For more than half a century Anthony Braxton, born 1945 in Chicago, US, has played a key role in contemporary and avant-garde music as a composer, multi-instrumentalist, music theorist, teacher, mentor and visionary. Inspired by jazz, European art music and global musical traditions, Braxton labels his output Creative Music. This book presents the outcomes of the first international conference solely dedicated to Anthony Braxton’s life and work, held during the Darmstadt Ferienkurse, Germany, on August 8–9, 2023. The conference is documented in work analyses, discussions and an interview with Braxton by George Lewis.

In addition to the book, a companion CD has been released, featuring live recordings from two performances held during the 2023 Darmstadt Ferienkurse für Neue Musik. The CD, titled Anthony Braxton: 2 comp (2023) includes the world première of Thunder Music on August 7, as well as the performance of the Creative Orchestra Workshop, conducted by Braxton, on August 15.