Since 1997, Friends of Chamber Music has been presenting a full season of concerts and outreach programs by world-class musicians yearly, aiming to enrich the quality of life, entertain, and inspire.

Eden-Stell Guitar Duo

Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading guitar ensembles, the Eden-Stell Guitar Duo's chameleon-like ability to communicate in a multitude of musical styles makes them a constantly evolving entity with a unique creative voice. Likened to a "miraculous single guitarist blessed with an impossibly wonderful technique and an exceptionally delicate touch" (The Observer), the Eden Stell Guitar Duo have "breathed new life into the world of the classical guitar." (Rotterdam Dagblad).

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The Lincoln Trio

Nominated for a 2014 Grammy Award®, the Lincoln Trio has become Chicago’s most celebrated chamber ensemble. Praised for their "joy of sheer technical ability, unanimity of phrasing and beautiful blended tone," the trio takes its name from their home in the heartland of the USA. 

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Spanish Brass

"One of the world's finest brass quintets, ranking up there with Empire Brass, Canadian Brass, and American Brass" -- Greg Alley, New York Brass Conference

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“One of the most exciting and artistic brass quintets to come on the scene in recent years … a gloriously brilliant performance” —International Trumpet Guild Journal

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Spanish Brass was created in 1989 by five Spanish Musicians as an innovative project that quickly gained world renown for its performances, educational activities and creative collaborations. After they won the First Prize in the 1996 Narbonne (France) International Brass Quintet Competition, the most prestigious event of its kind in the world, trumpeter Bernard Soustrot said, “Of all the First Prize winners of the Narbonne Competition, the Spanish Brass is the best since the competition was founded in 1986.”

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Ars Lyrica Houston: Scalable Heights

Founded in 1998 by harpsichordist and conductor Matthew Dirst, Ars Lyrica Houston presents a diverse array of music from the 17th and 18th centuries on period instruments. Its distinctive programming favors Baroque dramatic and chamber works, and its pioneering efforts have won international acclaim: the ensemble’s world première recording of Johann Adolf Hasse’s Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra, hailed by Early Music America as “a thrilling performance that glows in its quieter moments and sparkles with vitality,” was nominated for a Grammy Award® for Best Opera 2011.

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Henschel Quartett & Timothy Pitts, double bass

Founded in 1994, the Henschel Quartett's luminous international career includes winning multiple prizes in 1995 at the international competitions of Evian, Banff, and Salzburg, and 1st Prize and the Gold Medal at the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition the following year. Successful débuts in the world’s musical capitals, including an acclaimed BBC live broadcast (replacing the Juilliard Quartet), led their way to the forefront of the international chamber music scene. 

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"This is, no question, one of the best groups in the world, a great string quartet" —Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times

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The group will join on stage Timothy Pitts, one of the most versatile double bassists of his generation, who has been heard in many of the world’s greatest concert halls as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. 

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Thomas Mesa, cello & Ilya Yakushev, piano

Winner of the 2016 Sphinx Competition, Cuban-American cellist Thomas Mesa will perform with world-acclaimed Russian pianist Ilya Yakushev. 

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"Sensitive and introspective, Yakushev could pounce when called for." —Steve Siegel, The Morning Call

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