“In its beginnings, music was merely chamber music, meant to be listened to in a small space by a small audience.” - Gustav Mahler.
Classical music isn’t a traditionally welcoming place - and we’re using the power of chamber music to change that.
Over the last hundred years, classical music has gone from being a mainstream art form to a specialized interest. Classical composers have gone from being international celebrities covered in the tabloids to names hardly known outside of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. As a society, we have built up financial, racial, and educational barriers for entry that have kept audiences and performers small and elite - and the Horizon Series is here to change that.
Founded by Co-Artistic Directors M. Isaac Ripple and Zachary West, the Horizon Series re-imagines chamber music excellence in the 21st century through performances that are accessible, diverse, and thematic. You don’t need to be a connoisseur to come to one of our concerts - we’re here to welcome you to this art form with open arms.
Our Vision
Accessible Performances
We understand that the traditional image of a classical performance - silent audience members in suits and gowns, very serious musicians in tuxedos - can be intimidating to new audience members. At a Horizon Series performance, both audience members and performers are encouraged to wear comfortable street clothes. Performers will introduce the pieces they’re about to play as well as interact with the patrons before, during, and after all shows. All audience members are most welcome to ask questions throughout the program and show their appreciation for the performers by applauding during and between movements!
Diversity
Diversity - whether it be in the makeup of the audience, performers, or the styles of music being played - is at the very core of the Horizon Series. We believe in a musical community that reflects the universality of our society and concert programs that feature both staples of the repertoire and music written today.
Classical music, with its rich history and timeless masterpieces, has traditionally been perceived as an exclusive and elite-minded art form, accessible only to a select few. However, embracing diversity in classical music is not just about social justice or inclusivity; it is about ensuring the art form's relevance and vitality in the years to come while continuing to revitalize and engage a broader audience.
Thematic Programming
Our concert programs are carefully organized around a central theme or idea. This principal - called Thematic Programming - plays a crucial role in engaging audiences and providing an enriching musical experience. We use music to tell stories and connect audiences to history, revealing the times and lives of the people who created and performed these works while providing opportunities for musicians and ensembles to present unique interpretations and connections between diverse repertoire, forging a deeper connection between the performers and the listeners.
Meet the Leaders of the Horizon Series
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Zachary West
Co-Artistic Director and CEO
Equally at home in both traditional and contemporary ensembles, Zachary West has been heard in performance throughout the United States. A devoted chamber musician, Zachary has collaborated with the award-winning Belka String Quartet and appeared alongside faculty in concerts at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Duxbury Music Festival.
As an orchestral musician, he has performed under the baton of many of the world's finest conductors, including Jane Glover, Kimbo Ishii, Yoel Levi, JahJa Ling, Ludovic Morlot, Robert Spano, and Markus Stenz. In the summer of 2023, Zachary was chosen as one of seven finalists for the ICA Orchestral Audition Competition at the 50th Anniversary International Clarinet Association festival in Denver, Colorado, recognizing those on the cusp of a burgeoning orchestral career. As soloist, Zachary has given performances of the clarinet concerti of Mozart and Crusell with orchestras in Massachusetts and at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
An alumnus of the Sarasota and Aspen Music Festivals, Zachary completed a Master of Music degree at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he studied with former Israeli Philharmonic clarinetist Eli Eban. Previous to this, Zachary earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he was a student of Franklin Cohen, Principal Clarinet Emeritus of the Cleveland Orchestra. He also holds a Post-Graduate Certificate from the Interlochen Center for the Arts, and was recently appointed as Assistant Principal Clarinet of the Capital Wind Symphony in Washington, DC.
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Michael Isaac Ripple
Co-Artistic Director and COO
MICHAEL ISAAC RIPPLE is the Principal Oboist of the Mercyhurst Institute of Arts and Culture Orchestra and an active freelancer throughout the tri-state region. Currently, he is the Oboe Graduate Assistant at the University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music where he studies with Dr. Michelle Vigneau and holds the oboe chair in the fellowship woodwind quintet. He was the founding oboist of Catharsis Winds, an award winning wind quintet based in Cleveland, Ohio. During the summers of 2016 and 2017, he was the Principal Oboist of the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute Orchestra, performing in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. He has played under the batons of renowned conductors including Carl Topilow, Brett Mitchell, Joann Falletta, and Christian Macelaru.
Isaac’s true passion is chamber music, most notably recognized during his time spent concertizing with Catharsis Winds. Catharsis was the first ever ensemble-in-residence with fresh perspectives - creative, an artist-run concert and performance series in Cleveland, as well as an ensemble-in-residence with ChamberFest Cleveland for their 2019 season. He has performed with Catharsis in venues such as the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. A bronze medalist with the group at the 2019 Fischoff Chamber Music competition, Isaac is also a silver medalist with the group from the 2019 Manhattan International Music Competition. Catharsis was also selected as a nominee for the highly esteemed Avery Fisher Prize in 2019, sponsored by the president of Interlochen Center for the Arts, Trey Devey.He is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music where he pursued his undergraduate degree in oboe performance as a student of Mr. Frank Rosenwein. He is also a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, as a student of Mr. Daniel Stolper.
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Sophie Volpe
Social Media and Marketing Coordinator
As a S.E. Shires Rising Artist, Sophie is earning her master’s degree the Rice University Shepherd School of Music and performs with the Rochester Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, Erie Philharmonic, Clinton Symphony. Sophie has performed with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, accompanying the Canadian Brass Quintet and on tour to Severance Hall . While Sophie earned a Bachelors in Trombone Performance and Music Education at the Eastman School of Music, she received a Performer's Certificate and the Steve Witzer Award of Excellence. As a competitor, Sophie received an Honorable Mention in the International Women’s Brass Conference 2022 Mock Audition Competition.
As a masterclass clinician, Sophie has taught at Interlochen Arts Academy and Arkansas State University. In 2019, she established The Volpe Trombone Studio, a private lesson studio that includes online and in person instruction. After a few summers at Interlochen Arts Camp as a Brass Teaching Assistant, Sophie returned as the Trombone Teaching Fellow in 2021. Sophie served as the Director of Marketing for the Virtual Trombone Workshop which aimed to uplift marginalized voices and provide financially accessible music coaching in 2020 and 2021.
Jennifer Abella, Secretary
Meghaen Anderson
Mary Bowen
M. Isaac Ripple, Treasurer
Valerie Vollmer
Zachary West*, President
Dr. Charles West, DMA*
*No relation