Projects

Debut Album: Seasons of Change

OUT Ensemble’s first album explores the seasons through the lens of queer composers. Samuel Barber’s quintessential Summer Music pairs with Jennifer Higdon’s Autumn Music to explore the varying textures of wind quintet. Two new commissions by Nora Farley and Mattie Levy delve into the colors of spring and winter, concluding the sonic experience of the seasons. To be released in mid-2026.

Queer and Now Concert Series

In celebration of LGBTQ+ history month, OUT Ensemble premiered their first commission, Dreaming in Color, composed by fellow University of Michigan student Mary Denney. Highlighting the resilience of the queer community, the concerts took place at Uplift and the Ann Arbor District Library.

First Annual Pride Concert Series

From June 1st through 5th 2025, OUT Ensemble traveled to Washington, D.C. to perform a series of concerts during the World Pride celebrations in the city. There, OUT Ensemble premiered Dominick DiOrio’s Our Wildest Imagining with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., performed at a reception for the Human Rights Conference, and participated as members of the International Pride Orchestra for both their chamber concert and their performance at the Strathmore Music Center. The event featured pianist Sara Davis Buechner, violinist Thorgy Thor, and conductors Robert Moody, Bonnie Alger and Michael Roest.

Threads Woven Concert

Composer Rj Dion organized the Threads Woven concert as a resource fair for the University of Michigan community to learn more about LGBTQ+ mental health resources. OUT Ensemble premiered his work my moment passed in collaboration with the Lauren Blair Smith Dance Company.

Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum Collaboration

As their first community venture, OUT Ensemble presented La cheminée du roi René by Darius Milhaud at a children’s event hosted by the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. An instrument petting zoo followed the performance, which was a partnership with the Berlin Philharmonic Brass Quartet.