For over 30 years, with assistance from the Scottish Arts Council, ecat has been dedicated to the challenge of supporting new music in Scotland and cultivating an audience for it. It has promoted music across the boundaries - "classical" music, jazz, improvised and electronic music.

It has generated over 80 new commissions from composers, including pieces in almost every genre, including opera, music theatre, works for symphony orchestra, chamber orchestra, large and small ensembles, solo instruments, and computer-generated music.

It has spotted or commissioned many leading composers before they were known to the public, including James MacMillan, Sally Beamish, Gordon McPherson, David Horne. It has provided a springboard for the debut performances of several ensembles, including the Hebrides Ensemble, and has promoted a series of specialist international festivals, including MusicaItalia, new Nordic Music and New Zealand, New Music.

The tag "new music for Scotland" is an indication of ecat's (formerly Edinburgh Contemporary Arts Trust) desire to create greater exposure for contemporary music.

ecat's new season begins on Monday 27 September 2010 at 7.45pm in the Queen's Hall with our popular New Music Experience.