New York City is set to vibrate with the timeless melodies of George Gershwin as several events bring his centennial masterpiece, Rhapsody in Blue, to life. From the world-class Carnegie Hall to the iconic David Geffen Hall, the city will host The Knights, Aaron Diehl, Yuja Wang, and Gustavo Dudamel in a series of orchestral and soloist performances. Highlights include a world premiere by Michael Schachter, Keith Jarrett's new suite arranged by Michael P. Atkinson, and the original jazz band version of Rhapsody in Blue.

Celebrate Gershwin's Rhapsody: New York City's Musical Extravaganza

New York City's most prestigious concert halls will come alive with the enchanting compositions of Felix Mendelssohn. From the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s rendition of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at Carnegie Hall to the emotional depths of 'Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto' by the New York Philharmonic at David Geffen Hall, this series of concerts showcases the timeless allure of Mendelssohn’s music. Highlights include captivating performances by the Belcea Quartet and Quatuor Ébène, the brilliant duo Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason, and an evocative recital by Bruce Liu. Don't miss these remarkable events that celebrate one of classical music's greatest prodigies.

Celebrating Felix Mendelssohn in New York City: A Series of Unmissable Concerts

Experience the magic of the holidays and beyond with The Sixteen's 'The Sixteen at Christmas' in Basingstoke and New York City, Ryan Person's choral excellence at Carnegie Hall, and the innovative orchestral performances by The Knights in New York City. Featuring the remarkable works of Reena Esmail, these events promise unforgettable evenings filled with beauty, wonder, and exceptional artistry.

Celebrate the Season with Musical Masterpieces in Basingstoke, NYC, and More

The intrepid orchestral ensemble The Knights continues their multi-year Rhapsody commissioning project, inspired by the Rhapsody in Blue centennial. They invite several of today’s most visionary composers to create an original rhapsody, which artistic directors Colin and Eric Jacobsen describe as “one of the most ecstatically joyful expressions of art ... [a] combination of virtuosity, improvisation, and unfettered imagination.” In this program, pianist and master improviser Aaron Diehl joins The Knights, conducted by Eric Jacobsen, in a world premiere by Michael Schachter, a new suite of music by Keith Jarrett as arranged by Michael P. Atkinson, and the rhapsodic Gershwin masterpiece. The orchestra also treats audiences to Beethoven’s exhilarating Fourth Symphony.

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The Knights at Carnegie Hall with Aaron Diehl

Carnegie Hall

The Knights with Emanuel Ax at Tanglewood

Tanglewood Music Center

The Knights joins forces with pianist-composer Aaron Diehl to present a program featuring the GRAMMY-nominated album Zodiac Suite in its entirety, and Beethoven's Sixth Symphony.

The Knights with Aaron Diehl at Caramoor

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts

The Knights joins forces with pianist-composer Aaron Diehl to present a program featuring an excerpt from Louise Farrenc's Symphony No. 3, excerpts from the GRAMMY-nominated album Zodiac Suite, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral." Join us for an afternoon of diverse and compelling musical expressions at Ravinia Festival.

The Knights with Aaron Diehl at Ravinia Festival

Ravinia Festival

The Knights are excited to return to the iconic Naumburg Bandshell on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. No tickets are required to attend this celebratory outdoor performance with Naumburg Orchestral Concerts, and seating will be offered on a first come first serve basis. The concert will also be broadcast live on WQXR.

The Knights at Naumburg Orchestral Concerts

Central Park

This program came about through deep familial relationships and friendships that have yielded profoundly personal and compelling music. Gabriel Kahane's Heirloom, a new piano concerto written for his father, the renowned pianist Jeffrey Kahane, channels numerous themes of cross-generational and cross-cultural musical inspiration; from a paternal grandmother escaping the Holocaust in 1938 ("My Grandmother Knew Alban Berg”), to the tension between classical and popular music forms ("Guitars in the Attic"), to the wonder of seeing the world through the eyes of his young daughter ("Vera's Chicken-Powered Transit Machine").

The Knights with Jeffrey Kahane & Karen Ouzounian at Carnegie Hall

Continuing a long-standing relationship with pipa legend Wu Man, this program will feature the world premiere performance of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Du Yun’s new work for pipa and orchestra and explore themes of cultural memory, transformation of old into new, and a sense of theatricality within both instrumental and vocal music.

The Knights with Wu Man at Carnegie Hall

Anthony has performed around the world at venues including Carnegie Hall, Versailles, Madison Square Garden, The Berlin Philharmonic, The London Symphony Orchestra, Teatro Real Madrid, the English National Opera and many others. He was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for his performance in the Merchant-Ivory film A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries and starred in a critically acclaimed live show based on his album, Only an Octave Apart with cabaret legend Justin Vivian Bond in New York and London.

The Knights with Anthony Roth Costanzo at Perelman Performing Arts Center

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Composer Paula Matthusen and musicians from The Knights unite for this world premiere event that celebrates birds as a timeless source of inspiration for humanity. Bringing together birdsong and music, making the whole world a sky rhapsodically joins these two worlds. Matthusen’s spellbinding new composition draws on recent and historical research from Cornell Ornithology, bringing recordings of birds’ songs and the technologies used to interact with them – including The Knights’ musical instruments – into a shared realm. What starts as a song may emerge as a space to be interrupted, negotiated, and savored.

Musicians from The Knights and Composer Paula Matthusen at MAXLive Festival

National Sawdust

In their Ithaca program, the Knights join forces with GRAMMY-winning mandolinist, singer, and songwriter Chris Thile.

The Knights with Chris Thile: Cornell Concert Series

Cornell University

The Knights with Chris Thile at Music Worcester

Mechanics Hall

The Knights join forces with mandolinist, composer, and singer Chris Thile in an exploration of American music, old and new (and a little Bach). Thile’s new work, a Carnegie Hall co-commission, will feature his brilliant songwriting and storytelling, instrumental virtuosity, and ever-present sense of humor. Thile also joins The Knights to sing a version of Caroline Shaw's exquisite and poetic meditation on the nature of a rose. Dvorak's famed “American” Quartet is re-imagined through the lens of violinist and composer Curtis Stewart as a chamber orchestra, folk-inspired jam session, and Colin Jacobsen's Sheriff's Freud brings together the world of Dvorak - in some ways a founding figure in the development of American music - with bluegrass idioms. And finally, some Bach. Why? Because Bach is always a good idea...

The Knights with Chris Thile at Carnegie Hall [LIMITED AVAILABILITY]

The Knights with Chris Thile at Troy Chromatics

Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

Musicians from The Knights are delighted to be performing at WQXR’s Classical Kids Fair at the Queens Theatre @ Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.  Two short performances will take place at 1pm and 3pm. The Fair, running from 1pm to 4pm, will be a fun-filled day of live performances, an instrument “petting zoo,” dance and songwriting workshops, arts & crafts, and more! Admission is free and open to the public.

Musicians from The Knights at WQXR's Classical Kids Fair

Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Music lovers of all ages will delight in a family-friendly concert that celebrates world-class music and complements the Edvard Munch: Trembling Earthexhibition in an engaging, interactive setting. The Knights perform excerpts from works by Edvard Grieg, Antonín Dvořák, Frederick Delius (a friend of Edvard Munch's), alongside audience participation activities that will highlight musical details and showcase the way instruments can tell a story. In this accessible afternoon performance, children and their parents/grandparents/caregivers discover the limitless imaginative possibilities that exist in classical music. This performance is designed specifically for younger audiences and is intended to provide a fun and engaging introduction to classical music. The family-friendly program follows a large-scale outdoor concert by the Knights on the Clark’s Férnandez Terrace on September 2.

The Knights at The Clark Art Institute: Family Concert

Clark Art Institute

The Knights return to the Clark to celebrate the Edvard Munch: Trembling Earth exhibition with a selection of music from Edvard Grieg, Antonín Dvořák, Frederick Delius (a friend of Edvard Munch's), and more. The performance speaks to the layered influence of art and artists.

The Knights at The Clark Art Institute

The Knights at Manchester Music Festival

Southern Vermont Arts Center

Lighthouse Works Presents: A Family Show from The Knights

The Ordnance

In recent years, the twin pandemics of coronavirus and systemic racism have forced us to confront some of nature and humanity's destructive power, but it has also been an opportunity to slow down and notice natural beauty in many different forms, particularly in the guise of birds and other winged creatures. Birds are the original virtuoso musicians, sending out coded signals through their songs intended to affect a change in behavior of the listener (and perhaps, at times, just for "pleasure"). Recent studies have suggested that hearing "enjoyable music" lights up the same mesolimbic reward pathway for both human beings and birds. Music across cultures has often been inspired by either literal birdsong or the spiritual experience of uplift through sound and birds often symbolically represent guides to freedom. The program features songs and dances from a diverse group of composers and musical genres, much of which either directly or indirectly takes its cue from birds, butterflies and other natural emblems of flight and the yearning for freedom.

Lighthouse Works Presents: The Knights, On Wings of Song

Honolulu-born bassist and composer Shawn Conley is returning home to present an innovative program with musicians from The Knights. Artistic Director and violinist Colin Jacobsen, flutist Alex Sopp, and harpist and founder of Ocean Music Action Megan Conley, join Shawn Conley for this concert and residency. The program will feature music inspired by the power and beauty of the ocean.

Musicians from The Knights - Ocean Music Action in Hawaii

University of Hawaii at Manoa

The Knights with Pekka Kuusisto at Caramoor

This program celebrates musicians of The Knights - with Colin Jacobsen, Alex Gonzalez, and Alex Sopp as featured soloists - and marks the orchestra’s first performance at Newport’s exquisite Breakers Mansion.

The Knights at Newport Classical Music Festival

The Breakers

The Knights are thrilled to join Magos Herrera at Bryant Park for Carnegie Hall Citywide on Friday, July 21 at 7:00 pm for a special performance in celebration of the release of her newest album Aire. Written largely during pandemic isolation and now performed live for audiences in Bryant Park, Aire has become “a way to reach out … to heal each other by coming together and celebrating our humanity with compassion and gratitude.” The Knights are honored to have recorded this album with Magos in May of 2022.

The Knights with Magos Herrera at Bryant Park Carnegie Hall Citywide

Bryant Park

The Knights return to Wethersfield Estate and Garden for a second year for a concert for children and families. This concert will call on children to notice the natural beauty of nature – such as birds, the original virtuoso musicians, sending out coded signals through their songs Recent studies have suggested that hearing “enjoyable music” lights up the same mesolimbic reward pathway for both human beings and birds. The program features songs and dances from a diverse group of composers, musical genres, and cultures, much of which either directly or indirectly take their cue from birds, butterflies, and other natural emblems of flight and the yearning for freedom. Children are encouraged to get up and move to the music, to ask questions, and to meet the musicians.

Musicians from The Knights at Wethersfield Estate & Garden: Family Concert

Wethersfield Carriage House

The Knights with Chris Thile at Tanglewood

The Knights are excited to return to the iconic Naumburg Bandshell on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 with violist Masumi Per Rostad. No tickets are required to attend this celebratory outdoor performance with Naumburg Orchestral Concerts, and seating will be offered on a first come first serve basis. The concert will also be broadcast live on WQXR.

The Knights with Masumi Per Rostad at Naumburg Orchestral Concerts

Death of Classical and The Alexander S. Onassis Benefit Foundation present Waiting for the Barbarians, a sprawling, one-night-only exploration of love, loss, lust, and longing centered around the timeless poetry of C.P. Cavafy, set to brand-new music by luminaries like Rufus Wainwright & Missy Mazzoli, Laurie Anderson, Helga Davis & Petros Klampanis, Nico Muhly, Paola Prestini, and more, accompanied by The Knights and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. Seated amidst the towering Gothic arches of Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, this program of entirely new music will take listeners on a musical journey across genres and sound worlds, with each piece sharing the same question: what do we lose – and gain – when we give away a part of ourselves?

The Knights with Rufus Wainwright & Laurie Anderson at Saint Thomas Church

St. Thomas Church

The performance will begin with selections from Handel’s celebrated oratorio on Chanukah themes. It will also feature some of his most exquisite arias, and then offer an exploration of the work of contemporary composers and modern masters, including a work by Carlos Simon written for Costanzo and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and a 20th-century reimagining of traditional folk music.

Everlasting Light - The Knights with Anthony Roth Costanzo at Temple Emanu-El

Temple Emanu-El

The Knights take The Kreutzer Project to Europe for an 11-stop tour from October 24th to November 6th, featuring dynamic violinist Ray Chen. The Kreutzer Project weaves together Knightsian re-imaginings of the “Kreutzer” Sonatas of Beethoven and Janacek with contemporary responses by Colin Jacobsen and Anna Clyne, and a new work drawn from Janacek’s field recordings of folk songs.

Frankfurt - The Kreutzer Project Tour with Ray Chen

Alte Oper

Experience the majestic “Scottish” Symphony like never before, as The Knights, led by conductor Eric Jacobsen, intersperse the piece with traditional Scottish tunes, bringing a fresh context to one of Felix Mendelssohn’s great orchestral works. GRAMMY Award–winning singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan joins the ensemble to perform America, Come, an original suite inspired by the lives, letters, and speeches of Carrie Chapman Catt and President Woodrow Wilson in the summer of 1920, when the suffragists made their pivotal march to Tennessee. The program opens with the brisk, timeless overture to Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

The Knights at Carnegie Hall with Aoife O'Donovan

In a new collaboration with enormous creative possibilities, GRAMMY-winning vocalist and MacArthur Fellow Cécile McLorin Salvant performs new arrangements of jazz standards created by composer and bandleader Darcy James Argue with the genre-defying chamber orchestra The Knights.

The Knights at Carnegie Hall with Cécile McLorin Salvant

The Knights is a self-described “fellowship of adventurous musicians” known for transforming the orchestral concert experience. In this concert, led by Artistic Director and violinist Colin Jacobsen, they perform a time-tested masterpiece—Dvořák’s ever-popular Serenade for Strings—alongside the New York City premiere of Reena Esmail’s The History of Red, a stirring work for chamber orchestra and soprano, inspired in part by Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915. The program also highlights the extraordinary compositional talents of The Knights’ own members, with a world premiere by violinist and vocalist Christina Courtin and a piece written collaboratively by Ms. Courtin with flutist and vocalist Alex Sopp.

The Knights

Feb 20, 2025

The Knights at Carnegie Hall with Aoife O'Donovan

Mar 27, 2025

The Knights at Carnegie Hall with Cécile McLorin Salvant

May 15, 2025

The Knights at Carnegie Hall

Oct 24, 2024

The Knights at Carnegie Hall with Aaron Diehl

Aug 15, 2024

The Knights with Emanuel Ax at Tanglewood

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