Access Ensemble is a chamber music group that specializes in the performance of contemporary classical music. . We are committed to working with composers so that their music can be disseminated to as broad an audience as possible, and we do our best to give many performances of their works. Our performances are enhanced by Access Ensemble member and video artist, Shawn Lawson, who live codes real time computer graphics for each piece. The group was formed in 2013 with founding members Rocco Anthony Jerry – Accordion/Bayan, Eric Despard – Guitar and Michael Gilbert Ronstadt – Cello. Additional performers joined in 2018 with the group’s name changing from The Progression Ensemble to Access Ensemble. Access Ensemble musicians include Rocco Anthony Jerry – Accordion/Bayan, Eric Despard – Guitar, Michael Gilbert Ronstadt – Cello, Shawn Lawson – Live-Coded Video, Emily Herder – Clarinet, Richard Udell – Guitar, Chelsea Snider-Katt – Vocals, and Jeff Marks – Guitar. To date, we have premiered over 20 new works, and have collaborated with 12 composers from Norway, Austria and the United States. New Works Written for and Premiered by Access Ensemble:
Peter Jarvis (US) “Music for Accordion and Drums – Perhaps Electronic” (2019)
Christopher Cook (US) “Spin Cycle”(2019)
Peter Jarvis (US) “Bellows and Wind” (2019)
Dale Marie Hoagland (US) “Deer” (2019)
Christopher Cook (US) “Spectrum” (2018) @ 7 minutes
Peter Jarvis (US) “Sotto Voce” (2018) @ 4 minutes
Peter Jarvis (US) “Lament” (2018) @ 4 minutes
Eric Despard (US) “Space Moving In/Space Moving Out” (2018) @ 6 minutes
Bjorn Bolstad Skjelbred (Norway) “Before It Falls Apart” (2018) 5 minutes
David Rothenberg (US) “One Day We’ll Know Why Whales Sing” (2018) @ 60 minutes
Dale Marie Hoagland (US) “Triptych” (2018) @ 9 minutes
Dale Marie Hoagland (US) “Rainbows” (2018) @ 3 minutes
Michael Dilthey (US) “Sonata” (2018) @ 14 minutes
Michael Dilthey (US) “Trio” (2017) @ 5 minutes
Bjorn Bolstad Skjelbred (Norway) “The Thin Line” (2017) @ 7 minutes
Conrad Kehn (US) “Soundtracks to Movies that Don’t Exist” (2017) @ 10 minutes
Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen (Norway) “Musical Doodles II” (2016) @ 15 minutes
Bjorn Bolstad Skjelbred (Norway) “as the wind behaves” (2016) @ 20 minutes
Bjorn Bolstad Skjelbred (Norway) “ConVergEnce” (2013) @ 17 minutes
