BLUE STREAK ENSEMBLE

ABOUT

Blue Streak Ensemble (BSE) was founded in 2011 by award-winning composer Margaret Brouwer to bring contemporary chamber music to Ohio communities along Lake Erie. Comprised of vibrant, young, Cleveland musicians, primarily graduates of the Cleveland Institute of Music, Juilliard School of Music and Manhattan School of Music, Blue Streak achieved immediate success and quickly began to expand performances in and around Cleveland as well as in prestigious concert venues nationwide.

Since its founding, BSE has presented concert series in such diverse Cleveland-area settings as Dunham Tavern, Bop-Stop, Heights Arts, Lucy’s Sweet Surrender Bakery, Nighttown, Judson Manor and the Hospice of the Western Reserve. It has also partnered with the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning (formerly Young Audiences) to present educational programs in area schools, and has been featured on a CD released by Naxos called Shattered, Chamber Music of Margaret Brouwer.

In 2014, BSE initiated a touring program and performed on the Cutting Edge Series at Symphony Space in New York City. Since then, it has also performed at the National Opera Center in NYC, at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Brooklyn (NY), at Ohio University, in Virginia and on two campuses of the University of Wisconsin.

2015 was a seminal year for BSE. After being a loosely structured chamber ensemble for four years, it applied for and received its 501(c)(3) status, formed a board, and moved forward with a fundraising program. To date, it has received generous support from individuals as well as grants from New Music USA, Cleveland Foundation, the Bascom Little Fund, the Lennox Berkeley Society, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Ohio Arts Council, and the George Gund Foundation.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Blue Streak Ensemble (BSE) is to develop and foster transformative musical experiences for new and existing audiences of all ages and all walks of life. Featuring primarily the music of living American composers, including founder and director Margaret Brouwer, it presents concerts with an eclectic array of the latest melodic, most expressive and exciting new music that represents today's diverse society. BSE's repertoire does not radiate elitism - but instead features recently-written classical music that speaks to both the intellect and the emotions of a listener. BSE also often performs repertoire that spans 400 years, juxtaposing the old and the new and establishing a connection between the rich music of the past and the music of today. This approach to programming, especially when presented in the non-traditional, welcoming spaces that are the hallmark of BSE's concert series, encourages listeners to travel in a compelling stream through a varied and changing palette of traditional and progressive sounds.

We believe in the power of music and the need for music in the world today. Music reminds people of the important value of communication and working together by means other than the limited use of words. Music from all centuries and from all cultures is important to our mission. We search for musical expressions of beauty, depth, community, passion, sadness, natural wonders, stillness and peace - music that touches the heart and soul, that speaks with our collective voice of a person living now, that tackles issues with which we all struggle, that speaks of loss and coping with loss, that sings of love and family, and that enhances our celebration of joy. In order to link to all the music from the past, we also explore music being written right now - music that explores new sounds, beautiful sounds and interesting ideas.

REVIEWS 

"All that needs to be said is that their sound is dynamic and thrilling. The playing is faultless and brilliant."  - John Whitmore, MusicWeb International

"A fluid aggregation of first-rate musicians."  - Mark Satola, The Plain Dealer

“The players were superb individually and collectively…chamber music presenters who have difficulty programming new music on their series should pay attention to what Blue Streak is doing so successfully.” - Daniel Hathaway, Cleveland Classical 

 "This delightful evening owed a lot to the skill of the performers but just as much to Margaret Brouwer’s sensitivity in creating a musical smorgasbord that made sense and worked.”  - Daniel Hathaway, Cleveland Classical 

"I was very pleased by this multi-talented ensemble, who performed together like close-knit friends."  - Mark Greenfest, SoundWordSight,

“The concert was splendid from start to finish…a technically solid and musically nuanced performance…An impressive performance that the audience acknowledge with a warm ovation.” - Mike Telin, Cleveland Classical

“This is an incredible tapestry of sounds from this small ensemble that do the utmost justice to this piece (Shattered Glass)…(Lonely Lake) is another brilliantly descriptive piece expertly played by this ensemble.” - Bruce Reader, The Classical Reviewer