Music fans filled Whitmore Recital Hall on Monday evening for the New Music Ensemble’s first performance of the season.

Stefan Freund, the director of the ensemble, said he thought it was a great performance.

“I thought we honestly played each piece the best we’d ever played it before,” he said.

The ensemble performed four different pieces, all written by student composers at MU. They all had a contemporary feel, yet encompassed a variety of styles.

“The best way to experience it is to come listen yourself,” Freund said. “The music being written today is very eclectic.”

This year’s ensemble consists of flautist Young Kim, clarinetist Stephanie Berg, violinist David Snow, cellist Matthew Pierce, percussionist Ryan Borden and pianist Renata Tavernard.

The New Music Ensemble differs from other musical groups at MU because its entire repertoire consists solely of music from the 20th century and beyond. One of the main functions of the New Music Ensemble is to premiere pieces written by student composers at MU.

“It doesn’t get much fresher than that,” Berg said.

Snow said he thinks students will appreciate that aspect of the ensemble.

“I think students will like that it is more of a laid-back atmosphere,” he said. “When you think of classical music, you often think of a stuffy atmosphere, but our music is modern and a lot of it is fun. It comes from people their own age.”

The New Music Ensemble is an assistantship program for graduate students studying at MU’s School of Music, and is part of the Mizzou New Music initiative.

Donations from Rex and Jeanne Sinquefield and the Sinquefeld Charitable Foundation made the New Music Initiative possible. The initiative seeks to establish MU as an important center of music composition.

The New Music Ensemble allows for collaboration amongst composers and performers. Snow said having this group at MU is beneficial to the School of Music because it gives the composers a chance to have their work performed and gives performers an opportunity to premiere new works.

Freund said ensembles like this are uncommon, and the School of Music faculty and students are grateful for the chance to showcase students’ talents.

“This is an incredible opportunity the foundation has given us,” he said. “There are a lot of schools bigger than us that don’t have this type of program.”

Snow said the collaborative effort is his favorite part of being a member of the ensemble.

“Often (the composers) have one perspective on how their work is to be played, but as a performer I have a different perspective,” he said.

Assistantship programs such as the New Music Ensemble are helpful in attracting talented students to graduate music programs. With rising tuition costs, these assistantships are very important to many graduate students when it comes to financing their education.

Berg, who obtained her undergraduate degree from MU, said she also chose the school largely because of the affordable price. This, however, was not the only reason.

“They’re doing something very right,” Berg said.

The New Music Ensemble’s next performance is at 8 p.m. Dec. 5 at Whitmore Recital Hall.