What We Do
"This performance makes me want to live again."
Unison Chamber Music Collective reimagines where classical music is presented and who it is for by bringing free, engagement-based chamber music performances into shelters, recovery centers, and correctional facilities across Southeast Michigan.
At its core, Unison exists to challenge one of the biggest barriers in classical music: the feeling that this art form is not meant for everyone. Too often, concert halls can feel financially, socially, or culturally inaccessible, leaving many people feeling unwelcome before the performance even begins. Unison works to dismantle these barriers by removing the stage — both literally and figuratively — and transforming performances into shared experiences rooted in conversation, creativity, and human connection.
Rather than presenting music to audiences, Unison creates performances with them. Programs are designed around engagement, encouraging audiences to respond, reflect, ask questions, and actively shape the experience alongside the performers. Through this reciprocal approach, music becomes not just a performance, but a tool for community building, connection, and joy.
Unison currently presents ongoing monthly programming at:
- Shelter Association of Washtenaw County
- Dawn Farm Recovery Center
- Salvation Army Harbor Light
- Huron Valley Women’s Correctional Facility
- FCI Milan Federal Correctional Institution
- Alpha House
By returning to each site consistently, Unison prioritizes long-term relationships over one-time outreach. Through these sustained partnerships, the organization aims to create spaces where individuals feel seen, valued, and connected through shared artistic experiences.
Our Programs
Concert Series
We put on monthly chamber music concerts at our partner facilities including prisons, shelters, and recovery centers in Michigan. We program music representative of the populations we serve including a diverse collection of works from Motzart to contemporary classical.
Emerging Composers Project
Each year we seek commissioned chamber music works from 18-30 year-old global majority student composers. We will premiere their pieces in our series, allowing the composers to interact with the audience members, and we will professionally record the work for the composer's use.
Field Trip Program
Our field trip program is a unique initiative where we bring members of our community from shelters and addiction centers to a concert hall. Many of the participants have said that it is only because of their experience with unison concerts that they felt comfortable attending a live concert in this way.
Artist-in-Residence
Unison’s Artist-in-Residence Program invites innovative professional ensembles and artists to engage with community partners and student musicians through performances, workshops, and collaborative programming. These residencies expand access to diverse artistic voices while fostering mentorship, creativity, and community connection across Southeast Michigan. Through performances, educational activities, and engagement-centered programming, resident artists help model new ways musicians can use their artistry as a tool for accessibility, connection, and social impact.
Mentorship & Student Engagement
Unison’s Mentorship and Student Engagement initiatives prepare the next generation of musicians to approach artistry through connection, accessibility, and community engagement. Through workshops, mentorship, and performance opportunities, students are introduced to engagement-based and trauma-informed approaches to music making that emphasize empathy, flexibility, and meaningful audience connection alongside artistic excellence.
Currently developed in partnership with the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Unison hopes to continue expanding these opportunities to additional universities and young artists in the future.
In Fall 2026, we are thrilled to welcome Warren and Flick as our Ensemble in Residence, performing at Unison venues and mentoring the SMTD chamber music students.
Our Purpose
We believe the arts have the power not only to inspire, but to affirm humanity, foster empathy, and strengthen communities. Our work is rooted in the belief that every person deserves access to beauty, creativity, and spaces where they feel welcomed, respected, and valued regardless of their background or circumstances. We believe art is not a luxury, but a necessity, something that brings color, meaning, reflection, and connection to our lives.
Unison was created in response to larger systemic issues within classical music culture and education. Too often, the field has prioritized exclusivity, perfectionism, hierarchy, and tradition at the expense of accessibility, humanity, and genuine connection. We believe artistic excellence should never come at the cost of compassion, and that musicians can pursue high levels of artistry while also leading with empathy, humility, and care for others.
Through our concert series, artist residencies, commissioning initiatives, mentorship opportunities, and student training programs, Unison seeks to help reframe what classical music can look like in the future. We aim to build a culture where musicians are taught not only how to perform at the highest level, but also how to listen deeply, engage thoughtfully with communities, and understand the social impact their artistry can have. We hope to model a more human-centered approach to music making, one that values collaboration, emotional connection, and community engagement alongside technical achievement.
At the core of our work is the belief that humanity must come before performance. We want to help create a kinder and more sustainable culture for both audiences and musicians, one where people feel empowered to show up fully as themselves. Whether through recurring performances at community partner sites, mentorship of young artists, or the creation of new works by emerging composers, Unison strives to cultivate spaces rooted in trust, belonging, creativity, and mutual respect.
Our vision is a world where access to music and the arts is deeply ingrained into our communities and institutions, and where all people feel a sense of belonging within artistic spaces. We envision a future where classical music is no longer experienced as exclusive or distant, but as a living, evolving art form that reflects and uplifts the full humanity of the communities it serves.
Actions Taken
- Presenting more than 50 free engagement-based chamber music performances annually in shelters, recovery centers, and correctional facilities across Southeast Michigan
- Building sustained monthly partnerships with community organizations to foster long-term trust and connection
- Providing trauma-informed and engagement-based training for student musicians through partnerships with the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
- Mentoring young artists in community-centered approaches to performance and audience engagement
- Commissioning and programming works by living composers and historically underrepresented voices
- Launching artist residency initiatives that connect professional artists with both community audiences and student musicians
- Creating performance models that prioritize accessibility, participation, conversation, and human connection
- Expanding the role of classical musicians beyond the concert hall through community engagement and collaborative artistry
- Advocating for a more inclusive, human-centered culture within classical music education and performance spaces
"This music reminds me of the music I listened to when I was a child to give me hope."