The Evolution of the Arm materialized from Buffalo’s vibrant experimental music scene, and have been performing interdimensional, genre-transcending chamber music for four years.

An unconventional quartet drawing on collective experience in classical, jazz, noise, theater music, and beyond, The Evolution of the Arm combines the subtle precision of notated concert music performance with the wild spontaneity of free improvisation, superimposing or moving seamlessly between these extremes in their original compositions. The instrumentation of oboe, piano, violin, and cello allows unique timbral amalgamations, while their heterodox approach to counterpoint and form manifest as a kind of doppelgänger of classical music—built from the flotsam and jetsam of Baroque intricacy and Romantic lyricism.

The group first convened in November 2017 in Buffalo, NY under the creative auspices of Western New York expatriate Michael McNeill (keyboards, composition). Having worked together in various combinations in Wooden Cities, Buffalo Bach Project, and Parvenue, Mike called upon Megan Kyle (oboe, English horn), Evan Courtin (violin, voice), and Katie Weissman (cello, electronics) to join him in this new endeavor. Very quickly, the group decided to focus solely on their own compositions, and their individual and collective musical explorations continue to evolve.

In 2021, The Evolution of the Arm will release Sounds Like, its genre-wandering and riff-grifting debut.