Six members of the Chameleon Arts Ensemble are in Southeast Tennessee this week, with plans for two notable concerts before they return to Boston. Tonight, Jan. 23, the chamber musicians will perform in the Presidential Concert Series at Lee University. Saturday afternoon, Jan. 25, they’ll present the annual String Theory Family Concert at the Hunter Museum of American Art.
The Chameleon Arts Ensemble has been lauded by critics for its artistry, innovation and ability to combine classic and contemporary music in a way that “makes daring seem easy.” Of the 22 musicians in the ranks for the 2013-14 season, six will be featured in Cleveland and Chattanooga: Deborah Boldin (flute), Gloria Chien (piano), Tessa Lark (violin), Kelli O’Connor (clarinet), Rafael Popper-Keizer (cello) and Peter Sulski (viola).
Chien should be familiar to local audiences. In addition to being resident pianist with the Chameleon Arts Ensemble since 2000, she is an associate professor at Lee University and artistic director of String Theory, a partnership between Lee University and the Hunter Museum that she launched in 2009.