Calliope Brass

American quintet Calliope Brass collaborates with the world’s most prominent creatives to build evocative, story-driven concert experiences for a variety of audiences. Inspired by the eponymous storytelling muse in Greek mythology, Calliope Brass (pronounced “Kuh-LIE-uh-pea”) is most known for its innovative approach to creating interactive concert experiences. As a registered nonprofit, Calliope has been awarded grant funding for performance and educational programming since its founding in 2015. 

The quintet’s flagship educational initiative, “What’s Your Story?” debuted during the 2018–2019 season to great acclaim and continues to delight students in auditoriums and classrooms across the NYC metropolitan area. A cross-curricular interactive performance targeted to K-5, “What’s Your Story?” was developed in collaboration with Broadway music director and composer Kat Sherrell (music associate, Hamilton U.S. Tour) and puppeteers Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (Sesame Street) and Haley Jenkins (Sesame Street, Donkey Hodie). Calliope designed the workshop as a customizable performance, tailored to stories students write prior to the performance. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ensemble adapted to share “What’s Your Story?” online, both in partnership with the Midori Foundation and as a recipient of Chamber Music America’s Residency Grant. 

The ensemble continues to develop unique programming for concert audiences as well. A 2023 collaboration with Dances for a Variable Population produced a one-hour interactive music and dance program for individuals living with dementia. The ensemble’s first project, a multimedia concert entitled Portraits of the Underdog (2015), combined live performance and documentary-style video in collaboration with composers David Maslanka and David Sampson. 

Calliope Brass keeps an active concert schedule across the tri-state area, playing recitals that incorporate new repertoire and creative arrangements of crowd favorites. Marquee performances include a celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s Centennial at New York’s Symphony Space and a grant award from New York Women Composers, which led to the premiere of a five movement work by Faye-Ellen Silverman. 

Calliope’s debut album, Rose Strewn Course, features works by composers past and present, including Kevin McKee, Emma Gregan, Dana Wilson, and more. As active partners in funding new works for brass quintet, Calliope’s second album, SECOND NATURE, showcases commissions the ensemble has supported, including the centerpiece of the album, A Garden Story by Sara Jacovino. As an all-female ensemble, Calliope Brass increases the visibility of women brass musicians as both artists and teachers through excellence in artistry and innovation in performance. Members are active freelance musicians in New York City playing on Broadway, in major symphony orchestras, television shows, and mainstage acts.