Biss is also an advocate for new music. He has commissioned pieces including "Lunaire Variations" by David Ludwig, "Interlude II" by Leon Kirchner, "Wonderer" by Lewis Spratlan, and "Three Pieces for Piano" and a concerto by Bernard Rands, which he premiered with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He has also premiered a piano quintet by William Bolcom. In 2016 Biss launched "Beethoven/5", for which the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra is commissioning five composers to write new piano concertos, each inspired by one of Beethoven's five piano concertos. Biss has already premiered "The Blind Banister" by Timo Andres, which was named a Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Music, "City Stanzas" by Sally Beamish, "Il sogno di Stradella""" by Salvatore Sciarrino and "Watermark" by Caroline Shaw. In 2020 he will premiere "Gneixendorfer Musik - eine Winterreise" by Brett Dean.