In 2007 Accende attended the Chamber Music Seminar at Stanford University
on full scholarship.  They worked extensively  with the internationally acclaimed St. Lawrence String Quartet and clarinetist Todd Palmer on Accende's signature work, Dreams & Prayers of Isaac the Blind by Osvaldo Golijov.  Following the seminar they toured the midwest with dates in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.


Accende is Christian Zamora (violin), Chihsuan Yang (violin), Francisco Herrera (viola), Anna Steinhoff (cello), and Sunshine Simmons (clarinet).
The ACCENDE ENSEMBLE is one of Chicago's newest music groups, and
one with a mission!  Their repertoire emphasizes works by leading composers of our day, as well as the staples of classical music.  In addition to giving world class concerts, this chamber
music collective has a strong social conscience.  Accende raises money
and approaches local non-profit organizations with the opportunity
to use their concerts as fundraisers.

The group's name is taken from the
Latin text used by Gustav Mahler in his Eighth Symphony.  Its meaning serves
as a misson statement as Accende
strives to inspire their audiences:

Accende lumen sensibus
Kindle a light in our senses