About the ensemble

Entering their fifth season performing in the greater Baltimore/Washington corridor, Bridge is a professional vocal chamber ensemble specializing in new works for voices and early music. They are collaboratively led by Artistic Directors Crossley Hawn, Allan Laino, Jacob Perry Jr., and founder, Gilbert Spencer. Bridge is a collective of top Baltimore and Washington-based professional singers who collaborate with some of the world’s leading composers on commissioning projects, and present performances with purpose. The ensemble bridges repertoire from before and after the common practice period, creating engaging programs that aim to innovate and challenge the rhetoric of "classical performance" in the 21st Century.

Bridge’s dedication to working with local artists helps to ensure that near-by arts economies continue to thrive. Significant efforts are made to hold performances in geographically diverse and economically disadvantaged areas. Founded in Baltimore, Bridge hopes to mirror the uniquely creative and DIY attitude of the city’s inhabitants in its efforts to present some of the world’s oldest musical traditions in ways that resonate with its local conscience and address the issues of our time.

Since its founding, Bridge has commissioned and premiered over a dozen new works for voices. Additionally, they have presented more than 30 national and regional premieres, working closely with composers such as David Lang, Jenny Olivia Johnson, Richard Causton, Ted Hearne, Ledah Finck, Michael Rickelton, Frances Pollock, David Shapiro, Michael Hersch, and Caroline Shaw. Bridge’s artists have worked with some of the finest ensembles in the country, including Apollo's Fire, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, The Crossing, Skylark Ensemble, Conspirare, Seraphic Fire, The Choir of Trinity Wall Street, American Bach Soloists, The Clarion Music Society, Les Canards Chantants, ArtEK, and The Thirteen.

Bridge is a group of determined educators who develop outreach programs, performances, and workshops to expand horizons for students and new audiences. They have traveled to remote communities to share live performances of professional classical music, and to work with students who have limited access to musical training. Bridge supports the development of vocal arts by fostering and inspiring the next generation of performers and audiences.