About Austin Chamber Ensemble

The Austin Chamber Ensemble was formed in 1981 as a wind quintet. It began with a series of six concerts in 1985 as a tribute to the Texas Sesquicentennial with the Six Flags Over Texas concerts featuring composers from France, Spain, Texas, Mexico, the Confederacy, and the US. These were performed in the Elizabeth Ney Museum and included Austin Chamber Ensemble members and guest artists. 

Although the Austin Chamber Ensemble initially had a wind quintet as its core ensemble, it has gradually branched out to include all instrumental and vocal combinations in its concerts. Some of the more successful concerts have included chamber orchestra with two pianos and narrator in The Carnival of the Animals, Christmas concert with the Southwestern University Chorale, composers series including concerts featuring women composers and concerts of works by well-known composers Robert Starer and Emma Lou Diemer, who was in residence for the concert., and cabaret concerts featuring lighter works such as the Bolling Suite for jazz flute. Works have been commissioned from composers Donald Grantham, Noel Alford, and Emma Lou Diemer. A unique program was given November 7, 1997, Chamber Music Goes to the Movies, in which chamber music by film composers was featured. This was the first concert of its kind in Austin. 

In addition to the Austin series, the ensemble has given concerts, master classes and school concerts in many Texas cities as part of the Texas Commission on the Arts touring program. In December of 1993 the ACE Wind Quintet was honored to be selected out of 300 groups to perform for the New Year's Fest in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and in June of 1994 for the Birmingham, Alabama City Stages Festival. 

The Austin Chamber Ensemble has traveled three times to Europe to perform concerts in Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, and The Netherlands as part of its exchange program, and has also sponsored artists from Germany and France as well as other American states in Austin concerts. 

Some special-event concerts of The Austin Chamber Ensemble have included a five-course dinner with wines at the Belgian Restaurant with chamber music interspersed between the courses. The owner, Jean Louis Dehoux, donated the entire proceeds of the event toward the Armonico Chamber Music Series. 

Incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1985, the Austin Chamber Ensemble has always had as major goals creative programming, performing new works, artist exchanges and educational presentations.

AUSTIN CHAMBER ENSEMBLE PRESS

Austin Chamber Ensemble presents “Harp and Oboe: An Evening of French and Czech Music,” Now Playing Austin/Austin Creative Alliance

Austin Chamber Enemble: Harp and Oboe, The Austin Chronicle Classical Music Arts Calendar

Austin Chamber Ensemble: Clara, Frederic, and Friends, The Austin Chronicle Classical Music Arts Calendar

Bernstein, Berlin and Birthdays Presented by Austin Chamber Ensemble at First Presbyterian Church of Austin, Now Playing Austin/Austin Creative Alliance

Austin Chamber Ensemble Presents: Bernstein, Berlin and Birthdays, by KMFA 89.5 Staff. 

Austin Chamber Ensemble Presents: Bernstein, Berlin and Birthdays, by Austin 360 Blog

Austin Chamber Ensemble: Bernstein, Berlin, and Birthdays Free Concert At Huston-Tillotson University, The Austin Chronicle Classical Music Arts Calendar

Austin Chamber Ensemble: Bernstein, Berlin, and Birthdays Concert At First Presbyterian Church, The Austin Chronicle Classical Music Arts Calendar

Bernstein Berlin Birthdays and More (with video promo), by All Events in Austin

Leonard Bernstein at 100 International Calendar of Events: Bernstein, Berlin, and Birthdays at Huston-Tillotson Univ. Concert listing

Evensi U.S. International Calendar of Events: Bernstein, Berlin and Birthdays at First Presbyterian Church concert listing

Austin Chamber Ensemble premieres Paterson's "In Real Life," by Luke Quinton, Austin American Statesman, February 16, 2016

Songs for Austin Chamber Ensemble focus on quirks of online dating, by Luke Quinton, Austin American Statesman, February 06, 2016

Outside the Bachs: Classical sounds new when Austin artists do the composing, by Robert Faires, The Austin Chronicle, May 01, 2009

'Tis a gift to have Copland, by Randy Harriman, Austin American Statesman, November 12, 2006

Support Austin Chamber Ensemble with a Tax-deductible contribution!

Austin Chamber Ensemble Board of Directors

Martha Mortensen Ahern, Artistic Director
Martha MacDonald, Executive Director
Ted Ahern
Tracy Bruno
Terri Freeland
Claire Vangelisti