Filament
Filament is a chamber ensemble, formed in 2019, of Philadelphia-based period-instrument soloists. Comprising a core trio of violin, viola da gamba, and keyboards, its respective founding members are Evan Few, Elena Kauffman, and John Walthausen. As a collective, its mission is to be the bright connective thread—that eponymous filament—linking the world of its audience with that of its repertoire, illuminating the delightful, sometimes uncanny familiarity of the emotions and images it evokes.
Filament is building a reputation as a leading proponent and champion of 17th- and 18th-century chamber music. The Broad Street Review praised Filament for a “fervor and delight that make early music seem current, and easy, joyful communication,” and the Lancaster News noted Filament’s “profound understanding” of its repertoire. Filament’s programs bridge the gap between music from some of history’s most celebrated and familiar composers and music that is completely unknown. Recent concerts have featured unpublished music by anonymous composers, Filament’s own original transcriptions, and music by female composers.
Filament presents concerts in its core formation and in collaboration with other musicians in Philadelphia, the Delaware Valley, and across the country. In its hometown, Filament performs on numerous concert series, including Main Line Early Music and the PhilaLandmarks Early Music Series, and in self-presented concerts in a variety of sacred and secular spaces, including Gloria Dei “Old Swedes” Church and the Fleischer Art Memorial. Regionally, Filament has been featured on Gotham Early Music Scene’s Midtown Concert Series and Musae (New York, NY); Early Music at St. James (Lancaster, PA), Market Street Music’s Festival Concerts (Wilmington, DE), Concerts at Locktown Stone Church (Flemington, NJ), and Immanuel Concerts at Immanuel on the Green (New Castle, DE). Recent performances in South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana have expanded Filament’s reach. Of its 2023 collaboration with vocal ensemble Variant 6, the Chestnut Hill Local cited a “sterling performance.” Filament was a featured ensemble in Early Music America’s 2021 Emerging Artists Showcase, and in 2022 was featured on the American Bach Society’s TinyBach series.