Dive into the world of chamber music with the Orchestra of St. Luke's as it brings to life a series of captivating events featuring the works of Schubert, Messiaen, Eastman, and more. From classic compositions to radical innovations, these performances promise to be a rich tapestry of artistic expression that spans both time and genre. Join us as we explore the unique narratives and cultural significance behind each concert in this exceptional series.

Orchestra of St. Luke's: An Exploration of Timeless and Modern Chamber Music

The Orchestra of St. Luke's presents a captivating series of events celebrating music that defies boundaries, from the radical works of Julius Eastman to the beloved compositions of Samuel Barber, Stephen Sondheim, Jonathan Tunick, Kinan Azmeh, Orli Shaham, Dvořák, and Amy Beach. With performances that showcase the fluidity of genre and the personal narratives behind the music, audiences are invited to experience the richness of American and global musical traditions.

Exploring Musical Boundaries: A Journey with the Orchestra of St. Luke's

Join the Orchestra of St. Luke's as they embark on an unprecedented musical journey with a lineup of events that challenge artistic boundaries and celebrate diversity. From Julius Eastman's radical minimalism to Jonathan Tunick's orchestral brilliance, Kinan Azmeh's border-defying compositions, and Orli Shaham's masterful interpretations, these performances promise to redefine classical music. Held at iconic venues like Carnegie Hall and The DiMenna Center for Classical Music, the events feature a diverse array of styles and artists, each contributing to a season that is as vibrant as it is thought-provoking.

A Symphony of Boundaries: Eastman, Azmeh, and More at OSL's Innovative Season

The Orchestra of St. Luke's 2026 season offers a captivating blend of innovation and tradition, highlighting diverse musical voices across genres and eras. From the avant-garde energy of Julius Eastman's Femenine to the timeless elegance of Dvořák and Beach, this season promises dynamic performances that push artistic boundaries. Featuring premieres from Jonathan Tunick and personal compositions by Kinan Azmeh, alongside celebrated classics by Barber and Sondheim, each event is a testament to the transformative power of music. Join us as we delve into the unique narratives and contributions of these extraordinary artists.

Exploring Boundaries: The Innovative Spirit of Orchestra of St. Luke's 2026 Season

Hear OSL members play one of the most extraordinary works of the 20th century. Composed in a German prisoner-of-war camp during the brutal winter of 1940-41, Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time was written for the instruments available—clarinet, violin, cello, and piano—and first performed by fellow prisoners before an audience of 400 inmates and guards.

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Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time

The DiMenna Center for Classical Music

Hear a select ensemble of OSL members perform one of the most beloved works in the chamber music repertoire, Schubert’s Octet in F Major.

Schubert’s Octet

Carnegie Hall

Join an intimate ensemble of chamber music masters for an evening featuring two distinct yet harmonious compositions—Mozart’s well-loved Clarinet Quintet and Florence Price’s melodious String Quartet.

Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet

Experience celebrated jazz artist Wynton Marsalis’s first (and to this point, only) string quartet, At the Octoroon Balls, performed by members of St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble.

Visionary Sounds

The evening begins with Jessie Montgomery’s Rhapsody No. 1 for Solo Violin. Renowned for her imaginative fusion of classical, folk, and jazz elements, the contemporary American composer and violinist has noted that Rhapsody was the first solo piece she wrote for herself, inspired by the works of Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. Captivating and wistful, the piece transports listeners through intricate melodies and expressive timbres.

Beethoven's Eroica

Experience the virtuosic prowess of St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble in a program of some of Antonio Vivaldi’s most evocative and dynamic concertos.

Vivaldi Virtuosi

Join St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble and bandoneón soloist Julien Labro for an electrifying performance inspired by Paul Taylor Dance Company’s Piazzolla Caldera, which captures the essence of tango’s fiery passion.

Astor Piazzolla

Following last season’s successful digital presentation of Femenine, OSL returns to the music of Julius Eastman, the late gay, Black composer “now experiencing a dizzying posthumous renaissance” (The New Yorker), in celebration of Pride Month and queer artistry.

Hear chamber works by Grammy-nominated English composer Anna Clyne accompanied by films by cutting-edge visual artists Josh Dorman—”[constructor of] fantasy lands and visual puns with the wonky, romantic intensity of a daydreaming ten-year-old” (The New Yorker)—and Jyll Bradley, whose acclaimed work in sculpture, installation, and drawing uses light to explore ideas of place, space, and identity.

Anna Clyne

Originally composed for the short film of the same name by artist Jyll Bradley, Woman Holding a Balance evokes the interplay of light, space, and geometry through the medium of the string quartet. Musical cycles, metamorphosis, and the “self” surge forth in Strange Loops, inspired by the 2007 book I Am a Strange Loop by Douglas Hofstadter. Rounding out the program is the much-loved Septet by Ludwig van Beethoven. Filled with youthful exuberance, this chamber music classic shows the composer on the verge of his early symphonic successes and command of musical vivacity.

Beethoven and Clyne

Kaufman Music Center

Julius Eastman was a composer, pianist, singer, and provocateur who rejected rigid artistic and social boundaries. Black, gay, and unapologetically radical, he infused minimalism with raw energy, improvisation, and the pulse of Black American music. His 1974 work Femenine, which spent decades in obscurity before its recent reemergence, embodies his vision of music as alive, communal, and ever-changing.

Eastman’s Feminine

Join members of OSL for an evening of music by three defining American composers.
A legendary orchestrator and one of the rare EGOT winners, Jonathan Tunick returns to OSL following his 2024 appearance conducting his arrangement of A Little Night Music. This program features the premiere of his newly commissioned clarinet quintet, as well as select songs by Stephen Sondheim, a tribute to Tunick’s long-standing collaboration with the iconic musical theater composer.

Barber, Sondheim, and Tunick

Clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh has built a career defying musical borders, moving fluidly between classical, jazz, and improvisational traditions. His compositions are deeply personal, capturing the places and experiences that have shaped him.

Kinan Azmeh Performs Azmeh

A celebrated interpreter of both classic and lesser-known gems, pianist Orli Shaham joins members of OSL for a program featuring two masterful piano quintets—one a defining work of Czech Romanticism, the other a landmark in American chamber music.

St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble

Feb 4, 2026

Eastman’s Feminine

Feb 25, 2026

Barber, Sondheim, and Tunick

Apr 15, 2026

Kinan Azmeh Performs Azmeh

May 13, 2026

Orli Shaham Plays Dvořák & Beach

Dec 3, 2025

Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time

Oct 22, 2025

Schubert’s Octet

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St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble