Cornelius & Karre: Violin and Percussion Duo in Concert
- Performance
Chamber Music in the Atrium
Ames Family Atrium
Photo courtesy of Eva Cornelius
About The Event
Join percussionist Ross Karre and violinist Emily Cornelius, performing in their duo, Cornelius & Karre, for an evening of music for violin and percussion. The concert features works selected to highlight the unique acoustic qualities of the CMA’s Ames Family Atrium. The works include gongs, bells, and other vibrating objects to resonate throughout the space.
Cornelius & Karre unite the soaring lyricism of the violin and the dynamic versatility of percussion to create performances that are adventurous, visceral, and unforgettable. Breaking free from traditional orchestral roles—where the violin leads from the front and percussion anchors from the back—the duo crafts programs that are intimate, electrifying, and filled with curiosity. Cornelius and Karre began collaborating as students at Oberlin Conservatory; today, they bring two decades of experience and an ever-growing repertoire to audiences of all ages.
Program
Maria Grenfell: “Reel” from Ceol na Fidhle
Cara Haxo: belongings
Kevin Day: The Mind Is like Water
Salina Fisher: Komorebi
Arvo Pärt: Fratres
Violinist Emily Cornelius is a dynamic and versatile performer, equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral leader. She has appeared as a featured soloist with the Richmond Symphony, the Canton Symphony Orchestra, BlueWater Chamber Orchestra, the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra, and more. Frequently sought after as a concertmaster, Emily has led ensembles, including the Erie Philharmonic, the Canton Symphony Orchestra, BlueWater Chamber Orchestra, the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, and the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra.
Currently, Emily performs with the Canton Symphony Orchestra, BlueWater Chamber Orchestra, the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, and the Lancaster Festival Orchestra. She also serves as concertmaster of the Heights Chamber Orchestra and is a core member of the Cleveland Chamber Collective.
Percussionist Ross Karre is a performer, filmmaker, and producer whose career spans innovative chamber music, major international festivals, and higher education. He is associate professor of percussion at Oberlin Conservatory and a member of the International Contemporary Ensemble, where he also served as artistic director from 2016 to 2022.
Ross has appeared with ensembles, including red fish blue fish, Third Coast Percussion, and Yarn/Wire, and has performed at leading festivals worldwide, such as the Mostly Mozart Festival (New York), the Ojai Music Festival (California), the Holland Festival (Netherlands), Lucerne Festival (Switzerland), Taiwan International Percussion Convention (Taiwan), Big Ears (Tennessee), and Mona Foma (Tasmania).
The views expressed by performers during this event are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Sponsors
The 2026–27 Performing Arts Series is sponsored by the Musart Society. This program is made possible in part by the Ernest L. and Louise M. Gartner Fund, the P. J. McMyler Musical Endowment Fund, and the Anton and Rose Zverina Music Fund.
The Cleveland Museum of Art is funded in part by residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.
Performing arts programs are supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.
