1964
In his September 4, 1964, New York Times review, "Music: Avant-Garde Festival Closes," Howard Klein captures the final moments of the 2nd Annual New York Avant-Garde Festival at Judson Hall, noting how performers like Max Neuhaus solidified their status as leading figures in the experimental music scene.
Klein documented Neuhaus's role as a premiere interpreter of percussion and electronic works. During this period, Neuhaus was performing complex, indeterminate scores by composers like Morton Feldman and John Cage, often utilizing his own technical innovations like controlled feedback.
The review highlights the festival's shift from traditional concertizing to multidisciplinary spectacles. Neuhaus performed alongside a roster of radical artists, including Charlotte Moorman, Nam June Paik, and Allen Ginsberg.
A Turning Point: This festival concluded just days before the highly controversial North American premiere of Stockhausen's Originale (September 8–13, 1964), where Neuhaus also played a central role.