Zeitgeist’s mission is to enliven today’s music and expand its public with performances that engage, stimulate, and hearten. An artist-led organization, Zeitgeist serves artists and audiences equally and values the exploration of new musical ideas, high-quality musical presentation, and thoughtful engagement of listeners.

Founded in 1977, Zeitgeist is a new music chamber group of two percussionists, woodwinds, and piano. Zeitgeist’s work is to create and develop new musical ideas; strengthening new musical thought is at the center of everything Zeitgeist does. Led today by percussionist and Executive Director Heather Barringer, Zeitgeist is one of the longest-established new music groups in the country. Zeitgeist commissions and presents a wide variety of new music for audiences in the Twin Cities and on tour. Always eager to explore new artistic frontiers, Zeitgeist collaborates with poets, choreographers, directors, visual artists, and sound artists of all types to create imaginative new work that challenges the boundaries of traditional chamber music. Zeitgeist has maintained a fierce dedication to the creation of new music for the past four decades, commissioning more than 400 works and collaborating with emerging composers and some of the finest established composers of our time.

Jerome Foundation supports Zeitgeist’s SOUNDING GROUND program and commissioning and presenting for Zeitgeist's concert season. The SOUNDING GROUND composer residency program provides commissioning, development, and production support for an aesthetically diverse cohort of three early career Minnesota-based composers. SOUNDING GROUND awardees work closely with Zeitgeist on the development and production of a significant new work created for Zeitgeist and presented on its concert season. The goal of Zeitgeist’s Sounding Ground program is to create new musical works through a development process that supports risk-taking and results in artistic growth. Zeitgeist musicians and the Sounding Ground Cohort develop new works through 6 day-long workshops spread over several months. New works receive ample rehearsal prior to a series of premiere concerts held in the metro area as well as Red Wing, MN. Composers also receive audio and/or video documentation of completed work. Zeitgeist’s COMMISSIONING AND PRESENTING program develops work with early career composers and premieres works in its concert season. Commissioned works are often associated with festivals or topical programming. Two early career composers each year receive a fee, development time with Zeitgeist, premiere performances, and archival recordings.