CONCERT
PROGRAMS

Khemia presents dynamic and seamless concert performances without pause between pieces. Careful consideration is given to creating an immersive experience with an organic flow from one work to the next, often with the incorporation of multimedia elements such as electronics, audio interludes, video, and lighting. Programs are curated to prioritize the inclusion of music by living composers with diverse backgrounds representing different races, gender identities, ages, career stages, and geographic locations.

SAMPLE PROGRAMS:

  • Khemia Ensemble’s All the Lives We Lived program is rooted in nostalgia and the eclectic musical influences we grew up loving. Fusing our contemporary chamber music sensibility with a nod to rock, pop, theater, and folk genres, audiences will be drawn into the wide-ranging soundscape of classical music of today, including a Chamber Music America sponsored commission by Anuj Bhutani, whose work inspired our program’s theme.

    Anuj Bhutani - and all the lives we lived^
    Eve Beglarian - I will not be sad in this world
    Nina Shekhar - Don’t Beat a Word^
    Ye Yanchen - Prey
    Viet Cuong - Electric Aroma
    Brittany Green - Thoughts Fleeting
    Fernanda Aoki Navarro - Jane Doe^
    Kevin Good - Improbable Places #1
    JT Wolfe - As the Crow Flies^
    Emma O’Halloran - Still Life
    Good - Improbable Places #2
    Andy Akiho - NO one To kNOW one

    ^Khemia Commission

  • Stillness/MOVEMENT explores the extremes of how we often simultaneously navigate the vibrant groove of life, the hollow serenity of quietude, and everything in between. The program features a mix of energetic and lyrical works of music by living composers including two Khemia commissioned works.

    Anna Clyne - Just As They Are
    Jessica Meyer - The Last Rose
    Lawton Hall - Staring Contest
    Florence Maunders - In Media Res^
    Eve Beglarian - Early in the Morning
    Juhi Bansal - Love, Loss, Exile
    Bobby Ge - Pupil of Light^
    Pascal Le Boeuf - Media Contol

    ^Khemia Commission

  • Pivotal moments in our lives, the choices we make, the people and experiences we meet all show us intersections previously unknown. They show us what’s at stake, but also what we are capable of. Intersections invites us to meditate on new beginnings and endings, the hope and grief that can accompany those events, and the intersections that mark our paths forward.

    Stefan Freund - Songs of Persephone^ - Stefan Freund
    Phillip Sink - Bite!^
    Nicolas Lell Benavides - Little Cloud^
    Nina Shekhar - Don’t Beat a Word^
    David Biedenbender - in a field of stars^

    ^Khemia commission

    Featuring commissioned audio interludes by:
    Regan Batten, LaChelle Hansen, Charlie Han, Cameron Bridston, Maridenne Willams, & Jared Ramos

  • Multiplicities is a program that explores the chromatic nature of reality. Just like the discrete colors in a color wheel can be spun to create a kaleidoscopic whirl, our lives take on different hues depending on the time, speed and context under which it is placed. Whether we are the initiators of our own transformations, or are the recipients of initiators that life presents along our path, Multiplicities celebrate the range, the experience and the emotions such markers create to form the patchwork of our lives.

    Melissa Dunphy - June #1
    Marc Mellits - Escape
    Jessica Meyer - The Last Rose
    Allison Loggins-Hull - Color Wheels
    Erin Busch - I know a god
    Anna Clyne - Just As They Are
    Florence Maunders - in Media Res^
    Marcos Balter - Dreamcatcher
    Bobby Ge - Pupil of Light^
    Carlos Simon - the rain that falls
    Pascal Le Bouef - Media Control

    ^Khemia Commission

  • Missed Connections, a program of contemporary chamber music for subsets of Khemia Ensemble, reflects the emotional impact of unexpected encounters and the elusive attraction that follows. The concert will explore the themes of dreams, faith, belonging, and love, inviting you to contemplate the “What ifs?” of a missed connection.

    Jennifer Higdon - Dash
    Erin Busch - I know a god
    Marc Mellits - Escape
    BE Boykin - A Love Song & Secret
    Emma O’Halloran - Dream On
    Ellen Ruth Harrison - Beneath a Canopy of Wings
    Kaija Saariaho - Changing Light
    Christopher Cerrone - I will learn to love a person
    Jack Yagerline - Alert Metal

TESTIMONIALS

“Stellar artistry.”
-Matt Landry, Executive Director, Akropolis Wind Quintet

"The ensemble's work includes acutely-written music by living composers as well as audio & video components designed to lead listeners into an immersive, multi-faceted, multi-sensory experience."
-Columbia Daily Tribune

 "I was captivated by their artistry, stage presence, usage of multimedia, and thoughtful curation of the overall concert experience."
-Bill Kalinkos, Clarinetist, Alarm Will Sound

"Khemia's innovative performance elements and diverse repertoire creates conceptually unified concerts that move seamlessly amongst pieces."
-Stefan Freund, Director, Mizzou New Music Initiative

"Artistic, stimulating, and soul-nourishing."
-John Oelrich, Director of Bands, University of Tennessee at Martin

UNIVERSITY
RESIDENCIES

Designed for collegiate music majors, Khemia offers an array of interactive masterclasses:

  • Entrepreneurship Masterclass:Building a Nonprofit Organization

    Entrepreneurship Masterclass:Life After Music School: What’s Next?

  • Applied Studio Masterclasses: Voice, Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano, Percussion

    Chamber Ensemble Coaching: New Music Ensemble, Wind, String, & Percussion Ensembles

    Chamber Music Demonstration Masterclass: 1, 2 Ready Go: Chamber Music Making Tips & Tricks

    Chamber Music Entrepreneurship Masterclass: So You Want to Start a Chamber Ensemble

  • Student Composer Reading Workshops

    Composition Studio Masterclass:Talking Across the Score: Collaboration Best Practices for Composers & Performers

Student Composer Reading, Michigan State University

“In addition to an incredible concert and performance masterclasses, I was really struck by the depth and quality of engagement with the student composers. We met with Khemia initially over Zoom several months in advance and then everyone in the ensemble corresponded with the student composers individually on their works, offering feedback and suggestions to make the parts more idiomatic and effective. The resulting in-person workshop and reading/recording session made the students feel like they were working with collaborators––not just hired professionals––that were truly invested in making music together.”
-David Biedenbender, Assoc. Prof. of Composition, Michigan State University

“Khemia’s residency engaged our students with brand new repertoire that was at once challenging, artistic, and accessible, showcasing the diversity and vibrancy of 21st-century art music.”
-Dr. Ross Hagen, Assoc. Prof. of Musicology, Utah Valley University

”I would like to thank you for the wonderful reading. You guys are amazing! Would love to work with you again."
-Jimmy Dave Dagta, Composition Masters Student, Michigan State University

COMMUNITY
OUTREACH

"[Khemia's] pedagogy and musical talents allow them to develop a strong rapport with the audience and serve as a role model for future music students."
-John Joanette, Executive Director, Detroit Children's Choir

"Thank you for everything you did during Missouri Summer Composition Institute (COMP) to make it such a great experience! I had so much fun and Khemia Ensemble’s performance at the end was the highlight of my week."
-Payton Murphy Blanchard, COMP High School Participant

Geared towards the community at large, Khemia presents engaging and educational performances introducing audiences of all ages to the joy of chamber music. Examples include:

  • Ensemble-in-Residence: Missouri Summer Composition Institute for High School Composers

  • Mizzou International Composers Festival Pop-Up Concerts (Sparky’s Ice Cream & Uprise Bakery)

  • Avaloch Farms Music Institute Community Concert Series

  • Detroit Children’s Choir Masterclass

Mizzou International Composers Festival Pop-Up Concert

Missouri Summer Composition Institute