Free Entry with a recommended donation of $10-20
OLEA Ensemble:
-Kate Kilgus, clarinet
-Alayne Honaker, violin
-Marissa Kerbel, piano
-With special guest Annie McAllister, soprano/composer
---Program--------
Abhainn na Gaillimhe, composed by Annie Barr McAllister
Annie Barr McAllister, soprano
Elegy for Gaza, composed by Salam Murtada, arr. Marissa Kerbel
2. Last Lullaby
Eight Threats, composed by Jacy Pedersen
1. Let Me Explain the Sin
2. Ars F***ing Poetica
3. Siren Song
4. The Most Original Sin
5. I Know You Want to Lie by the Roadside but the Wolves Are Coming, Sweetheart
6. If You Force Me to be Your Property I Will Become a Wood Chipper
7.A Small Prayer for Today
8. Grace
Annie Barr McAllister, soprano
You Are Not Alone, composed by Jennifer Jolley, arr. Marissa Kerbel
1.
2.
3.
4.
Annie Barr McAllister, soprano
call it what it is, composed by Shane Scott Cook
1. [tyranny]
2. [broken promises]
3. [an opportunity for courage]
---Bio--------
“Not only inspiring, but refreshing” (I Care if You Listen), OLEA Ensemble envisions a future in which the transformative power of chamber music can be used as a model for healthy connection and collaboration in all facets of society. OLEA’s mission is to foster community connections through innovative curation of new music. Founded in 2021, OLEA is dually based in Chicago and Cincinnati, presenting performances in each city every season. Members include Kate Kilgus (clarinet), Alayne Honaker (violin), and Marissa Kerbel (piano). OLEA’s members hold degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Lawrence University, and Kenyon College.
By presenting music through themes that are universal yet personally relatable, OLEA aims to make classical music and new music relevant to 21st century audiences. In the fall of 2024, OLEA was the Artist in Residence at SOS ART in Cincinnati where they developed a project called “Contemplations on Democracy” which explored the intersection of art and politics, serving as both an interactive musical performance and a Get Out the Vote initiative. For this project, they collaborated with local poets and visual artists to provide a diverse set of perspectives on socio-political issues. Other recent projects include: “Yeehaw: American Folk Traditions” (2024) which incorporated music from traditions such as jazz, Appalachian fiddle, and ragtime; the commission and premier of Owen Hopper’s “Wind Blows Lotus Leaves” (2023) alongside live demonstrations of the Tai Chi movements which inspired the composition; and “Summer Dreams” (2023) which explored the sounds of dreams from a fantastical storyline of a deep sleep to the shimmering texture of a daydream. OLEA has completed residencies at Avaloch Farm Music Institute (2022), the Decoda Chamber Music Festival (2022), and the Akropolis Chamber Music Institute (2025), and has performed at New Music Chicago’s ImpromptuFest (2023) and the Price Hill Music Festival (2023). In addition, OLEA will take part in the Chamber Music Residency at Camphill Village Kimberton Hills in the summer of 2026.
Since its inception, the importance of new music and creative collaboration has remained at the center of OLEA’s artistic vision. OLEA’s current season titled “You Are (Not) Alone” explores the dichotomy between community and loneliness that exists in our society today. This season features several new works commissioned by the ensemble including pieces by Shane Scott Cook, Jacy Pedersen, Owen Hopper, Brad Balliet, and Annie Barr McAllister. For this project, OLEA is excited to collaborate with Annie Barr McAllister, soprano, an avid recitalist and teaching artist from Buffalo, New York. In 2021-22, Dr. McAllister was awarded a United States Fulbright Grant to Ireland where she researched and performed Irish song for 10 months in Galway. Dr. McAllister teaches at the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. McAllister holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Socials
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Facebook: OLEA Ensemble
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