Dialogues @ Queens Botanical Garden

Composers Now announces the 25th edition of Dialogues, the organization’s signature performance‑and‑conversation series hosted by Founding Artistic Director and Pulitzer Prize winner Tania León. The event will take place on August 6 at 6 PM at Queens Botanical Garden. This marks the first time the Dialogues series has curated a program specifically highlighting the diverse cultural voices of Queens. 

This installment of Dialogues features three dynamic composer‑performers: Andrés Jiménez, Nirmali Fenn, and Masatora Goya.

Rooted in the series’ guiding values—LISTEN. COMMUNICATE. RELATE.—Dialogues invites audiences into an intimate artistic exchange. Each program begins with live performances and unfolds into a town hall–style conversation, creating a rare forum where composers, performers, and community members engage directly with one another.

Featured Artists

This installment of Dialogues features three dynamic composer‑performers whose work reflects global perspectives and deeply personal artistic identities:

• Andrés Jiménez — A Colombian composer and arranger whose work is rooted in memory, observation, and the musical traditions of marching bands across Colombia. His compositions explore identity and community through innovative ensemble writing.
• Nirmali Fenn — A Sri Lankan‑born Australian composer whose music responds to place, migration, and the idea that “home is mobile.” Her work spans chamber, vocal, electronic, and interdisciplinary collaborations, often engaging themes of peace, justice, and transformation.
• Masatora Goya — Described as a “composer of cultural crossroads,” Goya’s work blends chamber music, theater, and multimedia performance. Born in Malaysia and raised in Japan, he brings a global sensibility to his compositions, which have been performed internationally and recognized with numerous awards.

Following the performances, Tania León will lead a conversation with the composers, performers and the audience, exploring creative process, approaches to composition, and the evolving role of the composer in today’s society.

Composers Now collaborates with host venues that offer wheelchair-accessible entry and seating. To request reasonable accommodations, such as hearing assistance devices or large-print materials, please contact Cathy Hung, Executive Director at (212) 884-9914 or info@composersnow.org at least two weeks before the event.