and early-career composers through commissions and collaboration. newRUCKUSworks directly with students working toward the Certificate in American Contemporary Music, often performing alongside these students and mentoring their creative work. Each year, the ensemble co-hosts the Livewire Festival, bringing guest artists and other ensembles from around the world to Baltimore for a weekend of cutting-edge contemporary music.
newRUCKUS is:
Lisa Cella, flute
Airi Yoshioka, violin
Juan Sebastian Delgado, cello
Liana Harron, piano
Dustin Donahue, percussion
Philip Mann, conductor
newRUCKUS is frequently joined by UMBC Affiliate Artists Natalie Groom, clarinet; Patrick Crossland, trombone; and Nicholas Currie, violin.
Upcoming concerts:
Livewire 16: We the People
Thursday October 22, 2026, 7:30pm – The American Experiment
newRUCKUS performs premieres by composers Kenji Bunch and Jeremy Keaton and music by Viet Cuong, Brittany Green, and Gabriella Smith.
Friday October 23, 2026, 7:30pm- Coming Together
The Zohn Collective joins newRUCKUS in a program including Raven Chacon’s Voiceless Mass and Steve Reich’s Double Sextet.