“Not only inspiring, but refreshing” (I Care if You Listen), OLEA Ensemble envisions a future in which the transformative power of chamber music is used as a model for healthy connection and collaboration. Founded in 2021, OLEA is a trio of clarinet, violin, and piano dually based in Chicago and Cincinnati and performing regularly across the Midwest. OLEA has completed residencies at Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, Avaloch Farm Music Institute, Decoda Chamber Music Festival, and Akropolis Chamber Music Institute. OLEA’s mission to foster community connections through innovative curation of new music has inspired recent commissions by Brad Balliett, Owen Hopper, Shane Scott Cook, Jacy Pedersen, Annie McAllister, and Christopher Jessup.

After 5 years performing together, we are excited to embark on our largest and most ambitious project yet: a full-length album! The primary purpose of our album is to create art in the classical music space that reflects, recontextualizes, and responds to the current moment in our society while inspiring courage in our listeners. Our album, An Opportunity for Courage, takes its title from the third movement of Shane Scott Cook's call it what it is, a piece which we commissioned and premiered in 2025. This work is a direct reaction to the rise of authoritarianism in the United States and offers both a stark critique of the current administration and “an opportunity for courage” in standing up against injustice. Additional repertoire will be presented in conversation with Cook’s piece, exploring the variety of ways that we can be courageous in our everyday lives. In a time when arts funding has been slashed and the Kennedy Center has been overtaken by political actors, it would be easy to fall back into performing and recording music that feels safe. OLEA Ensemble believes in taking the opposite approach: creating art that represents who we are as individuals and doesn’t back down in the face of criticism or potential censorship. By taking this bold stance, we stand in solidarity with artists all over this country who are making equally provocative, and potentially dangerous, statements.

We hope you will join us in taking this courageous next step in our career!

OLEA's First Album!

Your support will help fund the production and release of OLEA Ensemble's debut album, An Opportunity for Courage