The Chicago-based Fifth House Ensemble is a versatile and dynamic group whose performances have been praised by critics as “a little slice of nobility” and “simply fun to hear.” Fifth House’s innovative programs engage audiences through their connective programming and unexpected performance venues. The Ensemble membership includes a string quartet, wind quintet plus piano and double bass.
Performances are aimed at highlighting relationships between classical music and art forms as diverse as film, dance, gourmet food, theater, winemaking and visual art, as well as creating new sounds through collaborations with artists of other music genres.
Fifth House was the first chamber ensemble to train and present a program on the Recital Theater Series of New Triad for Collaborative Arts in New York in June of 2007, and will return to NYC for two performances at the Miller Theatre beginning in 2009. Other performances will include an early music program at Byron Colby Barn,the Nineteenth Century Club, the University Club of Chicago, the Hudson Valley Piano Club, PianoForte Chicago, the Chicago Composers Forum’s New Music in the Gallery Series, Mostly Music Series, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Continuing the tradition inaugurated in 2007-2008, Fifth House will present its yearly subscription series, based on the tradition of Commedia dell’Arte for the 08/09 season.
Recently named to the Illinois Arts Council’s Arts-In-Education Roster, Fifth House’s innovative educational endeavors have resulted in a residency at the Walt Disney Magnet School in Chicago, performances at Chicago public schools and the Chicago Cultural Center in partnership with the International Music Foundation, as well as performances at the Woodstock Opera House, Fremd and Stevenson High Schools. Programs are customized to the curriculum of each school, with the goals of promoting active listening skills and connecting music to a wide variety of subjects. Fifth House also frequently performs for college audiences, including residencies and performances at Millikin University, Manchester College, Carthage College, University of Illinois-Chicago, Lewis Universityand the University of Northern Iowa.
Members of Fifth House Ensemble are also active as orchestral musicians, having performed with ensembles including the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Also active as educators, members of Fifth House serve on the faculties of Carthage College, the Merit School of Music and Trinity University
Alex Shapiro: World Premiere performance. New work for String Quintet,
and Wind Quintet. Commissioned by Norton Concerts
Poulenc: Sextet for Piano and Wind Instruments
Schubert: Piano Quintet in A major, Op.114 "The Trout"
