The 92nd Street Y, one of New York's leading cultural venues, presents three evenings featuring The Knights, a collective of adventurous musicians dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audiences and music. Driven by an open-minded spirit of camaraderie and exploration, they inspire listeners with vibrant programs rooted in the classical tradition and passion for artistic discovery. The Knights are 92Y's Ensemble in Residence for the 2021-22 season.
Sat, Dec 11, 2021, 8 pm ET
The Knights presents the first of three concerts this fall and spring with the kind of inspired program that is their hallmark. At the center of the concert are two beloved core classical works – Schubert's ominous, radiant and magnificent "Unfinished" Symphony, and Vaughan Williams' haunting and exquisite The Lark Ascending, featuring Knights Artistic Director Colin Jacobson as violin soloist. Bookending the works are Records from a Vanishing City, an evocative contemporary tone poem with roots in an Angolan lullaby by acclaimed composer and violinist Jessie Montgomery, and the celebratory second symphony by Louis Moreau Gottschalk. The program traverses Manhattan's Lower East Side in the 1990s and Vienna in the 1820s, illuminates themes of renewal and rebirth, and highlights echoes of Schubert in the work of a Creole-influenced composer, all showcasing the very essence of this thrilling ensemble.
Concert available for 72 hours from time of broadcast.
Wed, Jan 19, 2022, 7:30 pm ET
Pianist Aaron Diehl's dual brilliance in jazz and classical music make him the ideal collaborator for The Knights in this sensational program probing the interconnectivity of these two sound worlds. Diehl joins the ensemble for a pair of works that explore it best, Gershwin's iconic, irresistible Rhapsody in Blue and genre-crossing trailblazer Mary Lou Williams' Zodiac Suite. The program also features The Knights' coupling of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 with selections from Ravel's Baroque-inspired but thoroughly modern Le Tombeau de Couperin, reflecting new light on a Bach jewel. Stravinsky's dazzling, color-drenched Firebird Suite, arranged by Michael P. Atkinson, closes this joyful and breathtaking program.
Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 8 pm ET
Double bass virtuoso and composer Edgar Meyer earned a MacArthur "Genius" Award for his remarkable work fusing classical and bluegrass forms and styles into his own uniquely American music. He joins The Knights for the New York premiere of his delight-filled, genre-busting second concerto. The concert opens with a performance of Jamaican-born British composer Eleanor Alberga's ethereal and playful Shining Gates of Morpheus that features Knights hornist David Byrd-Marrow. Closing it and continuing the American character of Meyer's work is a soaring masterpiece of American music, Copland's Appalachian Spring – dream repertoire for The Knights' vibrant and multifaceted artistry.
The Knights' residency at 92Y encompasses concert performances, family events, outreach and education initiatives, and the development of new projects. Flexible in size and repertory, The Knights will perform in diverse contexts, from intimate chamber recitals to full-scale orchestral concerts. The Knights are 92Y's first large Ensemble in Residence since the Y Chamber Symphony under Gerard Schwarz, 1977 to 1986.
The Knights evolved from late-night chamber music reading parties with friends at the home of violinist Colin Jacobsen and cellist Eric Jacobsen. The Jacobsen brothers together serve as artistic directors of The Knights, with Eric Jacobsen as conductor. The Knights are celebrated globally, appearing across the world's most prestigious stages, including those at 92Y, Tanglewood Music Center, Ravinia Music Festival, the Kennedy Center, the Vienna Musikverein, and Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie. The orchestra has collaborated with many renowned soloists including Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, Béla Fleck, and Gil Shaham.
For a full list of performances and dates, please visit 92Y.org/Concerts.
About 92nd Street Y: The 92nd Street Y (92Y) is a world-class center for the arts and innovation, a convener of ideas, and an incubator for creativity. 92Y offers extensive classes, courses and events online including live concerts, talks and master classes; fitness classes for all ages; 250+ art classes, and parenting workshops for new moms and dads. The 92nd Street Y is transforming the way people share ideas and translate them into action all over the world. All of 92Y's programming is built on a foundation of Jewish values, including the capacity of civil dialogue to change minds; the potential of education and the arts to change lives; and a commitment to welcoming and serving people of all ages, races, religions, and ethnicities. For more information, visit www.92Y.org.
