Camarada, the chamber music ensemble, is dedicated to presenting invigorating performances of musical masterworks. Established in 1994 and co-founded by former San Diego Symphony flutist Beth Ross-Buckley, soprano Anne Chase, and SD Symphony principal pianist Mary Barranger, Camarada's goal is to create an inviting and expansive artistic experience for audiences. Camarada concerts share the joy of chamber music by pairing performers of the highest caliber with intimate spaces throughout San Diego.
Since its inception, the chamber music ensemble Camarada has been committed to a vast spectrum of musical styles, eras, and aesthetics. Performing in intimate, alluring venues in the San Diego area such as museums, artists' lofts, galleries, churches, and private salons, Camarada has also created partnerships with artists in visual art, dance and theater. Many concerts include tango and flamenco dancing, while the Gallery Concert Series also features wine tasting.
There are no boundaries to the musical selections. Concerts are designed to appeal to all ages and geographic areas of San Diego. Camarada's eclectic concerts include a wide range of style and composers from Bach to the Beatles. Concert offerings include American composers Copland, Bernstein, Rorem, Ives, and Lieberman; the Latin music of de Falla, Rodrigo, Piazzolla, and Villa-lobos; European masters J .S. Bach, Schubert, Mozart, Beethoven, Ravel, Debussy and Martinu as well as world composers such as Ravi Shankar, the Beatles, Sephardic music, traditional Irish music, and Flamenco beat.
Ross-Buckley revamped the group in 2009, adding to the lineup pianist Dana Burnett and violist Travis Maril. Sheryl Renk has been principal clarinetist for the San Diego Symphony since 1991. Based in Mission Hills, the group released a new full-length, Tango Nuevo, in 2010.
Named Artists-in-Residence at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park in early 2013, their new venture opened February 17 with Tango Nuevo (best of Piazzolla) music and dance. As of 2015, Camarada was headed by Artistic Directors Beth Ross Buckley and Dana Burnett.
By 2017, Erin Breene was also playing with the Aviara Trio, alongside Ines Irawati on piano and Robert Schumitzky on his 1694 Stradivarius violin. Schumitzky has played first violin for Orange County's Pacific Symphony and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Breene has played with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and Irawati was a frequent soloist with Orchestra Nova before becoming a vocal coach at Point Loma Nazarene University.