Praised for "glorious music" and "great energy and virtuosity" (St. Andrews Performing Arts), the Olmsted Ensemble (Peter H. Bloom, flute; Brian Clague, violin; Jennifer Shallenberger, viola; Timothy Roberts, cello) concertizes throughout the United States. The quartet will open the Ellingwood Chapel Concert Series on May 18, 2014 at 4:00 pm.  The program will feature two gems by Mozart: the exhilarating Overture to the Magic Flute (K. 620) and the magnificent D Major Quartet (K. 285), one of the masterworks of the literature.  Other selections will include the dramatic, rarely-heard Quartet in D Minor by Charles Hommann (1803-1872?), a Philadelphia-born and American-trained composer; Quartet Opus 41 No 2 in F Major by Ignace Pleyel (a favorite student of Haydn); and Quartet No. 1 in D Minor by Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga (1806-1826), a Spanish violinist and composer whose precocious career was cut short when he died at the age of 19.

Members of the Olmsted Ensemble have appeared with orchestras and chamber groups in North America, Europe, and the Far East.

Flutist Peter H. Bloom, whose playing has been called "a revelation for unforced sweetness and strength" (The Boston Globe), performs in North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.  He tours with distinguished chamber music and jazz ensembles; is featured on 40 CDs (Dorian, SONY Classical, Newport Classic, Leo, other labels); serves as consultant to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and other museums; and was a winner of the American Musicological Society's Noah Greenberg Award.  His compositions and arrangements are published by Noteworthy Sheet Music www.noteworthysheetmusic.com   Brian Clague, violin, has toured in the U.S., Europe and Japan, appearing in solo recitals and serving as concertmaster for numerous orchestras.  He is a recording artist for national PBS productions and for film, major record labels, and commercial projects.  Jennifer Shallenberger, viola, has performed with chamber ensembles and orchestras in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea.  Cellist Timothy Roberts has performed nationally and internationally with such groups as the Smithsonian Chamber Players, Alea III, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Carmel Bach Festival, the Boston Pops, and the Vienna Choir Boys as a member of the Brandenburg Ensemble.  

The Olmsted Ensemble takes its inspiration from Frederick Law Olmsted, the great landscape architect (creator of Boston's Emerald Necklace and New York's Central Park), whose work was visionary and forward-looking while also honoring and extending traditions of the past.  The group is managed exclusively by Americas Musicworks, Rebecca DeLamotte, managing director.  Telephone: 617-776-8778.  Email:  delamotte-amw@comcast.net