NWEAMO


New West Evolving Arts & Music Organization , founded by composer Joseph Waters in Portland, Oregon, U.S. in 1998, is a nonprofit organization based in San Diego, California, that produces the annual international festival of electro-acoustic music.
NWEAMO is dedicated to forging connections between the composers, performers and lovers of avant garde classical music with the DJs, MCs, guitar-gods, troubadours and gourmets of experimental popular music. The organization promotes music that involves the creative use of computers and electronics mixed with acoustics. Today, NWEAMO has showcased artists in prime venues across the world.
In a healthy cultural milieu NWEAMO celebrates both classical and popular music. The idea behind this seemingly controversial connection is that without any connection, both genres suffer. When classical music does not connect with popular culture, it becomes a music of experts, unable to reflect and contribute meaningfully in the broad marketplace of developing ideas and cultural experimentation. Popular music on the other hand, becomes naïve and superficial, untethered to its historical roots and broad cultural underpinnings, without connection and communication with classical music. NWEAMO attempts to generate a synthesis that reveals new possibilities for both.

Festivals

Originally NWEAMO concerts featured a variety of electro-acoustic styles and genres, ranging from Intelligent dance music to the abstract avant garde. Eventually the word "Electronic" was replaced with "Evolving" in the acronym to reflect the inclusion of visual art, installation art, dance, sound art and acoustic music to the festival, and to allow future growth.
In 2002 the festival added San Diego, California, to its locations. In 2005 the festival expanded further, with an additional night added in Mexico City. New York City and Venice, Italy, were added 2006. The 2007 festival included a summer component in Europe in addition to the main autumn festival: San Diego ; Boulder, Colorado ; Morelia, Mexico and New York City. Each year the festival supports the work of approximately 30 composers/performers.

Themes

Each year the festival focuses on a theme:
  • 2019 East Meets West
  • 2018 East Meets West
  • 2017 East Meets West
  • 2016 East Meets West
  • 2015 People Of The City
  • 2014 Things
  • 2013 Emotional circuits: Electric animal
  • 2012 Festival of Hidden Identities
  • 2011 East Meets West
  • 2010 Around the Corner...Art is Made
  • 2009 What Is A Machine
  • 2008 Can Art Be About Sex?
  • 2007 Synesthesia: The Mixing of Senses
  • 2006 Pulse: The Influence of Africa
  • 2005 Connection to the Ancients
  • 2004 Invented Instruments
  • 2003 The Plastic Fantastic Interactive
  • 2002 '''To Beat Or Not To Beat, That Is The Question'''