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ST. LUKE'S CHAMBER ENSEMBLE

Founded in 1974, the St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble consists of 20 virtuoso artists dedicated to the mastery of a diverse repertoire spanning the Baroque to the contemporary. The Ensemble is also the artistic core of the Orchestra of St. Luke's, America's foremost chamber orchestra and a unique musical organization that currently comprises the orchestra, the chamber ensemble, and the St. Luke’s Arts Education Program. St. Luke’s currently performs approximately 100 orchestral, chamber, and educational concerts throughout New York each year, all showcasing the hallmark collaborative spirit that has garnered consistent critical acclaim for vibrant music-making of the highest order.

The St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble presents three annual series: programs of varied chamber repertoire at Gilder Lehrman Hall at The Morgan Library & Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Dia:Beacon in upstate New York.
The Orchestra of St. Luke’s evolved from the Chamber Ensemble and was founded at the Caramoor International Music Festival in 1979. In addition to being presented by Carnegie Hall in an annual series in the Isaac Stern Auditorium, the Orchestra continues a 20-year collaborative relationship with Carnegie Hall that currently includes participation in such Carnegie events as the Choral Workshop, Family Concerts, and concert presentations of musical theater. The Orchestra is also engaged throughout the year in a number of artistic collaborations with other New York City cultural organizations, and serves each summer as the Orchestra-in-Residence at the Caramoor Festival. OSL musicians also participate in the St. Luke’s Arts Education Program, which integrates comprehensive in-school workshops and residencies with free performances for over 12,000 New York City school children annually.

St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble’s 2009-2010 series at The Morgan Library & Museum, Brooklyn Museum and Dia:Beacon includes: DIVINE SPARK:YOUNG SCHUBERT, a musical snapshot of Schubert in his early twenties featuring the popular "Trout" Quintet; MAGICAL HISTORY TOUR an eclectic program spanning four centuries celebrating the Hudson River Quadricentennial, Purcell’s 350th birthday and St. Luke’s own 35th anniversary; and LOVE NOTES exploring music inspired by love, family and friendship from Mozart, Wagner and a rarely heard masterpiece by the French early-Romantic Louise Farrenc.

St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble’s critically acclaimed recording of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, a two-disc set, was released on the St. Luke's Collection label. Other recent recordings include Morning, Noon, and Evening, a disc of Haydn’s Symphonies 6, 7, and 8, and From the Forest, featuring Ensemble member Stewart Rose on French horn. These are part of a stellar St. Luke’s discography that includes three Grammy Award-winning recordings as well as Mozart’s Symphonies 39 and 41 ("Jupiter") with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s led by Donald Runnicles, the inaugural release of the St. Luke’s Collection.