Eugene's experimental classical music ensemble, will host its first-ever fundraising Gala on Saturday, September 5th, 2026, at 6:00 PM, held at Headquarters Wine Bar, 325 W 4th Ave, Eugene, OR, and the adjoining Blum Studios.

The event is free and open to all — true to EDME's mission of keeping contemporary music accessible — though guests are strongly encouraged to reserve a ticket in advance as a donation to the cause.

The evening marks an expansion of EDME's annual pre-festival fundraiser from a single performance into a full gala experience, with proceeds supporting the 2026 New Music Festival as well as the 2027 Ambient Music in the Park series.

Advance tickets can be purchased through EDME’s website EDMEnsemble.org.

EDME is known throughout the Pacific Northwest for performances that push past the conventions of classical music — from ensembles built out of literal garbage to Minecraft Arrangements for string quartets performed in city parks. Made up of university music students, local performance artists, and a close community of friends and collaborators, EDME stages roughly one concert each month, giving Lane County audiences direct, low-barrier access to new musical works.

The ensemble's flagship program, their New Music Festival, brings composers and performers from around the world to Eugene every October. It is offered entirely free to attendees, with only a suggested donation to keep the barrier to entry as low as possible. EDME also presents a free, multi-weekend outdoor series at Maurie Jacobs Park each spring, spotlighting accessible contemporary and local ambient music.

This year's fundraiser features:

• A silent auction of donated works and objects, including original graphic scores, a circuit-bent camera, a hand-built terrarium, a board game designed by an EDME member, and a large-scale graphic score painted live during the performance,

• A door raffle for a $50 gift card from Silver Falls Brewery,

• A “build-a-score” station where guests can create a large graphic score that will be interpreted live by the ensemble,

• A retrospective display of EDME's history, printed scores, photographs, and portraits of the musicians and community members who make up the ensemble,

• Drinks, and conversation with the musicians, composers, and community members behind Eugene's new music scene,

• A temporary art installation in BLUM Studios, extending the theme of play into a fully immersive space,

• Complimentary light appetizers throughout the evening, with additional food and beverages, including beer and wine, available for purchase.

EDME's fundraising goal for the evening is $4,000 — proceeds will go directly toward performer honoraria, production costs, and the overhead that allows the New Music Festival to remain free for every audience member, as well as seed funding to launch EDME's 2027 Ambient Music Series. As a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to keeping contemporary music accessible, EDME relies on community and venue support to keep ticket prices at zero and accessibility high.

In keeping with EDME's commitment to low-barrier access, the Gala is free and open to the public — no one will be turned away for inability to pay. Guests are nonetheless encouraged to reserve a ticket ahead of time as a donation toward the cause, helping EDME plan for the evening and maximize its fundraising impact. Everyone who reserves a ticket in advance and presents it at the door will receive a limited gift, available only to advance donors.

EDME is a chamber ensemble focused on promoting under-recognized composers and contemporary composition practices. They endeavour to hear and perform the world in all its myriad richness, and in so doing, encourage others to hear it as a place of wonder and curiosity; beauty and endless creativity. They work to bring global experimentation to Eugene, and to take Eugenuine explorations to the world.

The group’s unique take on chamber music was described by Oregon Arts Watch as “a whirlwind tour of what’s happening in experimental music. Free improvisation, digital and analog noise, extended techniques, prepared instruments, graphic scores, audience participation, electroacoustic tape pieces.” As well as “pieces that blurred the lines between music and performance art.”*

Reviewing EDME’s New Music Festival, Daniel Buckwalter of Eugene Scene called their shows: “jovial, moody, lyrical, sometimes clangy, and always thoughtful vignettes… controlled chaos — and wonderful to absorb”; “a fusion of music’s ivory tower sensibilities with sound and visual experimentation that brought to mind scenes of passion, love, loneliness and street life as well as nature walks and bird migrations.”**