OUR MISSION
Professional performances of works by contemporary composers — giving modern music a voice and inspiring local communities with fresh ideas about the performing arts.
10
years running
since 2016
9
venues across Ruston & Monroe
Free
all events
open to the public
501(c)(3)
Louisiana
nonprofit
What we do
Each summer, composers and performers intersect over an intense, multi-day, multi-city series of rehearsals, presentations, and concerts. Our goal is to enliven the region with new ideas about music — and to inspire composers with the unique landscapes and cultural offerings of North Louisiana.
We use an open-rehearsal format that lets audiences see the process behind each composition, and we move purposefully between traditional and unexpected spaces to bring new music directly to our communities.
Art galleries
A wildlife refuge
Museums
A local brewery
A botanical garden
Two university campuses
A black box theatre
Our story
Founded in 2016, New Music on the Bayou was created to bring its namesake festival to North Louisiana for the first time. A decade on, it draws composers from around the world to hear their works performed by musicians from across Louisiana and beyond.
Mel Mobley
Co-founder · Professor of Music, University of Louisiana at Monroe
Greg Lyons
Co-founder · Associate Professor of Music, Louisiana Tech University
Supported by
All concerts at our 2026 festival were free to the public thanks to the generous support of institutional and corporate grantmakers and individual sponsors.
National Endowment for the Arts
Louisiana Division of the Arts
Northeast Louisiana Arts Council
Century Next Bank of Ruston
Experience Ruston
Ecoutez Press, Ltd.
Monroe Symphony League
Mel Mobley
William and Lygia Toutant
Debra and Michael Venker
Greg Lyons
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation
Craig Henry
Jackson Harmeyer
Eric and Sarah Siereveld
James and Kristen Boldin
David and Betsy Casteel
Robert McCormick
John Lowe
Friends of Black Bayou
Interested in supporting the 2027 festival? Get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.
Board of Directors
Lea Baumert-Patterson
Jacob Gran
Mel Mobley
Nancy Carey
Scot Humes
Joe W. Moore III
Trevor Davis
Carly Irwin
Claire Vangelisti
Jeremi Edwards
Kathryn Irwin
Eric Siereveld
Mara Gibson
Greg Lyons
Jackson Harmeyer