Composer’s Circle

An Music Salon & Conversation Series

January 9, 2026 | Baryshnikov Arts Center
Location: John Cage & Merce Cunningham Studio
Featured Composer: Katie Jenkins

Composer’s Circle welcomed a small, invited audience into the John Cage & Merce Cunningham Studio at Baryshnikov Arts Center for an intimate first unveiling of a new original score by composer Katie Jenkins, presented during Pointeworks’ January creative residency. Designed as a deep dive into the music itself, the evening offered patrons rare access to the earliest stages of creation—prior to choreography—centering the role of the composer within the ballet-making process.

Guests were guided through the score movement by movement as Jenkins discussed the musical language, structure, and emotional architecture of the work, alongside live performance by pianist Joshua Mhoon and violinist Julia Choi. The evening culminated in a full premiere performance of the score, experienced purely as music, allowing audiences to engage deeply with the composition before its integration with dance. By isolating the musical element, Composer’s Circle illuminated the nuance, rigor, and collaboration underlying new ballet creation.

Composer’s Circle reflects Pointeworks’ commitment to artistic transparency, process-driven engagement, and meaningful connection between artists and supporters. Designed as a replicable model, the series offers partner institutions and underwriters the opportunity to host future Composer’s Circle evenings—supporting new music creation while offering audiences an intimate, intellectually rich cultural experience.