About WCP

Our Mission

Westside Chamber Players holds a pluralistic vision of music and artmaking, believing that a diversity of identities, positionalities, and perspectives is integral to creating impactful art.

Our mission is to expand access to orchestral music by presenting free performances across Manhattan and Hudson County, platforming early-career performing artists and composers, and building sustained connections with the communities we serve. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable artistic environment for our musicians, collaborators, and audiences while removing financial and cultural barriers that have historically limited access to concert music.

Our Story

Founded in 2022 by violinist Adeline Baban and conductor Julius Akira Mauldin, Westside Chamber Players (WCP) is an artist-led chamber orchestra dedicated to championing contemporary music while expanding access to orchestral performance through free, community-centered programming. With a strong commitment to works by living composers, WCP integrates new music into every season and amplifies emerging voices through its annual Call for Scores.

Serving Manhattan, NY and Hudson County, NJ, WCP presents all programs free of charge, including orchestral concerts, educational residencies, workshops, and monthly chamber recitals in senior centers. The organization creates meaningful opportunities for early-career musicians, composers, and conductors to develop their craft in a collaborative, public-facing environment.

In the 2025–26 season, WCP launched a seven-week Young Composers Lab for third- and fourth-grade students at Hudson Elementary School in Union City, NJ, introducing young learners to composition as a way to explore and share their artistic voice.

As an artist-led ensemble, WCP fosters a peer-driven platform where musicians, composers, and conductors grow through committed artistic work while building skills in collaboration, responsiveness, and community engagement. This work reflects a broader vision: to support a living, evolving ecosystem of creators and collaborators.

From young students encountering music in new ways, to emerging artists taking early steps in their careers, to older adults engaging with performances in senior centers, WCP brings people together across generations, and is building a community rooted in participation, experimentation, and belonging.

Meet the Team