Ritz Chamber Players, the nation’s first chamber music ensemble series comprised solely of accomplished musicians spanning the African diaspora, brings a fresh, new energy to the classical music genre. Critics proclaimed their highly successful début concert at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2004 as “extraordinary” and “vital and fresh.” Founded in 2002 by Artistic Director and clarinetist Terrance Patterson, the Ritz Chamber Players presents a subscription series at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts in Jacksonville, Florida and at Atlanta’s Kennesaw State University. The Ritz Chamber Players performs chamber works from the standard classical repertoire in many combinations, as well as highlighting the works of contemporary African-American composers. The Ritz Chamber Players seek to increase the visibility of African-American classical composers and heighten public awareness of the African-American musician contributions within the classical music genre.