Co-founders Celaya Kirchner (violinist) and Emma Hays Johnson (cellist) met while pursuing their Master's degrees in music performance at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) in Amherst. During their time as members of the UMass graduate fellowship quartet, they became fast friends after realizing they shared a love of chamber music. When performing or attending concerts together, Kirchner and Johnson found themselves discussing topics surrounding the composers and music, which initiated conversations about current events. They continued studying and performing chamber music together in their two years at UMass and were eager to maintain their collaboration post graduation.
Their dream of starting a concert series brought them to the D.C. area, where they began organizing house concerts. They soon realized how eager audiences are to ask questions and share their thoughts. This inspired the two musicians to find a way to join their love of chamber music and informed conversations, therefore empowering audience members to voice their opinions in a collaborative environment. Empath Concerts focuses on the art of listening and empathy to experience music and address important issues that are present in our world today.
Their dream of starting a concert series brought them to the D.C. area, where they began organizing house concerts. They soon realized how eager audiences are to ask questions and share their thoughts. This inspired the two musicians to find a way to join their love of chamber music and informed conversations, therefore empowering audience members to voice their opinions in a collaborative environment. Empath Concerts focuses on the art of listening and empathy to experience music and address important issues that are present in our world today.