Camarada to perform Oct. 26 at Rancho Bernardo Library

Enjoy the classical chamber music of Camarada at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26 at the Rancho Bernardo Library, 17110 Bernardo Center Drive.

This concert is free and open to the public, although donations are encouraged to cover the costs of the musicians. It is part of the library’s Chamber Music concert series, sponsored by the Rancho Bernardo Friends of the Library.

Camarada is a classical chamber music ensemble founded 22 years ago by Beth Ross-Buckley, Ann Chase and Mary Barranger. While Chase and Barranger have since retired, Ross-Buckley, a flutist, still leads the ensemble.

More than just traditional classical chamber music, Ross-Buckley said that Camarada performs “whatever speaks to us,” including tango, Celtic music, Baroque and more.

“We do whatever grabs us,” she said. “We do the whole span.”

Ross-Buckley said she also became interested in jazz after seeing Peter Sprague play. She has performed with him for seven years and has taken jazz flute lessons from San Diego favorite Holly Hofmann.

Ross-Buckley will be joined by Joanna Morrison Pernela on cello and Dana Burnett on piano for the concert at the Rancho Bernardo Library.

Unlike many of Camarada’s other concerts, the library concert will not revolve around a theme. Instead, it will be a “sampler concert,” Ross-Buckley said, intended to show audiences the variety of music Camarada offers.

“The concert is about getting to know us,” she said. “We decided to jump all over the place musically.”

The concert will feature compositions by Franz Joseph Haydn, Aaron Copland, Antonin Dvorak, Gyorgy Ligeti and Astor Piazzolla. Camarada weill begin by performing Haydn’s “Trio in G Major, Hob. XV:15,” followed by Copland’s “Duo for flute and piano.” The show will continue with Dvorak’s “Songs My Mother Taught Me” and Ligeti’s “Sonata.” Piazzolla’s “Grand Tango” will finish the concert.

The pieces chosen span not only genres but time as well, said Ross-Buckley. Haydn composed in the last 1700s, while Copland’s piece was composed in 1971.

Ross-Buckley said that while Camarada has changed over its 22 years, her love for classical chamber music hasn’t. “I completely love playing chamber music,” she said. “This is a vehicle to get it out there and it’s so important.”

When she moved here from San Francisco 22 years ago, there weren’t any classical chamber ensembles in San Diego, Ross-Buckley said. Now, there are many. “San Diego has really responded to classical chamber music,” she said. “It’s amazing.”

Ross-Buckley is the artistic director of Camarada along with Burnett and the two bring in guest artists as required by whatever music they will perform. “We get an idea of what music we want to play and bring it people to play it,” she said. “It’s more like a collective chamber music ensemble.”

For more information on this or any other concert at the library, visit friendsoftheranchobernardolibrary.org.