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Defying genres and blazing trails through inspired collaboration, Carnegie Hall presents Brooklyn-based orchestra The Knights, conducted by Eric Jacobsen, as they reimagine what an orchestral concert can be. Their performances radiate energy, spontaneity, and connection by fusing classical roots with global influences. Master bandoneon virtuoso Julien Labro—hailed as “a triple threat” (Chicago Tribune) for his brilliance as a performer, composer, and arranger—joins them for this free Citywide performance at Bryant Park. Together, they deliver a vibrant program that blurs musical boundaries and invites audiences into a world of joyful exploration and unexpected connections.

The Knights join forces with mandolinist, composer, and singer Chris Thile at Caramoor’s Venetian Theater for a program including his brilliant songwriting and storytelling, instrumental virtuosity, and ever-present sense of humor.

Experience the Carnegie season’s first performance by the intrepid chamber orchestra The Knights, led by artistic directors Eric Jacobsen and Colin Jacobsen. In an inspired new collaboration, they intersperse Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 3—one of the composer’s most traditionally “classical” works—with original poetry by prizewinning poet and multidisciplinary artist J. Mae Barizo. Even in its original form, this would be Carnegie Hall’s first performance of Glass’s symphony—but in the hands of The Knights, it’s something no audience has heard before. In the program’s second half, The Knights perform a timeless orchestral staple: Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 4, a work of complex dualities and grand Romanticism.

Driven by a “passion for musical discovery” and an “open-hearted spirit of camaraderie,” The Knights bring fresh excitement and insight to every performance. Tonight, conducted by Eric Jacobsen, they traverse a vast soundscape of American music as part of Carnegie Hall’s United in Sound: America at 250 festival. The program features Copland’s Pulitzer Prize–winning, folk-infused masterpiece: the Appalachian Spring Suite, plus the New York premiere of a concerto written by Gabriel Kahane for clarinetist extraordinaire Anthony McGill, part of the ensemble’s multi-year Rhapsody project.

Accordion star Martynas Levickis travels across the Atlantic and back to Europe. His Lithuanian roots connect him to Philip Glass and Aaron Copland, and his fascination with jazz with George Gerswhin. For his musical journey to North America, he has the perfect partners: the New York ensemble The Knights, led by brothers Colin and Eric Jacobsen. They are enthusiastic about playing and experimenting, and just like Martynas Levickis, they love to blend classical music with folk and jazz elements to create exciting programs. The focus is on Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, one of the first works to make jazz suitable for the concert hall. Today, it's an absolute classic!