American Festival of Microtonal Music

The American Festival of Microtonal Music, Inc. (AFMM) was established in 1981 by Johnny Reinhard to showcase and popularize past and contemporary microtonal music. The festival maintains the American Festival Of Microtonal Music Ensemble with a rotating cast of virtuoso musicians who often perform at AFMM concerts. AFMM organizes international events that feature traditional music, rarely performed pieces, new music, theatrical pieces and ensemble works, well-known classics in original tunings, microtonal rock, "hoomi" singing, music for DIY instruments, and other experiments. Reinhard has digitally recorded and, since 1985, also videotaped each concert. The AFMM also puts together seminars and Microtonal Music symposiums. Johnny Reinhard and other AFMM members has premiered works by Harry Partch, Percy Grainger, Wendy Carlos, La Monte Young, Edgard Varèse, Lou Harrison and Terry Riley. In 1996, the Festival organized a premiere performance of the Universe Symphony by Charles Ives at Lincoln Center Theater, New York. Board of Directors Johnny Reinhard — AFMM founder, microtonal bassoonist Joshua Pierce — AFMM president and the festival's official pianist Svjetlana Bukvich — composer, producer, and media artist who often writes in tunings of her design Jordan Dykstra — Brooklyn-based violist and composer Rebecca Pechefsky — New York harpsichordist and a frequent performer for AFMM concerts Joel Mandelbaum, who wrote the first American Ph.D. dissertation on microtonal music, the "19-tone Equal Temperament and Multiple Divisions of the Octave," at Indiana University in 1961. His compositions frequently employ just intonation tuning or 31-tone equal temperament.