At the University of Göttingen, new music is an established tradition, which in earlier years found expression in the concert season Musica Viva. Now, the tradition is being revived: from Winter Semester 2008, the Department of Musicology will host concerts and events each semester featuring compositions from the 1950s up to the present day.

Musica Viva is not merely a concert series: it also aims to communicate the ideas and influences behind the music. Each concert is linked to a talk or lecture at which composers, musicians and musicologists offer visitors new insights into the music performed.