NOLA CHAMBER FEST, 2026
Photo courtesy of NOLA Chamber Fest
NOLA CHAMBER FEST 2026: At the intersection of world-class performance and local music education
By David S. Lewis
Chamber music is its own beast: music written for smaller groups of musicians might seem a reduced version of an orchestra, but that isn’t really the case. Absent is the central figure of the conductor, tuxedo tails flapping at the audience; likewise the ornate carvings and velvet of the grand concert hall.
Accordingly, there’s an intimacy associated with chamber music. Many composers, cognizant of the scrutiny and pressures placed on large symphonic works, would reserve their inmost inspiration and close-held hearts for works designed to be played in smaller gatherings. Far from a miniaturized symphony, chamber works put you CLOSE to the performers, and them to you. There’s rarely more than one or two of any given instrument, and each performer has their own unique part.
There’s no hiding: every note is exposed, every emotion laid bare, and the audience is so present that they could almost read the music themselves, drawing them proximally to the community of musicians in the space. Where the symphony is a performance by musicians rendered nearly faceless by distance, the sense of communion between audience and performer is inevitably enhanced in the chamber music experience.
Those relationships with community extend well beyond the performance for NOLA Chamberfest. The festival features performances by innovative, world-class professional musicians for the public, and builds a bridge between those musicians and local students, the purpose underpinning the entire festival.
Started in 2014 by classical arts nonprofit Lyrica Baroque, the first festival was designed to help New Orleans recover some of its lost artistic identity after Hurricane Katrina’s catastrophic impact. It strove to support young musicians, providing a means of connecting them with mentoring and performance foundations – both of which were in short supply during the chaotic rebuilding. Young musicians are at the core of the festival, which has featured a student competition and masterclasses since the very beginning.
Access and exposure to high-caliber musicians is critical to the development of youth trying to develop the techniques that can lead to scholarships and careers in the classical arts, but the vast majority of cities don’t host a professional orchestra, let alone professional chamber groups.
The second year of the festival saw Lyrica Baroque join forces with the city’s oldest chamber presenter, New Orleans Friends of Music, a partnership that continues today. In 2019, the festival added the University of New Orleans’ School of the Arts and the three organizations continue to work together, with the festival now taking place at UNO. (The Performing Arts Center at the University is truly one of the best-kept secrets of performance spaces in the city, featuring comfortable seats, ADA access, easy parking, and truly incredible acoustics.)
I spoke with UNO music professor and former School of the Arts president, Dr. Charles Taylor, about the value of creditable music competition for students (full disclosure: I play under Dr. Taylor in the unrelated New Orleans Civic Symphony, also partnered with the school.)
“Winning a competition can lead to career opportunities, such as gaining representation, invitations to chamber music series in other locations, and drawing the attention of other artists,” wrote Taylor over email. “The winner of this competition will receive an invitation to perform on the UNO Musical Excursions series next year, for example.”
Those kinds of relationship-building opportunities are lifelines for student musicians, especially as funding for the arts from traditional sources has been increasingly limited in recent years. Taylor said the festival works to address those and other barriers – and that isn’t limited to the competition element.
“We offer a Creativity Day of educational activities with guest artists that are intended to provide some of the skills and knowledge needed for success in music,” he said. “We also offer a middle- and high-school division in the competition that allows younger students to have the full experience of a competition while competing with people of their own level of experience.”
We spoke about the changing demographics of the audiences finding their ways to chamber music festivals and symphonies these days, and the increase of younger listeners experiencing music, sometimes very old music, with new ears. “I see younger people expressing curiosity about music, and not as intent on putting things into categories. I think this is a good thing,” said Taylor. “I do believe that traditional music education will need to catch up to where the students are, and develop a similar openness about the importance of all types of music.”
Students compete for a cash prize, considered a legitimizing factor in music competition, and masterclasses and performances are offered by some of the leading chamber players in the country. This is a rarefied class of musicians, and the festival has featured some of the most important ensembles through the years, with musicians like the Escher Quartet, the Catalyst Quartet, and the Imani Winds offering performances and masterclasses. They may not be on the Top 40, but musicians of this caliber are world famous, and a lot of work and money goes into getting them here in front of students.
“Donations of any size are welcome by organizations such as this. We don’t operate with large budgets, so all donations are meaningful,” said Taylor. “One way to support this project is to reach out to Jaren Atherholt (Executive Director of Lyrica Baroque), or Margaret Shields of the New Orleans Friends of Music, or [me]. We can help you make an informed gift.”
If you want to contribute to the arts but don’t know where to start, Lyrica Baroque is doing incredible work and providing a lot of value for those contributions. If you wish to support their efforts, Lyrica Baroque is currently running a reserve fundraising campaign, and are currently halfway to their goal of $100,000 for building resilience for the operations supporting student musicians - click here for more information and donation links.
For a calendar of NOLA Chamberfest events, including performances by wind quintet The City of Tomorrow and Decoda, click here.
Classical and Art Music Calendar for New Orleans: March 2026
More Classically Untrained features
By David S. Lewis
Chamber music is its own beast: music written for smaller groups of musicians might seem a reduced version of an orchestra, but that isn’t really the case. Absent is the central figure of the conductor, tuxedo tails flapping at the audience; likewise the ornate carvings and velvet of the grand concert hall.
Accordingly, there’s an intimacy associated with chamber music. Many composers, cognizant of the scrutiny and pressures placed on large symphonic works, would reserve their inmost inspiration and close-held hearts for works designed to be played in smaller gatherings. Far from a miniaturized symphony, chamber works put you CLOSE to the performers, and them to you. There’s rarely more than one or two of any given instrument, and each performer has their own unique part.
There’s no hiding: every note is exposed, every emotion laid bare, and the audience is so present that they could almost read the music themselves, drawing them proximally to the community of musicians in the space. Where the symphony is a performance by musicians rendered nearly faceless by distance, the sense of communion between audience and performer is inevitably enhanced in the chamber music experience.
Those relationships with community extend well beyond the performance for NOLA Chamberfest. The festival features performances by innovative, world-class professional musicians for the public, and builds a bridge between those musicians and local students, the purpose underpinning the entire festival.
Started in 2014 by classical arts nonprofit Lyrica Baroque, the first festival was designed to help New Orleans recover some of its lost artistic identity after Hurricane Katrina’s catastrophic impact. It strove to support young musicians, providing a means of connecting them with mentoring and performance foundations – both of which were in short supply during the chaotic rebuilding. Young musicians are at the core of the festival, which has featured a student competition and masterclasses since the very beginning.
Access and exposure to high-caliber musicians is critical to the development of youth trying to develop the techniques that can lead to scholarships and careers in the classical arts, but the vast majority of cities don’t host a professional orchestra, let alone professional chamber groups.
The second year of the festival saw Lyrica Baroque join forces with the city’s oldest chamber presenter, New Orleans Friends of Music, a partnership that continues today. In 2019, the festival added the University of New Orleans’ School of the Arts and the three organizations continue to work together, with the festival now taking place at UNO. (The Performing Arts Center at the University is truly one of the best-kept secrets of performance spaces in the city, featuring comfortable seats, ADA access, easy parking, and truly incredible acoustics.)
I spoke with UNO music professor and former School of the Arts president, Dr. Charles Taylor, about the value of creditable music competition for students (full disclosure: I play under Dr. Taylor in the unrelated New Orleans Civic Symphony, also partnered with the school.)
“Winning a competition can lead to career opportunities, such as gaining representation, invitations to chamber music series in other locations, and drawing the attention of other artists,” wrote Taylor over email. “The winner of this competition will receive an invitation to perform on the UNO Musical Excursions series next year, for example.”
Those kinds of relationship-building opportunities are lifelines for student musicians, especially as funding for the arts from traditional sources has been increasingly limited in recent years. Taylor said the festival works to address those and other barriers – and that isn’t limited to the competition element.
“We offer a Creativity Day of educational activities with guest artists that are intended to provide some of the skills and knowledge needed for success in music,” he said. “We also offer a middle- and high-school division in the competition that allows younger students to have the full experience of a competition while competing with people of their own level of experience.”
We spoke about the changing demographics of the audiences finding their ways to chamber music festivals and symphonies these days, and the increase of younger listeners experiencing music, sometimes very old music, with new ears. “I see younger people expressing curiosity about music, and not as intent on putting things into categories. I think this is a good thing,” said Taylor. “I do believe that traditional music education will need to catch up to where the students are, and develop a similar openness about the importance of all types of music.”
Students compete for a cash prize, considered a legitimizing factor in music competition, and masterclasses and performances are offered by some of the leading chamber players in the country. This is a rarefied class of musicians, and the festival has featured some of the most important ensembles through the years, with musicians like the Escher Quartet, the Catalyst Quartet, and the Imani Winds offering performances and masterclasses. They may not be on the Top 40, but musicians of this caliber are world famous, and a lot of work and money goes into getting them here in front of students.
“Donations of any size are welcome by organizations such as this. We don’t operate with large budgets, so all donations are meaningful,” said Taylor. “One way to support this project is to reach out to Jaren Atherholt (Executive Director of Lyrica Baroque), or Margaret Shields of the New Orleans Friends of Music, or [me]. We can help you make an informed gift.”
If you want to contribute to the arts but don’t know where to start, Lyrica Baroque is doing incredible work and providing a lot of value for those contributions. If you wish to support their efforts, Lyrica Baroque is currently running a reserve fundraising campaign, and are currently halfway to their goal of $100,000 for building resilience for the operations supporting student musicians - click here for more information and donation links.
For a calendar of NOLA Chamberfest events, including performances by wind quintet The City of Tomorrow and Decoda, click here.
Classical and Art Music Calendar for New Orleans: March 2026
More Classically Untrained features