Today we’d like to introduce you to Saint Louis Chamber Soloists (Ranya Iqbal).
Hi Ryan; we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It started about 20 years ago when Holly Huelskamp and I (Ranya Iqbal) were students at the University of Missouri – Columbia. We had a newly formed student-run/student-led (conductor-less) ensemble called the MU Chamber Soloists during that time. For both of us, it was one of our most formative experiences – having to interpret the music, lead rehearsals, schedule rehearsals and concerts ourselves, rent venues, promote the events, and all the other tasks involved with putting on a concert. We felt like our blood, sweat, and tears were invested in our projects. Not to mention how much we learned as students by having to do everything ourselves. This experience and our love of string orchestra music definitely stuck with us. Fast forward to about a year and a half ago, just exiting the pandemic and feeling a void for this type of ensemble, the four of us – Holly Huelskamp, Louis Privitera, Amy Greenhalgh, and Ranya Iqbal (myself) decided to use our combined professional experiences from around the world to create this type of conductor-less, musician-led string orchestra in St. Louis. We are an official 501c3 non-profit organization.
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest obstacle for this type of project is funding. While we all do this as a passion project, it is also very important for us to maintain professionalism achieved by paying our musicians well. We intend to make this one of our biggest missions: ensuring everyone is compensated for their time and expertise so that they may feel valued for their contributions and respected as professionals. We’ve held two fundraisers thus far, which have allowed us to put on two full concerts, and we also have performances scheduled for this fall.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The St. Louis Chamber Soloists.
OUR MISSION:
To create compelling, multi-genre programming, collaborations, and educational opportunities that engage and empower musicians, artists, and audiences.
OUR VISION:
A chamber orchestra where each values leadership; our goal is to function without a conductor, creating a musical democracy and an experiment in collaboration. Each musician is a leader and contributor; to play, plan, and promote our music as a collective
Personally (I wonder if you want this info about me or the group?) I am the principal cellist and co-founder of the conductor-less chamber orchestra, the St. Louis Chamber Soloists. My main work is with the St. Louis String Collective, an educational non-profit I co-founded with Alyssa Avery and Sarah Vie. The St. Louis String Collective promotes creative, multi-genre string instrument playing through educational programming and performance opportunities. Please check out our website for more info: https://www.stlstringcollective.com/about.
I teach private lessons and group classes at the St. Louis String Collective Studio. Outside of teaching, I have a busy performance schedule and an eclectic mix of musical output. Some groups I perform with are Union Avenue Opera, Winter Opera, and the Metropolitan Orchestra of St. Louis. Recently, with Stages St. Louis for the world premiere of The Karate Kid the Musical. Additionally, I’m a founding member of the Zafira String Quartet, the first and only electric string quartet in St. Louis. In addition to orchestral and chamber work, I often collaborate with local Jazz, Hip-Hop, World, Singer-Songwriters, and Folk musicians in special concerts and on albums. I work as a session cellist in many St. Louis recording studios. https://linktr.ee/ranyacello
Any big plans?
The St. Louis Chamber Soloists is preparing for our next concert on Sunday, May 14, 2023, at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Dr, St. Louis, MO 63105, at 4 pm. $15 general admission / $5 student ticket
Our program will include the following:
Antonin Dvorak – “Nocturne in B Major Op. 40”
William Grant Still – “Danzas de Panama”
George Gershwin – “Lullaby”
Benjamin Britten – “Simple Symphony”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stlchambersoloists.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stlchambersoloists/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stlchambersoloists
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz37EAJO0H17uNgK1MeygRw
