a statement from tenor James Reese: 

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you on this gorgeous Philadelphia spring day with bittersweet news. Last year, I made the decision to leave Variant 6 following the 2021-22 season. My last concert with Variant 6 will be the release show for our album New Suns. I have discussed this decision at length with Ellie, Rebecca, Steve, Jess, Dan, and our Board. It was not an easy decision to make, nor to talk about. I’m grateful to them for their kindness, understanding, and encouragement in this process. 

The reasons motivating this choice are a combination of professional and personal.  When Variant 6 began in 2015, I was 21 and a very recent college graduate. I had just moved back to Philadelphia and was overcome with excitement at the opportunity to sing closely with five individuals I respected deeply. I still feel that way - the only difference now is that in addition to singing closely with respected colleagues, I also get to call those individuals my best friends. 

Bringing chamber music to life is an intense, difficult, and immensely rewarding process. It requires highly focused singing and listening, simultaneously - often to a level beyond the audience's awareness. It requires a performer to be both singer and conductor, and it rewards keen awareness, both of yourself and of your collaborators. It also demands collaboration, trust, and commitment. In other words: it is the definition of teamwork. 

I couldn't have asked for a better team these past years. I am endlessly grateful that Variant 6 has become a foundation in my career and personal life. Now, as I look towards the next chapter of my career, I want to create space in my life for some unknowns - new projects, new experiences, and opportunities that have yet to present themselves. 

However, in the face of those many unknowns, there is one thing I know quite deeply: that the future is bright for this ensemble. The other five members of V6 remain some of the fiercest and most talented artists I know. I truly cannot wait to support their work as they cast off on a new chapter of the history of Variant 6. This ensemble has accomplished something truly special in the past 6 years, and I can only imagine the new heights they'll reach in the next 6.

As the reality of this decision has come closer, I've come to understand that Variant 6 embodies so many of the things I've come to love most deeply about my musical life: generous collaboration, intense commitment, and of course, the amazing musical community of Philadelphia. 

Of course, that includes all of you - the supporters of Variant 6. We have frequently said that, without you, none of this ensemble's success would be possible. That is true now more than ever, and I am truly thrilled to become one of your number now, with eyes towards the future success of Variant 6.

As such, I hope that you will join me in supporting Variant 6's new chapter in the many ways we know how: through financial support, by engaging with our two (!) new albums, and by showing up next fall to V6's first show of a new season -- where you'll find me, with bells on. 

Viva la 6, and with love,
James Reese