Astralis Chamber Ensemble
Astralis Chamber Ensemble
The Astralis Chamber Ensemble is an innovative and dynamic group of award-winning musicians known for their rare and captivating instrument pairings. With flute, cello, and harp at its core, the ensemble presents concerts that blend beloved classics with imaginative new works, creating programs that are both accessible and artistically rich. Founded and directed by flutist Angela Massey, Astralis has appeared on major concert series across the country as well as in underserved communities, sharing music with audiences of all backgrounds.
Angela Massey is an internationally award-winning flutist, having received recognition in the Gheorghe Dima International Competition in Romania, the Tiziano Rosetti Competition in Switzerland, and the Alexander and Buono International Competition, among others. She presents over sixty recitals each year as a soloist and as the flutist and Artistic Director of the Astralis Chamber Ensemble. As a soloist, she has been selected to perform for series including the Tryon Concert Association, Artist Series of Tallahassee, Kosciuszko Foundation in NYC, and Chamber Music Raleigh. Based in Fort Myers, Massey is the flute instructor at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Cellist Laura Usiskin enjoys a versatile career as a cellist and educator. Her playing has taken her to concert halls throughout the United States and Europe, including the Kennedy Center, Palazzo Chigi Saracini, Symphony Hall (Boston), Alice Tully Hall, Weill Hall, Zankel Hall, Merkin Hall, Miller Theatre, Barge Music, Steinway Hall, and Klavierhaus. A champion of community engagement, she founded the Montgomery Music Project, an El Sistema-inspired program bringing music education to hundreds of children in Alabama. Usiskin is a member of the Bayberry String Quartet as well as the Atlanta-based new music group ensemble vim, and has served on the faculty of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, through which she founded the chamber series Chamber Music @ AEIVA, as well as Birmingham-Southern College.
Harpist Isabel Cardenes is known for her sensitive musicianship and expressive style. Committed to using music for healing and social impact, she frequently performs in non-traditional and community-centered settings. Isabel has performed with the Harrisburg Symphony and Charleston Symphony, and made her Metropolitan Opera Orchestra debut at Carnegie Hall in 2022. An avid chamber musician, Isabel appeared at the 2025 Joseph Gingold Chamber Music Festival, performing with the Georgetown Chamber Players in Washington, D.C., and now appears on their musician roster. Isabel is currently based in Philadelphia where she is pursuing her master’s degree at the Curtis Institute of Music with Philadelphia Orchestra principal harpist Elizabeth Hainen.
Together, Astralis musicians bring decades of experience performing on the world’s great stages, inspiring audiences with concerts that are intimate, innovative, and unforgettable.