Alarm Will Sound is a 20-member chamber orchestra that focuses on recordings and performances of contemporary classical music. Its performances have been described as "equal parts exuberance, nonchalance, and virtuosity" by the Financial Times and as "a triumph of ensemble playing" by the San Francisco Chronicle. The New York Times said that Alarm Will Sound is "one of the most vital and original ensembles on the American music scene."

Alarm Will Sound's repertoire ranges from European to American works, from the arch-modernist to the pop-influenced. The group has worked with contemporary composers, premiering pieces by Steve Reich, John Adams, John Luther Adams, Tyondai Braxton, David Lang, Tyshawn Sorey, David T. Little, Michael Harrison, Cenk Ergün, Aaron Jay Kernis, Michael Gordon, Scott Johnson, Augusta Read Thomas, Stefan Freund, John Orfe, Caleb Burhans, Dennis Desantis, Wolfgang Rihm, and Tyshawn Sorey.