Fourth Coast Ensemble

Fourth Coast Ensemble is a classical vocal quartet specializing in the unique style and repertoire of vocal chamber music. Celebrated for "doing everything an organization can to sustain the viability of art song in Chicago” (Vocal Arts Chicago), Fourth Coast Ensemble embraces a repertoire that spans the history of the genre, from Schubert and Brahms to composers of the present day, including Lita Grier, Andrea Clearfield, and Lori Laitman. Founded in 2013, the ensemble commissioned its first world premiere song cycle in 2018, I-Thou, by Chicago composer Wayland Rogers. In 2019, Fourth Coast became the first and exclusive Chicago presenter of songSLAM, a competition for new art song. In addition to producing its Chicago-area concert season, Fourth Coast has accepted residencies with the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago and Baroque on Beaver festival (Beaver Island, MI); led panel discussions at Northwestern University and Olivet Nazarene University; and performed as guest artist at College of DuPage, Lewis University, and Roosevelt University. Fourth Coast Ensemble has cultivated a loyal and growing audience through imaginative programming and intimate performances, and earned a reputation of excellence “built on the quality of its small roster of artists” (Vocal Arts Chicago). The ensemble's core members - soprano Sarah van der Ploeg, mezzo-soprano Bridget Skaggs, tenor Ace Gangoso, and bass-baritone David Govertsen - perform regularly with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Opera Theater, Haymarket Opera, Chicago a cappella, Chicago Fringe Opera, Chicago Folks Operetta, the Chicago Ensemble, and Music of the Baroque. Fourth Coast Ensemble performs with a roster of elite collaborative pianists, including Dana Brown, Kuang-Hao Huang, Mark Bilyeu, Andrew Rosenblum, and Marianne Parker. The ensemble will record music by Lori Laitman for a future CD release in 2020. MISSION STATEMENT Fourth Coast Ensemble is a vocal chamber quartet committed to performing programs of creative and accessible vocal chamber music. With a repertoire spanning Romantic to Contemporary, Fourth Coast Ensemble presents salon-style performances in venues ranging from parlor to concert hall. The goal at each performance is to communicate an atmosphere of warmth, variety, and genuine expression. Fourth Coast Ensemble creates a dialogue that invites each audience member to feel comfortable, as though they were listening to music in their own living room surrounded by friends.​