History

Founded in 1990 as a mixed chamber ensemble, Rembrandt Chamber Musicians has remained one of the most active and respected chamber music organizations in the Chicago-land area for more than 35 years. The ensemble was founded by Sandie Morgan, Bob Morgan, Sharon Polifrone, Barbara Haffner, and David Schrader, all highly accomplished Chicago musicians whose artistic vision helped establish Rembrandt as a distinctive force in the region’s cultural landscape. Over the decades, the ensemble has featured principal musicians from the Lyric Opera of Chicago and other leading musical institutions, earning recognition for performances that combine artistic excellence, adventurous programming, and a deep commitment to musical collaboration. Its expansive repertoire has ranged from historically informed interpretations of Baroque masterworks to contemporary compositions by living composers, consistently drawing praise from audiences and critics alike.

Throughout its history, Rembrandt Chamber Musicians has demonstrated a strong commitment to commissioning and presenting new music. Since its founding, the ensemble has commissioned fourteen new works and six arrangements by composers from Chicago and beyond, helping to expand the chamber music repertoire while fostering relationships with contemporary artists. Among its notable projects was The Mahler Project, launched in 2008, a three-year retrospective of Schoenberg’s chamber arrangements of Mahler symphonies that received critical acclaim from the Chicago Tribune. In 2012, Rembrandt presented the only Chicago performance of Wynton Marsalis’ A Fiddler’s Tale alongside Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat, further reflecting the ensemble’s interest in innovative and interdisciplinary programming. Additional premieres and commissions have included works by Howard Levy, Sebastian Huydts, Peter Labella, and Stacy Garrop, reinforcing Rembrandt’s longstanding reputation as an ensemble willing to champion both established masterworks and bold contemporary voices.

Education and community engagement have also played a central role in Rembrandt’s mission. In 1995 the ensemble founded its Annual High School Chamber Music Competition, now widely regarded as one of the premier competitions of its kind in the Midwest. The program continues to attract talented student musicians from organizations including the Music Institute of Chicago, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, Midwest Young Artists, Merit School of Music, and schools throughout Illinois. Winning ensembles receive cash prizes, coaching sessions with Rembrandt musicians, and performance opportunities throughout the region, while also participating in outreach programs that bring chamber music to underserved schools and community organizations. Through these initiatives, Rembrandt has helped cultivate the next generation of classical musicians while making chamber music more accessible to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Now entering its 36th season, Rembrandt Chamber Musicians continues to build upon its distinguished legacy while expanding its artistic vision for the future. The ensemble will broaden its programming to include not only classical chamber music, but also jazz and improvised music, as well as contemporary classical works presented at a variety of venues throughout the Chicago-land area. This evolution reflects the organization’s longstanding commitment to innovation, collaboration, and artistic exploration while remaining rooted in the ensemble’s core mission of presenting engaging, accessible, and deeply personal musical experiences. Praised by Chicago Tribune critic John von Rhein as “one of the more notable success stories in Chicago chamber music,” Rembrandt continues to be recognized for performances filled with “infectious verve, spontaneity, and abundance of feeling,” with concerts regularly featured on WFMT and highlighted among Chicago’s top classical music events.