Elevate Ensemble Aim to Bring Classical Music to a New Audience

Chad Goodman is a classically trained trumpet player from San Francisco. He's also an entrepreneur. As both a professional musician and a business-minded impresario, Goodman founded Elevate Ensemble with the goal of introducing classical music to a fresh audience.

With classical music's main audience growing older, Goodman wanted to revitalize the genre with a new, exploratory perspective. Functioning as a pop-up chamber group, Elevate Ensemble is willing to forge new ground with traditional instruments.

The group also interfaces will all manners of artists, photographers and biz moguls in the Bay Area to bring their dream to fruition. As described on the funding website for their 2014-2015 concert season, Goodman wants to flip the tradition classical experience on its head:

"Elevate Ensemble reimagines the classical music experience: who it's for, where it happens, what it means, and how it's done. Drawing on the vibrancy of San Francisco's cultural scene, our cross-disciplinary productions feature the Bay Area's most inspired young creators."

Elevate Ensemble just recently completed their second overall concert season which included a residency at San Francisco State University for one semester. Goodman says the group's intention is to blur the line between a party or a concert at their many disparate performances.

Recently featured in Forbes magazine, Goodman described the ensemble's founding and its forward-thinking approach within a conventional atmosphere. Elevate Ensemble is quite literally a portable orchestra, intending to go where the music takes it:

"I founded Elevate Ensemble in 2014 with the desire to reimagine the classical music experience: who it's for, where it happens, what it means, and how it's done. Elevate is a flexible music ensemble, a kind of pop-up orchestra, that can easily pick up and go where it pleases, giving more people the opportunity to experience live performances of the music we love so much."

Below, watch a brief video introduction on Elevate Ensemble.

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