What is Queer ensemble project?
Mission:
Queer Ensemble Project, founded by Mina Kim and Sam Kelder in 2024, is an initiative to uplift and celebrate queer artistry in the greater Boston area; to bring to the forefront LGBTQ+ performers and composers, amplify their individual voices; and start conversations between performers and audience with the ambition of building a stronger community around music – particularly audiences of LGBTQ+ youth and elders who may experience the need for community the greatest.
Season partnering organizations include Ethos Boston, OutstandingLife, The Pryde, First Church Somerville, and the J. S. Brayant School.
Community Testimonials:
“Meeting around music calms me down and makes me less focused on issues of insecurity”
“Queer Ensemble Project’s performance gave me a sense of beauty and order in a chaotic, scary time”
“It is important to be around our own, and to open our minds to different music”
“I want more! This music is a tonic, an oasis”
“Music is the best way to reach out — it speaks directly to us”
“I am thrilled to be exposed to this ensemble — I am ecstatic over it!”
Founders:
We are Mina Kim and Sam Kelder, full-time musicians in the Boston area and the founders of Queer Ensemble Project (QEP).
QEP is a chamber music concert series showcasing exceptional queer musicians and composers across the New England area through financially accessible concerts, with a special focus on serving audiences of LGBTQ+ elders and youth. QEP is our way of paying it forward to the LGBTQ+ community, creating a safe space to celebrate queer artistry and foster connection between artist and audience alike – an experience that would have been invaluable to our younger selves. Our hope is to cultivate not only a recurring concert experience, but a growing audience transformed by the meaningful connections made with each other and the artists on stage.