Blending the finesse of a classical ensemble with the drive and precision of a finely tuned rock band, Latitude 49 has been energizing audiences with the most exciting music of our time since 2012. With members coming together from across the United States and Canada, Latitude 49 epitomizes a diverse, unconventional family of sounds, instruments, and experiences. The group has held Ensemble-In-Residence positions at the University of Michigan, the Kenosha Creative Space, Baylor University, and the University of Illinois Chicago, and presents numerous concerts each season in major venues including the Ravinia Festival (Chicago), (le) Poisson Rouge (NYC), the Princeton Sound Kitchen, The Juilliard School, Chicago’s ‘Ear Taxi’ Festival, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Music Box. Dozens of works have been written for the ensemble by a multitude of composers ranging from aspiring students to Pulitzer prize-winning masters. 

With commissioning and supporting living composers at the heart of its mission, L49 strives to engage diverse audiences with new sounds and specially curated programs that reflect the world in which we find ourselves, with all its beauty and curiosities. The group has released four full-length albums and appears on numerous other recordings, including Curious Minds (2016), Wax and Wire (2020), The Bagatelles Project (2021), and Don’t Say A Word with composer and avant-folk vocalist Annika Socolofsky (2023). A forthcoming album, Obsolete Music will be released on New Amsterdam Records in June 2025 featuring the music of composer Juri Seo. 

In 2023, Latitude 49 embarked on their most ambitious project yet: the Sound Atlas Festival, a genre-bending week of music, art, collaboration, and cultural exchange in downtown Calgary, Alberta. With its name taken from the parallel that serves as the Canadian/United States border, Latitude 49 serves as a bridge between the artists, composers, and listeners of today.