The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society’s masterclasses at Settlement Music School provide students with technical, expressive and historical insight into the music they perform. Conducted by the same musicians PCMS presents in concert, these unique classes offer students at all stages of musical development the opportunity to be instructed by internationally-renowned artists.

This installment of the PCMS Masterclass Series features the Marinus Ensemble. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Marinus Ensemble is a chamber music collective that draws on the best emerging international performers to celebrate the human power of our great chamber music repertoire. At the heart of Marinus is a commitment to enliven the audience experience through a distinctive concert approach, giving performances that are both searching and authentic. Our musicians have great training (Curtis, Juilliard, New England Conservatory) and are based out of outstanding organizations (the Metropolitan Opera, National Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, A Far Cry, Konservatorium Bern, the Vega String Quartet). Most importantly, they have a shared vision of making great music come alive for diverse audiences.

Marinus invites artists to team up on creative musical projects around a range of repertoire. Each project leads to a group of concerts that form our performance seasons. Through the juxtaposition of styles, composers, and instruments, each Marinus concert program tries to reinforce the idea that all great music has the power to challenge, inform, and enrich our lives. Beyond the concert hall, Marinus is also committed to educating all of our listeners—creating space for learning through interactive concerts, accessible program notes, and teaching residencies at schools and universities. This is a key piece of another Marinus goal: to deepen and expanded the chamber music audience who will nurture and support this great musical tradition we all love so much.

Founded in 2010 by siblings Rachel Kuipers Yonan and Joseph Kuipers, the Marinus Ensemble has been ensemble-in-residence at Washington and Lee University and Eastern University, and performs regularly at concert halls and universities around the country. The ensemble is based out of Philadelphia with participating artists from such origins as Aix-en-Provence, Boston, Dallas, New York, Raleigh, and Stuttgart. Recent performances include appearances on Curtis Presents, WRTI Performance Studio, Smedes Parlor Concert Series, and the Rochester Chamber Music Society.