The Chameleons

Artistic Director

Guest Artists

In a city immersed in music, the Chameleon Arts Ensemble is distinguished by superb artistry, luminous performances, and dynamic musical dialogues. Chameleon integrates old and new repertoire into unexpected chamber music programs that are themselves works of art. Founded in 1998, this innovative ensemble draws those who love the adventure of music - classic and contemporary. A Chameleon concert is a multifaceted experience in an intimate environment joining audience and musicians in an exuberant celebration of music.

Chameleon's concerts have been critically acclaimed for their innovative, varied programs and the depth, style and polish with which they've been presented. The Boston Globe commented that "a certain charged, eager, "something in the air" quality permeated everything they did...," and The Boston Herald described Chameleon as "a young, energetic ensemble who pride themselves on their versatility. There's no corner of the repertory, old or new or forgotten, that they won't explore." The name Chameleon derives from this very versatility - a key element of its mission - to perform a wide range of repertoire, from the Classical to the most contemporary, from the best-known standards to brand-new and lesser-known works.

Artistic Director Deborah Boldin brings a vast knowledge of the standard chamber music repertoire and a passion for contemporary music, as well as music by women and other marginalized composers. Her programs offer an inimitable mix of the witty and the sublime, the adventurous and the beloved. The Boston Globe praised her for "knowing what goes with what on a program," and for "another evening of smart, zealous music-making by the young and ambitious Chameleon Arts Ensemble, took its auditors on an amazing journey."

The Ensemble infuses all of the programs with a public-spirited sensibility, with Chameleons in the Community, an ongoing outreach effort to increase the accessibility of classical music and create connections between the arts and everyday life. At each concert, up to 20% of the best seats are set aside for constituents of organizations such as the Pine Street Inn, the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership and Project Step, and Chameleon dedicates one concert in every season as a benefit concert for a local public service charity.

Chameleon was recently awarded a highly competitive and prestigious grant from the Koussevitsky Foundation, for the commission of a new work by eminent composer Barbara White. In addition, the Ensemble has been named Artists in Residence at Salem State College. Chameleon was named "first-class new ensemble" by Richard Dyer for the Boston Globe's Best Classical Music of 1998. The South End News described Chameleon's concerts as "a 'must be heard' affair that should be on every music lover's calendar."

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