We Make Music That Moves You

The Camarada Mission

CAMARADA is a dynamic chamber music collective committed to elevating and enriching the San Diego community and beyond through phenomenal performances that ignite powerful connections between audiences, artists, and music. Guided by its mission to engage diverse audiences through visionary programming, Camarada champions living composers, commissions new music, and curates artistic experiences that illuminate both the traditional and the unexpected.

Camarada transforms abstract sound into shared human experience.

CAMARADA is a chamber music collective dedicated to enriching lives through exceptional performances that bring artists and audiences into meaningful conversation. At the heart of its work is a belief that music is most powerful when it creates moments of curiosity, shared experience, and human connection. Camarada embraces both the timeless and the new—presenting beloved masterworks alongside music of our own time, commissioning new works, collaborating with living composers, and creating artistic experiences that reveal fresh perspectives on familiar traditions.

Music is often described as an abstract art, but Camarada seeks to make it tangible and deeply personal. Through thoughtful storytelling, imaginative programming, and compelling performances, the ensemble helps audiences experience the emotion, energy, and humanity behind every note. Rather than simply presenting concerts, Camarada translates music into something that can be felt—revealing the ideas, histories, and emotions that give each work its voice. It is this philosophy that inspires the ensemble's motto: We Make Music That Moves You.

Founded in 1994, Camarada has become one of San Diego's most distinctive artistic organizations, known for performances that combine musical depth with imagination and a welcoming spirit. As Resident Artists at the La Jolla Music Society, the San Diego Museum of Art, and the Mingei International Museum, Camarada creates programs that draw inspiration from place, visual art, history, and culture—transforming galleries and concert halls into spaces for discovery and dialogue.

A defining part of Camarada's artistic voice is The Camarada Tango Quartet, whose performances celebrate tango as a living art form. Blending beloved masterworks with newly commissioned music, the ensemble has earned international recognition through recordings, cross-border collaborations, and tours throughout North and South America. Each project reflects Camarada's belief that tradition and new ideas thrive best in conversation with one another.

Whether presenting timeless chamber music, premiering new works, or collaborating with artists from across disciplines, Camarada creates experiences that invite listeners to hear familiar music in new ways, discover unfamiliar voices, and leave with a deeper connection to the people, places, and ideas that shape our world.

Note from Our Artistic Directors

Welcome to Out of This World.

We bring music to life—transforming abstract sound into shared human experience.

This season, that experience takes us Out of This World.

Together, we'll explore extraordinary musical landscapes where timeless masterpieces, bold new voices, and imaginative collaborations reveal the limitless possibilities of music. From world premieres and living composers to beloved classics heard in new ways, every performance is designed to ignite curiosity, inspire wonder, and create meaningful connection.

Whether in the galleries of the San Diego Museum of Art, the intimacy of The Conrad, neighborhood venues throughout San Diego, or across the border in Tijuana, each concert offers an opportunity to pause, listen deeply, and share something unforgettable. Music has a remarkable ability to transcend words, dissolve boundaries, and connect us to one another—and to ourselves.

Thank you for being part of the Camarada family. Your presence is what transforms each performance into a shared experience. We are honored to welcome you to another season of discovery, beauty, and music that moves you.

We can't wait to share this adventure with you.

Beth Ross Buckley & Dana Burnett
Artistic Directors

Our Vision is to Provide:


A broad and eclectic musical repertoire including fresh interpretations of familiar classics, rediscovered gems, and new works commissioned especially for our audiences.


A rich and personal artistic experience by combining music with other art forms including dance, visual art, poetry and verse.


Performances of the highest quality for audiences of all ages and levels of musical sophistication, cultivating a new broad-based community of music lovers.

Specializing in Latin and Spanish music, Camarada has carved out a unique niche in San Diego. Beginning in the fall of 2001, Camarada created and performed its first tango concert for the unique instrumentation and personnel of Camarada. Tango has become an integral part of the Camarada experience, collaborating with dancers and specializing in the music of Astor Piazzolla.

Dedicated to the compositions of living composers, Camarada has commissioned many works specifically for its unique combination of voices and instruments.

  • Breath of the Ocean by Jordan Kuspa for

  • The Elements by Oliviana Marie for flute, viola, cello, piano, and marimba

  • Ritual {Art} created by Hugo Crosthwaite

  • Brutal by Andrés Martin for flute, violin, bass, piano

  • In Search of Time {Art} created by Tatiana Ortiz-Rubio

  • Sunstone by Stefan Cwik for flute, alto flute, string quartet, double bass, and piano

  • Thelma & Dolores by Andrés Martín for flute and piano

  • Silent by Andrés Martin for flute, violin, double bass, and piano

  • Tango Bajo el Agua by Andrés Martin for flute, violin, double bass, piano

  • Abrazar el Viento by Andrés Martin for flute, violin, bass, piano

  • UNSTOPPABLE by Andrés Martin for flute, violin, bass

  • Sanctuary Suite by Peter Sprague for two guitars, flute, bass, percussion

  • Saltwater by Peter Sprague for alto flute & guitar

  • The Fallen by Mark O’Connor for solo flute, string quartet, double bass

  • The New Rule by John Lorge for flute, cello, piano

  • I Am the Wind by David Ward-Steinman for voice, flute, cello, harp

  • Critters by John Lorge for woodwind quintet & narrator

Sponsorship for the above events and commissions comes from the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, The County of San Diego Board of Supervisors (Terra Lawson-Remer & Nora Vargas) and The San Diego Foundation, The Thomas Ackerman Foundation, & The City of Encinitas Mizal Family Grant

Camarada Around San Diego.

Music is your passport to getaway!

CAMARADA @ Park & Market

CAMARADA @ The Conrad, La Jolla

Featured Past Performances

Check out the Camarada Video Library on YouTube by clicking below.