The New Haven Chapter of the International Society for Contemporary Music was founded in October 1961. The board of directors included the following faculty members and friends of the Yale School of Music: Mel Powell (President), Richmond Browne (Executive Secretary), Ronald Konetchy (Treasurer), Donald Martino, Lawrence Moss, Gustav Meier, Broadus Earle, Alejandro Planchart, Howard Boatwright, Bülent Arel, and Robert Helps.
Article II of the Chapter's by-laws stated the group's purpose: "The Chapter shall undertake to promote the composing, performance, and appreciation of contemporary music in and around the New Haven area by means of various activities, which may include the giving of concerts and lectures, the sponsoring of contests and workshops, and the dissemination of information about contemporary music, as well as such other activities as shall seem pertinent to the Board of Directors of the Chapter."
In its five years of existence, the Chapter produced seventeen concerts that encompassed a wide range of compositional styles, including 12-tone, aleatoric, and electronic music. Composers of local repute as well as those of international fame were represented, and the performers included both professionals and students.
From the guide to the The Papers of the New Haven Chapter, ISCM, 1961-1965, (Irving S. Gilmore Music Library, Yale University)
