Nashville’s ALIAS Chamber Ensemble today announced that cofounder and longtime Artistic Director Zeneba Bowers is retiring from her role at the organization’s helm. The violinist will continue to perform  with ALIAS and will be given the title Artistic Director Emeritus.

Taking her place will be another violinist who has been heard all over Music City in recent years. In addition to ALIAS concerts, Alicia Enstrom has performed with the Nashville Symphony, Chatterbird and Intersection as well as the Chris Walters Jazz Quintet. Enstrom also served as concertmaster at the Tanglewood summer classical festival and has toured with Cirque du Soleil and Barrage.

ALIAS was founded 16 years ago as an outlet for Nashville’s professional classical musicians, especially symphony players, to perform the chamber music of their choice while raising money for local non profits. While the group does not bill itself as a contemporary ensemble or restrict itself to new music, it has has developed a habit of championing living composers and premiering compositions. Its album of music by Gabriella Lena Frank was nominated for a GRAMMY in 2011. The ensemble is currently working on a new recording project featuring new music by Nashville composers.