THE 2026 EXPLORATORIO
"And I will show that nothing can happen more beautiful than death. ~Walt Whitman
N.E.O.’s eighth Exploratorio will focus on the expansiveness of life transitions from physical death to the shock of renewal to the overturning of a philosophy. Every death creates room for new life, just as every life thrives on death. When someone or something leaves us, renewal happens. All living things are connected through the same elements, from mushrooms to celestial bodies. These elements recycle, reflecting a broader interconnection of existence, or, as Whitman said “I believe that a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars.” As he considered his smallness in the universe, he also recognized how we are all interconnected in that smallness, giving us a collective vastness.
Many death rites center on the deceased. Some focus on the living. How we come to appreciate our place in the great void shapes who we are as individuals and as a people. The end of a relationship with a life partner, business partner, or friend, moving to a new place, or leaving behind a beloved hobby all embody the transitional energy that forges our identities. In the expansiveness of time, none are memorable. The very idea of "At The End Of All Things" speaks to humanity's limited perspective. Yet, in those limits lives our passions and feelings of purpose.
What will the N.E.O. approach to that which lies “At The End Of All Things” say? Is there an end, after all if endings embody newness? Are there uncountable ends followed by uncountable beginnings? Will we celebrate the poetry that comes with remembering the value of a single life for a vaulted moment? Will we embrace solace as we remember those who have gone before? Will we scream into the void for answers? Will we seek to make sense of our smallness in the vast existence that surrounds us?
You can be a part of making this creative beginning come into being. Join us in 2026 and merge your voice into an unceasing community of artists.
Many death rites center on the deceased. Some focus on the living. How we come to appreciate our place in the great void shapes who we are as individuals and as a people. The end of a relationship with a life partner, business partner, or friend, moving to a new place, or leaving behind a beloved hobby all embody the transitional energy that forges our identities. In the expansiveness of time, none are memorable. The very idea of "At The End Of All Things" speaks to humanity's limited perspective. Yet, in those limits lives our passions and feelings of purpose.
What will the N.E.O. approach to that which lies “At The End Of All Things” say? Is there an end, after all if endings embody newness? Are there uncountable ends followed by uncountable beginnings? Will we celebrate the poetry that comes with remembering the value of a single life for a vaulted moment? Will we embrace solace as we remember those who have gone before? Will we scream into the void for answers? Will we seek to make sense of our smallness in the vast existence that surrounds us?
You can be a part of making this creative beginning come into being. Join us in 2026 and merge your voice into an unceasing community of artists.
What We'll Do At A Glance
Compassion-Led Rehearsals
N.E.O. rehearsals are artist-centered and compassion-focused, choosing to elevate the individual by creating a corporate space in which each member can bring the fullness of their voice while they grow, explore, and thrive. Listen to David Harris and Laurel Irene's podcast Underground Ictus to hear more in-depth discussions on compassion as a leadership motivation.
N.E.O. rehearsals are artist-centered and compassion-focused, choosing to elevate the individual by creating a corporate space in which each member can bring the fullness of their voice while they grow, explore, and thrive. Listen to David Harris and Laurel Irene's podcast Underground Ictus to hear more in-depth discussions on compassion as a leadership motivation.
Illuminate Your Voice Practice
Explore the inner workings of the human voice, the most versatile acoustic instrument on the planet. Discover "why it does that" in digestible, experienced-based scientific explanations that allow you to find new entry points into your established practice as we illuminate the diverse richness of stylistic variation.
Explore the inner workings of the human voice, the most versatile acoustic instrument on the planet. Discover "why it does that" in digestible, experienced-based scientific explanations that allow you to find new entry points into your established practice as we illuminate the diverse richness of stylistic variation.
This spectrogram image shows the extreme variation present in the timbres of vowels we speak and sing every day. At N.E.O. we learn to make sense of these changes logically and sonically so that we can access and recombine them artistically.
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Change Your Ears/Change Your Voice
At N.E.O. we engage with vocal choices through the ear, using scientific understanding of acoustics, filtered listening technology, and the ear/brain/voice combination. We guide this exploration with the VoiceScienceWorks Filtered Listening process that you can begin to explore on your own by visiting the website. Create New Work
At the center of N.E.O.'s artist-centered focus lies the ExplOratorio, a concert-length work written by N.E.O. composers each year for the N.E.O. Festival Chorus and soloists, and created by all of those in residence with N.E.O. each year. There are few things as inspiring as creating new music with a group of synergetic artists. In addition to the ExplOratorio, featured performers have the opportunity to bring their new projects to the opening night Out-Of-The-Voice-Box concert, and everyone will enjoy opportunities to write and sing new works throughout the week. |
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Expanding Your Vocal Tools
During the N.E.O. week you will have the opportunity to experience the exploration of different vocal styles, extended techniques, and timbral variations, and to begin to understand the functional underpinnings of them to help guide your future engagement with new vocal tools. Through the exploration of new sounds you'll also find stability, focus, and clarity in the sounds that you rely on in your current practice. Some vocal tool highlights include: overtone singing, sub bass singing, growling, rattling, stylistic variation through timbral adjustments, yodeling, microtonality, and ensemble goals like blend, balance, and timbral alignment/contrast. |
Amanda Cole's "Singing In Tune With Nature" (from "The New Morality Play," N.E.O. 2020) demonstrates approaches to overtone singing and microtonal vocal tools.
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Expanding Your Compositional Tools
Western notation excels at communicating pitch and time, but has few tools for composers to access when attempting to communicate timbral choices, emotion, and intention. We explore specific options for notating different timbres, overtones, vibrato, textures (growls, rattles), microtones, external physical adjustments, emotional and intention cues, and the subtle and robust practice of writing for the organ. Abe Ross leads composers through several sessions on The Great Organs At First Church, and offers one-on-one sessions with composers as they hone their organ scores should they choose to add the organ to their vocal piece. Composers chosen for the ExplOratorio will receive a premiere performance with a professional audio and video recording.
Western notation excels at communicating pitch and time, but has few tools for composers to access when attempting to communicate timbral choices, emotion, and intention. We explore specific options for notating different timbres, overtones, vibrato, textures (growls, rattles), microtones, external physical adjustments, emotional and intention cues, and the subtle and robust practice of writing for the organ. Abe Ross leads composers through several sessions on The Great Organs At First Church, and offers one-on-one sessions with composers as they hone their organ scores should they choose to add the organ to their vocal piece. Composers chosen for the ExplOratorio will receive a premiere performance with a professional audio and video recording.
Jasper Sussman's graphic score "Introduction" from "The Origins Of Creativity", N.E.O. 2019, explores emotional and timbral notation through imagery and expanded use of Western musical notation.
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Mathias Coppens' "Music For Choir" from "The New Morality Play", N.E.O. 2020, utilizes timbral layering, asking singers to use multiple timbral approaches at any given moment. In this part of the score he asks for stylistic variation defined as "cathedral choir" and "poppy and speaky" as well as overtone singing and declamatory speaking in combination with traditional articulation variation.
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Amanda Cole's "Passion Choral" from "The Passions", N.E.O. 2021, deepens into overtone singing notation and microtonality for singers.
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Joogwang Lim's "Nun's Dance" from "The Passions", N.E.O. 2021, translates vocal gestures found in traditional Korean folk music for use in his Western-notated composition. He guides singers into vibrato choices and pitch glides, as well as opening them into emotional spaces that align with the dramatic arc of the piece.
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Becoming The Anti-Professional
N.E.O. participants are music, performing arts, medical, and academic professionals eager to explore aspects of their careers that are often undervalued by the industry. Whether you are a pop or classical musician looking for others to share creatively with, a college professor eager to lead with curiosity in a judgment-free space, a medical professional wanting to free yourself from the insurance boxes and make something new, a composer or singer hoping to find portals into your personal vision for your art, or any other creative motivated to seek new questions and answers through your voice, at N.E.O. we recognize that you are both gifted and wanting. We embrace the "anti-" prefix as a way to remember that as curious, creative, compassionate people, we can find solutions outside of industry dogma and oppressive systems. The anti-professional has lived with the scars of perceived bias, and seeks new skin, and supportive community to explore their gifts from a place of wholeness and connection.
N.E.O. participants are music, performing arts, medical, and academic professionals eager to explore aspects of their careers that are often undervalued by the industry. Whether you are a pop or classical musician looking for others to share creatively with, a college professor eager to lead with curiosity in a judgment-free space, a medical professional wanting to free yourself from the insurance boxes and make something new, a composer or singer hoping to find portals into your personal vision for your art, or any other creative motivated to seek new questions and answers through your voice, at N.E.O. we recognize that you are both gifted and wanting. We embrace the "anti-" prefix as a way to remember that as curious, creative, compassionate people, we can find solutions outside of industry dogma and oppressive systems. The anti-professional has lived with the scars of perceived bias, and seeks new skin, and supportive community to explore their gifts from a place of wholeness and connection.
2026 Fellows and Scholars
N.E.O. Festival Fellows and Scholars are leaders in vocal, compositional, and organ fields across the world. They contribute their expertise and energy to guide each unique N.E.O. collaboration into intimate artistic spaces. Apply to become a Fellow or Scholar by filling out an application by February 1, 2026.
Learn more about Past N.E.O. Fellows and Scholars.
Learn more about Past N.E.O. Fellows and Scholars.
N.E.O. Voice Festival 2025
-note that N.E.O. 2026 will be similar to 2025. You can use the 2025 schedule as a reference. The 2026 schedule will be posted in the spring of 2026.
-note that N.E.O. 2026 will be similar to 2025. You can use the 2025 schedule as a reference. The 2026 schedule will be posted in the spring of 2026.
Schedule change from past years
This year we're trying a slightly different approach to the week. The ExplOratorio concert will take place on the Friday of the festival (August 1, 2025). The final workshop session will be on Saturday morning (August 2).
This year we're trying a slightly different approach to the week. The ExplOratorio concert will take place on the Friday of the festival (August 1, 2025). The final workshop session will be on Saturday morning (August 2).
