After ACMP’s modest beginnings nearly 80 years ago, ACMP has grown to have a global membership, and perhaps nobody embodies this boundary crossing more than Andrew Brush. With his cello in tow, he splits his time between his home in Columbus, Ohio, and Buenos Aires, with visits to Europe and Istanbul, where his wife is from. Along the way, he has developed diverse musical interests, with influences ranging from Argentina to Mali.

Andrew, who is 37, rediscovered his passion for the cello relatively recently, taking it up again two years ago. Like many ACMP members, he had played during his school years only to put his cello aside as he focused on his professional life. Today, he owns an e-learning business and works as a consultant.

We caught up with Andrew recently after he had returned to Columbus, where he serves as a member of the ACMP North American Outreach Council. – Bob Goetz

When did you start playing chamber music?

I was in a strings program starting in the fourth grade, and by middle school I was in a quartet. The same quartet stayed together throughout middle and high school, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to play music with a smaller group.

How often do you play chamber music?

Not nearly as often as I’d like! Fortunately, ACMP has been a great resource for meeting other musicians. My wife and I travel a lot, and we’re outside the U.S. about half the time. Most recently I played a couple of duets with an Argentine violinist who lives in Prague. She’s a professional, and was very generous with her time playing with an amateur cellist like me.

You recently started actively playing the cello again. What prompted you to go back?

I connected with a friend in my city who plays the piano. We decided to play some duets just for fun, and this led to us putting on a recital for about 15 friends. This has grown into a twice-a-year thing, most recently with about 40 people attending. The accountability of playing with another musician really helped me to focus when I was first getting back into the cello.

What led you to join ACMP?

I joined ACMP because I was hoping to connect with other musicians in places when I travel.

What is a favorite piece of chamber music?

I love listening to contemporary and fusion music, and one of my favorite albums is Ladilikan, a collaboration between the San Francisco-based Kronos String Quartet and the Malian group Trio Da Kali. Recently I also had a chance to hear the Prague-based S.V.A. Trio perform its most recent album, Urban Fusions. Another favorite is the Kapai Duo, a pair of cellists based in Buenos Aires. I’d like to get into playing that style of music someday, but I’m not there yet. Recently, I’ve been working on Bach’s Cello Suites, as well as Vivaldi’s Cello Sonata (RV 40) and Bernhard Romberg’s Cello Sonata in E minor.