World Music, Inc. was established by Maure Aronson in 1990 to connect performing artists from cultures around the globe with audiences in greater Boston. The organization quickly became the region’s premier presenter of music and dance from the far and near corners of the globe. In 2002, after a decade of fulfilling that purpose, World Music launched CRASHarts, a division of World Music dedicated to the presentation of contemporary performing artists. The organization changed its name to World Music/CRASHarts to better reflect its synthesis into a multi-dimensional performing arts organization. Today, World Music/CRASHarts is a premiere presenter of contemporary dance and music, as well as world music and dance, presenting over 100 performances and related outreach and educational programs annually.
As popular music has become increasingly sophisticated and influenced by global sounds, the organization has expanded its programming to reflect and address this cultural evolution. World Music/CRASHarts has a history of presenting such cutting-edge artists as Laurie Anderson, The Bad Plus, Keren Ann, Philip Glass, Kronos Quartet and many others. In 2008, programmer Dan Hirsch joined World Music/CRASHarts, expanding the range of concerts into a remarkably dynamic and exciting program, featuring local, national and international acts, both established and emerging. Dan's programming will build on World Music/CRASHarts' contemporary offerings to bring Boston audiences even more of the best in new music with innovative artists such as Department of Eagles, Antony and the Johnsons, Tindersticks, Dean & Britta, The Idan Raichel Project, The Bad Plus, Juana Molina and The Books and many others.
