The Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective will perform at the Perelman Theater on Wednesday, Dec. 13, to conclude their first U.S. tour. This is also a homecoming for co-founder and violinist Elena Urioste, who grew up in the Philadelphia area and studied at the Curtis Institute of Music. She now lives in London with her husband, fellow Kaleidoscope co-founder and pianist Tom Poster, and their son Tico — the newest member of the family chamber ensemble, who joined their performance when they dropped by the WRTI Performance Studio.
Kaleidoscope is a flexible roster of some of Urioste and Poster’s favorite people to perform with, born from a “kitchen-table discussion” about wanting to perform the music they love with the people they love. They’re back in Philly every now and then, and this time, they’re bringing their extended musical family (though some, like The Philadelphia Orchestra’s principal bass, Joseph Conyers, are already here).
Philadelphia is also an apt place for Kaleidoscope’s mission: Urioste and Poster say in their Kaleidoscope bio that they “spend a lot of time worrying about the world — about inequality, prejudice, violence, bullying, divisive rhetoric,” and they counter that through their performance as well as their programming.
During their Dec. 13 concert, Kaleidoscope will perform two works their members have premiered: Florence Price’s Piano Quintet in A minor, which the ensemble debuted on record with their 2021 Chandos release; and Gabriella Smith’s Divertimento, originally written for Urioste, which will have its Philadelphia premiere. Bookending the program are George Walker’s Lyric for Strings and Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Sextet in D Major.
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective performs at the Perelman Theater, Kimmel Cultural Campus, on Dec. 13; tickets and information here.
