Tara O’Connor, flute
Rane Moore, clarinet
James Austin Smith, oboe
Erik Carlson, violin
Elizabeth Weisser, viola
Chris Gross, cello
Steven Beck, piano
Anthony Cheung, piano
Alex Lipowski, percussion
James Baker, conductor

A virtuoso chamber music group offering daring programs of newly created music alongside established literature of the modern repertoire, they give “fierce performances” (New York Times) of works on the fringe of modern classical convention. On the rise as one of the premiere American ensembles of today, they are exceptional in their ability to help the listener gain entrée into significant music written by familiar and unfamiliar composers. The Talea Ensemble has given many world and US premieres of works by composers including Pierre Boulez, Tristan Murail, Jason Eckardt, Pierluigi Billone, Jean-Luc Hervé, Stefano Gervasoni, Marco Stroppa, and Fausto Romitelli. The Ensemble was the guest ensemble for the 18-day Spectrum XXI Festival tour in Paris and London and has twice been invited as guest ensemble to the Nevada Encounters of New Music (NEON) as well as La Ciudad de las Ideas (Mexico), Art Summit Indonesia (Jakarta), and the International Contemporary Music Festival of Lima, Peru.

Assuming an ongoing role in supporting and collaborating with student composers, the Talea Ensemble has served as Ensemble-in-Residence at Harvard University, Columbia University and New York University. They have recorded works on the Living Artists Label and Gravina Musica. Recent projects include the US Premiere of Fausto Romitelli’s Professor Bad Trip, an Indonesian tour, and its on-going monthly series at the arts-driven Roger Smith Hotel. A special highlight for the 2010-11 season was an 85th Birthday Celebration for Pierre Boulez at Miller Theatre with Mr. Boulez in attendance.