Gulf Coast Chamber Ensembles

We are a group of musicians dedicated to the community arts. Our staff has several collegiate musicians who gain teaching experience through leading chamber ensembles rehearsals and selecting repertoire for performance.

The Gulf Coast Chamber Ensemble's mission is to enhance music education while providing community service and teaching our students the essential skills and values that are necessary to become the leaders of tomorrow. Our rehearsals provide local high school and collegiate musicians with the opportunity to improve as musicians through extensive practice and instruction on challenging chamber literature. Our emphasis on chamber literature develops our students’ musical leadership and accountability, since chamber ensembles frequently perform without conductors. We encourage creativity and individuality through music performance by allowing our students to formulate their own musical ideas. We are committed to serving our community. Our performances are open to one and all, free of charge, for community entertainment and enrichment. GCCE includes members who perform in reduced chamber ensembles for smaller-scale events, providing additional educational opportunities for students in our ensembles while helping better our communities. One of our prominent goals each concert cycle is to expand the repertoire available for chamber ensembles. We frequently commission and premiere works from rising composers, perform repertoire written by underrepresented composers, and seek to enhance diversity and inclusion in classical music. We have performed music written by LGBTQ+ composers, composers of color, and female composers. We have premiered compositions written by musicians from across the world, including Italian composer Giuseppe Parmigiani’s Little Concerto for Sopranino Saxophone. Musicians in GCCE have several opportunities to refine their leadership. Members of GCCE may participate in conducting workshops to develop an understanding of how to lead musicians from the podium through both musical conducting and enforcing rehearsal etiquette. Our high school and collegiate musicians have opportunities to become mentors for our middle school students by providing private lessons, participating in group lessons, and being resources for our middle school students who wish to continue music beyond middle school. College students in our ensemble regularly travel to local high schools and middle schools to aid their music programs. This includes teaching marching fundamentals, aiding in applied instrument studies programs, and providing free, individualized instruction to financially disadvantaged students who are unable to afford lessons. We believe that financial status should not hinder a student’s ability to make music.