About
Recognized as one of Chicago’s finest chamber music groups, THE ORION ENSEMBLE has been performing since 1992. John von Rhein of the Chicago Tribune called Orion “one of Chicago’s most vibrant, versatile and distinctive ensembles.” With the possibilities inherent in its unique combination of instruments—piano, string trio and clarinet—Orion offers exciting interpretations of standard repertoire, introduces audiences to rarely performed masterpieces and inspires composers with commissions for new works. "One of the finest musical groups in Chicago. The members are all extraordinary musicians”. (Joseph Cuniff, Hyde Park Herald)
The Orion Ensemble boasts a roster of superb musicians who have performed throughout North America, Europe and Asia, as an ensemble and individually in solo, orchestral and other chamber music roles. In Chicago, Orion presents a four-concert series in three venues, is heard regularly on the broadcast series “Live from WFMT” and appears frequently on the Chicago Cultural Center’s Lunchbreak Series “Classical Mondays.” Orion has been Artist in Residence at Roosevelt University and the OPUS Music camp, and is presently Resident Ensemble at the Music Institute of Chicago.
Orion programs diverse works ranging from Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms to William Bolcom, Chick Corea, Paul Schoenfield, Augusta Read Thomas and other living composers, offering audiences a remarkably broad chamber music experience. Orion’s expansive commitment to chamber music embraces the works of the classical through modern standard repertoire as well as an extensive range of new pieces for piano quartet and clarinet. Orion continues to inspire composers with commissions for new works written especially for its unique combination of instruments. As the Chicago Tribune’s John von Rhein wrote, “It seems like only yesterday that a remarkable chamber group of musicians calling itself the Orion Ensemble was born. The Orions ... quickly established themselves as one of the Chicago area’s most vibrant, versatile and distinctive ensembles, at home in every period but especially committed to enlarging the repertory of its unusual combination of piano quartet and clarinet.”
“The performances by the Orion Ensemble are extremely fine. Balances in mixed ensembles such as this, particularly with a piano involved, always are a bit tricky, but not here. Everything falls naturally into place, and the interpretations are unfailingly lively and stylish.” ( David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com)
“Orion is ... what chamber music should be.”
“These gifted and enthusiastic artists are among the reasons why Chicago is undergoing a veritable chamber music renaissance.”
“One of the finest musical groups in Chicago. The members are all extraordinary musicians.”
Florentina Ramniceanu
FLORENTINA RAMNICEANU, violinist, is a founding member of the Orion Ensemble. A native of Romania, Râmniceanu graduated with honors from the Bucharest Conservatory of Music. She has studied with some of the world's leading violinists, including David Oistrach, Ştefan Gheorghiu and Galina Barinowa.
Ms. Ramniceanu won the prestigious Romanian National Music Prize for four consecutive years. She has appeared in solo and chamber recitals, and has concertized extensively throughout Europe and the United States. She has performed with the Consortium String Quartet, known for their collaboration with blues artist Corky Siegel and together with Consortium has recorded for American Gramophone.
Her recordings include performances on the acclaimed Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas Album for which she received a gold record.
Her diverse career has always evolved around chamber music, her passion, but it also included a lot of orchestral and recording work, from chamber music to tv and radio ads, as well as jazz and soul records.
As concertmaster of Chicago Opera Theater, she premiered Nixon in China and other great productions. She served as concertmaster for the Chicago Philharmonic, Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Miami Ballet, Ballet Chicago, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Goodman Theater and many others.
As a chamber musician, she toured with the Consortium Quartet and of course with Orion, performed in numerous major chamber music series all over the United States.
Since 1990, Ramniceanu served as concertmaster for Bugs Bunny on Broadway, the live orchestra and film stage production that has since played to critical acclaim and sold-out audiences all over the world. She was guest concertmaster in the U.S. and abroad, such as San Francisco, Washington D.C., Detroit, Houston, Seattle, Toronto, Dallas, Vancouver, Moscow, London, Tokyo, and others.
Ms. Ramniceanu has mentored talented violinists and loves coaching chamber music ensembles in festivals and masterclasses, as well as working with graduate violin students at De Paul and Roosevelt Universities.
An avid concert goer, Florentina enjoys a great concert, almost as much as performing it live! From opera to string quartets, from piano trios to jazz trios, great music is simply great!
Memorable Highlights:
So many, but performing Ballo with Maestro Muti and the CSO, or the Beethoven Symphonies with Barenboim or the Ring with Zubin Mehta..., listening to a recital with Babayan and Trifonov...
Passions:
Florentina loves mountains, nature, gardening, skiing and taking long walks with her dogs, and always helping shelters save more pets.
Kathryne Pirtle
Clarinetist KATHRYNE PIRTLE is executive director of The Orion Ensemble, which she founded with pianist Diana Schmück and violinist Florentina Ramniceanu. Donald Rosenberg stated, in a recent Gramophone review, “Clarinetist Kathryne Pirtle plays with seamless elegance, telling nuances and spacious tonal resources.”
Ms. Pirtle was principal clarinetist with the Lake Forest Symphony from 1988-2020. Her other orchestral affiliations include the Lyric Opera Orchestra, Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Grant Park Symphony and Elgin Symphony.
In 2004, Hal Leonard Corporation released her first solo album, Works for Unaccompanied Clarinet, The Music of J. S. Bach (Rubank). In 2017, she released her second solo album, Twelve Fantasias for Clarinet Solo by Telemann (transcribed by Sidney Forrest, Southern Music).
Ms. Pirtle has co-authored a book on nutrition using traditional foods, Performance without Pain (2006), published by New Trends, and has written an ebook, Acid Reflux—A National Epidemic and Precursor to Chronic Illness—Achieving Lasting Healing with Traditional Foods (2009). Since 2004, she has presented more than 90 workshops in the U.S. and appeared on numerous radio and television programs. In 2012 she was a speaker at the Wise Traditions Conference in London, England.
Kathryne teaches privately and gives master classes on clarinet and chamber music literature, pedagogy and artist development. She has served on the faculties of Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, Northern Illinois University, Bradley University, Indiana University, New Trier High School and Hinsdale South High School. She is currently the head coach for the Earl Clemens Wind Quintet of the Elgin Youth Symphony, and teaches at Christian Liberty Academy and in her home studio.
Highlights of her career include:
Playing the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Lake Forest Symphony at the very last concert the orchestra performed after 33 years of playing Principal Clarinet.
Playing Principal Clarinet and E-Flat Clarinet with the Ravinia Festival Orchestra with Florentina and Judy on the last concert that Henry Mancini conducted. She also had the joy of playing the E-Flat Clarinet solo on "Baby Elephant Walk" on that concert!
Orion's Tribute to Paquito D'Rivera in 2024, which included several stellar jazz artists—Bradley Williams, Amy Jill and her daughter, Morgan Pirtle—in concerts that rocked our audiences and stages.
Decades of countless incredible Orion concerts with amazing colleagues playing the most glorious chamber music. Every concert is magical!
Passions include:
Coaching young, gifted artists and chamber music groups.
Involvement with the regenerative farm-to-table movement and real food, alongside helping people transform their health with nutrient-dense foods.
Treasuring her grown children's beautiful journeys and being involved with helping her granddaughter develop her musical gifts.
Judy Stone
Cellist JUDY STONE grew up in a musical family and started performing at a very early age with her father, mother, sister and brother. Together they traveled the world, and performed throughout the U.S. Judy studied at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and graduated with honors from Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University, where she earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees under the tutelage of renowned cellist Karl Fruh.
She participated in numerous solo competitions in the U.S. and abroad, resulting in solo performances, both in recital and with orchestra. Two Chicago highlights were soloing with the Chicago Symphony at age 16, and more recently, with Music of the Baroque. Another highlight was receiving a Performers Certificate award at the VIII International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
For many years Ms. Stone served on the faculty of Roosevelt University, both teaching and playing chamber music and solo recitals. She continues to teach today in her private studio.
Judy's career as a cellist included many types of music, from studio work playing radio and television commercials, to playing shows for big names such as Victor Borge, Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and countless others. And back to the classical field.... performing with Lyric Opera, Joffrey Ballet, Music of the Baroque, Chicago Philharmonic and more. These days she can most often be seen performing and touring with the Chicago Symphony, and often Maestro Muti.
Favorite moment:
Playing and recording songs from the past with her dad.
Passion:
Following in her parents footsteps and helping people improve their health with Shaklee products.
“Schmuck’s brilliant playing transported the audience and told the story wordlessly.”
“Diana Schmück [...] one of the finest chamber pianists on the scene, playing with her ears as much as her gifted hands.”
Diana Schmück
Pianist DIANA SCHMÜCK, a doctoral graduate of Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, holds master and bachelor degrees from DePaul University and Wheaton College Conservatory. Active as a chamber musician, she is heard regularly on WFMT and at other Chicago venues with the Orion Ensemble, the Daedalus Duo (with Bonnie Campbell) and other instrumentalists. Diana served for fourteen years as a collaborative pianist at Ravinia’s Steans Institute for Young Professional Singers and was a semifinalist in the first Murray Dranoff Duo-Piano competition (with Debra Sutter). She teaches classes and lessons at VanderCook College and has directed music programs at Bethel College and at two summer programs: OPUS and Csehy.
Diana is the Music Director and Organist at Lake Street Church in Evanston, where she has served for 13 years. At the church and as a pianist and chamber musician, Diana enjoys planning themed programs: She has done radio (WFMT) concerts on the music of Leonard Bernstein, in honor of his 100th birthday; and on renowned musician and inspiring teacher Nadia Boulanger. With the Lake Street Choir, she has planned choral programs based on musical settings of the writings of the mystics, as well as programs for Earth Day, Christmas, and days centered on peace and justice, featuring the music of Ariel Ramirez, Dave Brubeck, Gerald Finzi, and many more.
Diana is an avid walker and enjoys swimming and kayaking in Lake Michigan. Having recently become a “great aunt,” she also enjoys spending time with her young relatives!