OUR ENSEMBLES

From carefully curated rehearsals to thoughtful repertoire, each ensemble is designed with community, collaboration, and performances at its core to inspire our musicians.

Con Brio Ensemble

Our current ensemble features students ages 11-18 who are advanced to pre-professional level. The ensemble performs largely without a conductor, so strong ensemble skills are a main focus along with exposure to an array of music. This ensemble rehearses certain Sunday evenings from 6-8:30PM in Englewood.

Con Anima Ensemble

We hope to add an ensemble for students ages 11-18 who are developing advanced-advanced level (equivalent to Suzuki Books 4-7). Our goal is to build strong ensemble skills specific to string players by performing both with and without a conductor. This ensemble rehearses certain Sunday evenings from 6-8:30PM in Englewood.

Con Moto Ensemble

We hope to add an ensemble for students ages 11-18 who are intermediate-developing advanced level (equivalent to Suzuki Books 3-5). The ensemble will perform mostly with conductor with a goal to begin building ensemble skills specific to string players. This ensemble rehearses certain Sunday evenings from 5-6:30PM in Englewood.

Con Brio Requirements

  • Advanced technical command

    Good intonation

    Rhythmic precision

    Strong sight-reading

    Musical phrasing awareness

    Fast rehearsal processing

  • Corelli Concerto Op. 6, No. 8

    Grieg Holberg Suite

    Mendelssohn Sinfonia No. 2

  • Focused rehearsal etiquette

    Responds artistically to coaching

    Leadership opportunities when performing without a conductor

Con Anima Requirements

  • Comfortable shifting

    Developing vibrato

    More advanced bow strokes

    Strong rhythmic accuracy

    Reads fluently in common keys

    Fast rehearsal processing

  • Bartok Rumanian Folk Dances

    Britten Simple Symphony

    Corelli Concerto Grosso Op. 4, No. 6

  • Part independence

    Strong chamber music participant

    Enjoys challenges

Con Moto Requirements

  • Must be able to read music

    Reliable intonation in first position

    Basic shifting introduced

    Developing slurs and articulations

    Beginning vibrato

    Good attention span for rehearsal

  • Grading scale 1-3

    Composers such as Soon Hee Newbold, Kurt Mosier, & Susan Day

    Allegro from Concerto Grosso, arr. Sandra Dackow

  • Can maintain part in section

    Learning ensemble listening skills

From Our Musicians

  • "Angie is fun and very descriptive ... she sees when you are doing a good job and lets you know."

  • “I come to Con Brio rehearsal because I look forward to seeing my friends. The community Angie is building is unique and I always feel welcome and encouraged."

  • “It has been so much fun getting to perform without a conductor and play great pieces!"

  • "Con Brio Ensemble has helped me tremendously in my musicianship, collaborative abilities, and connections within the world of classical music. The community is absolutely wonderful, and the group's emphasis on independence while still providing support has been invaluable in my journey."