Ensemble Modern is a chamber ensemble dedicated to the music of modern composers. Formed in 1980, the group is based in Germany and made up variously of about twenty members from numerous countries. They tour widely and have released many recordings, performing works by such composers as Charles Ives, Olivier Messian, Kurt Weill, Edgard Varese, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Conlon Nancarrow, Steve Reich, George Benjamin, Frank Zappa, Anthony Braxton, and many others. They are highly regarded for their ability to play difficult music with complex rhythms and tempi.