Accountant by day, clarinetist by night

Kwame Lewis is not your typical accountant. Born and raised in Trinidad, he emigrated to the United States in 2003 at the age of 23 and set about building his career. Along the way, he lived in the Washington area for an extended period, got married, had two boys who are now 5 and 3 years old,  and since 2019 has lived with his family in Melrose, Mass., near Boston.

One constant through his journey, though, has been his love of the clarinet and chamber music. There is little that he won’t play, whether it’s classical or jazz or whatever. He is agnostic when it comes to ensembles. Duets, trios, quartets, or larger groups are just fine. He has played in orchestras—“a lot of community orchestras,” he says—even serving as president of the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra.

But with a demanding job and a busy home life, it’s not so easy to find time for orchestras these days. That’s one reason Kwame finds chamber music so appealing.

“It’s so simple,” he said recently. “You just go to someone’s house and get people together and play.” Of all the musical forms, he added, “I love chamber music the best.”

Kwame is a longtime member of ACMP, which he said has been central to his chamber music life. He also has given back to ACMP, serving on the website committee, providing valuable feedback as we developed the current site.

We talked with Kwame recently about chamber music and his musical journey. His answers have been edited for conciseness and clarity. —  Bob Goetz

When did you start playing chamber music?

I started playing music at age 11 and was introduced to the clarinet in high school in Trinidad. A big event for us was the Trinidad & Tobago Music Festival. Chamber music was part of that festival, and it got me started. So when I came to the United States, I’d go to chamber music play-ins. That’s where I met a lot of other musicians. I still play with some of them, years later.

Do you have a regular group?

What is a favorite chamber music moment for you?

My trio in Washington—the one with the pianist and cellist—entered a chamber music competition called the Misbin Family Memorial Chamber Music Competition. It’s run by the Levine School of Music, and it includes a category for adult amateur players. We ended up winning and it was a lot of fun because we knew a lot of the people who participated. That was definitely a favorite moment.

What role does ACMP play in your musical life?

ACMP is the heart of all this, to have an organization that helps you find people to play with.