Monarch Chamber players

Monarch Chamber Players is a collective of Houston-based professional musicians committed to taking classical chamber music out of the concert hall and into accessible community spaces. Founded in October 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Monarch presents over 80 concerts annually. The ensemble brings classical music directly to over 25 Houston neighborhoods by performing at diverse and creative venues, including parks, farms, gas stations, schools, traditional indoor venues, and front porches (the venue that brought them to prominence). Monarch has been featured on traditional concert series including Cypress Creek FACE Promenade Series, Houston Methodist Center for the Performing Arts Crain Garden Series, and Bayou City Art Festival, and has performed at many of Houston’s prominent concert venues such as POST HTX, Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center, and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Past seasons have included collaborations with ensembles WindSync and Kinetic. Monarch’s seasonal programming includes the “Neighborhood Nutcracker,” an original production of Tchaikovsky’s score arranged for wind quintet and percussion accompanied by a video projection of the ballet, as well as special programs for Halloween, Hispanic Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, Valentine’s Day, and more. Monarch’s musicians – comprised of winds, strings, and percussion – perform around the world with top professional orchestras and hold degrees from top music conservatories including Houston’s own Rice University.

Monarch Chamber Players Performers

Douglas DeVries* – Flute

Katherine Hart* – Oboe/English Horn

Rebecca Tobin* – Clarinet

Julian Hernandez – Bass Clarinet

Katia Osorio* – Bassoon

Tetsuya Lawson* – Trumpet

Russell Rybicki – Horn 1

Joey Troia – Horn 2

Hope Cowan* – Harp

Michael Metz – Percussion

Ethan Ahmad – Timpani

*Performing on Capriccio for 10 Instrument