The Knights

Guest Artists

J. Kenji López-Alt, James Beard Award-winning chef and author, and founder of Tasting Notes

Tessa Lark, GRAMMY-nominated violinist

Gabriel Kahane, musician, writer, and storyteller

Host & Moderator

Ed Levine, founder of Serious Eats

You are warmly invited to The Knights’ Annual Benefit 2026: A Musical Feast. This special event is a live mash-up of music food and culture curated by The Knights and J. Kenji López-Alt. Inspired by works performed by The Knights and special musical guests, Chef J. Kenji López-Alt demonstrates dishes in response to the music, with the creative process projected in real time. This year, we honor Joe Rose for his distinguished leadership and enduring commitment to the arts, and for the Knightsian spirit with which he brings people together and strengthens our community.

The Knights
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director and Violin
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director and Conductor
Anthony McGill, Clarinet
Christina Courtin, Vocals

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. Cherished short works also undergo a “Knightsian” transformation, including Ellington’s ballad “Sophisticated Lady”; Bonds’s “Troubled Waters,” based on the spiritual “Wade in the Waters”; Brumley’s “I’ll Fly Away”; and Lev “Ljova” Zhurbin’s Garmoshka (“little accordion”).

Program:

Ljova Garmoshka

Duke Ellington “Sophisticated Lady” (arr. M. Gould)

Margaret Bonds “Troubled Waters”

Gabriel Kahane If love will not swing wide the gates for Clarinet and Orchestra (NY Premiere, co-commissioned by The Knights, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Santa Fe Pro Musica, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony & Carnegie Hall)

Aaron Copland Appalachian Spring Suite 

Albert Brumley "I'll Fly Away" (arr. Christina Courtin)

Presented by the Sunday morning chamber music series GatherNYC, Toy Bricks is an interactive family concert that highlights playful interactions between stringed instruments, both large and small! Musical games and friendly competition bring friends together in a range of repertoire, culminating in a performance of Paul Wiancko’s Toy Bricks for violin, two cellos, and bass. This program is created and hosted by Knights cellist and Director of Education Programming Caitlin Sullivan.

Featuring special guests Michelle Young, storyteller and Doug Fitch and Tommy Nguyen, video artists.

Admission is free for children under 12 years old!

The Knights
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director & Violin
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director

The Knights return to Troy Savings Bank Music Hall with a program of chamber music for strings led by Co-Artistic Director Colin Jacobsen. The evening is bookended by Jacobsen’s own composition Beloved, do not let me be discouraged and the forward-looking Octet by Felix Mendelssohn. Between these works, experience renowned composer Osvaldo Golijov’s Ever Yours, a work of “vitality, love, and attention,” whose title references Vincent van Gogh’s letters to his brother and the “intensity of being” expressed within.

Program:

Colin Jacobsen Beloved, do not let me be discouraged

Osvaldo Golijov Ever Yours (NY Premiere)

Felix Mendelssohn String Octet, Op. 20

The Knights
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director & Violin
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director & Conductor

An intoxicating sense that anything is possible comes with each new performance by The Knights. Colin Jacobsen and Eric Jacobsen lead the ensemble in a program bookended by one of Haydn’s light-footed early symphonies and the sweeping, forward-looking Octet by Felix Mendelssohn. Several exciting surprises await between these beloved repertoire pillars. Hear The Knights’ unique take on Arvo Pärt’s In spe, a spacious experiment in tintinnabuli that grants its performers extraordinary freedom. Plus, experience the New York premiere of Osvaldo Golijov’s Ever Yours, a work of “vitality, love, and attention,” whose title references Vincent van Gogh’s letters to his brother and the “intensity of being” expressed within.

Program:

Franz Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 8 in G Major, "Le soir"

Osvaldo Golijov Ever Yours (NY Premiere)

Arvo Pärt In spe

Felix Mendelssohn String Octet, Op. 20

“One of the moment’s most adventurous and relevant musicians” (New York Magazine) conjures a multimedia experience from the piano, Natural Machines 2.0, improvising with responsive computer programs he created and live visuals rendered in real time. The first installment of the project was hailed as “ingenious” (Rolling Stone). Experience this next chapter as Dan Tepfer explores the intersection of the mechanical and the natural, featuring an expanded ensemble made up of members of The Knights. 

The Knights
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director & Violin
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director
J. Mae Barizo, Poet & Performer
Sayuri Ishida, Actor
George R. Miller, Stage Director
Yuchang Xiao, Wearable Art/Costume Design
Jessie Char & Maxwell Neely-Cohen, Sound Design

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 Cloud Variations, a performance 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.

Program:

J. Mae Barizo Cloud Variations

Philip Glass Symphony No. 3

Robert Schumann Symphony No. 4, Op. 120

Hear the pipa, a Chinese instrument with 2,000 years of history, in the hands of the star soloist who carved its role in Western music.

For decades, Wu Man has reigned as the world’s leading exponent of the pipa, a pear-shaped Chinese lute whose history dates back more than 2,000 years. She has premiered hundreds of new works for the instrument, preserving and promoting millennia of ancient Chinese musical traditions while breaking new ground in Western classical, jazz, electronic, and folk music. Now, Wu Man returns to The Met to perform the Pipa Concerto of American composer Lou Harrison (1917–2003), one of the many pieces written especially for her, alongside traditional and original works for solo pipa. She is joined by the acclaimed Brooklyn orchestra The Knights—hailed as one of the ensembles paving “the future for classical music in America” (Los Angeles Times)—led by concertmaster and co-Artistic Director Colin Jacobsen.

This performance is presented in conjunction with The Met’s Department of Musical Instruments.

Tickets start at $35 ($30 + $5 fee)

MetLiveArts tickets include Museum admission on the day of the event, during Museum hours only. For more information or inquiries about accessible seating, call 212-570-3949 or email meteventtix@metmuseum.org.

This performance is made possible by the Grace Jarcho Ross and Daniel G. Ross Concert Fund, and Friends of Musical Instruments: The Amati.

Children 6 and under are not permitted to attend MetLiveArts performances.

Read visitor guidelines

Music lovers of all ages will delight in a family-friendly concert that celebrates world-class music and complements the A Room of Her Own exhibition on view at The Clark Art Institute. 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.

This concert is free. Accessible seats available; for information, call (413) 458 0524. This performance is presented through the generous support of the Sea Island Foundation.

The Knights
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director and Conductor

The Knights make their annual return to The Clark Art Institute with a free outdoor program informed by an exhibition on view, A Room of Her Own: Women Artist-Activists in Britain, 1875-1945. Led by an open-minded spirit of camaraderie and collaboration, The Knights seek to engage with contemporary culture through vibrant performances that honor the classical tradition and their passion for musical discovery.

Bring a picnic and your own seating. For accessibility questions, call (413) 458-0524. Rain moves the performance to August 31 at 4 pm. This performance is presented through the generous support of the Sea Island Foundation.

Program:

Dame Ethel Smyth Scherzo: Allegro vivace from Suite in E Major for String Orchestra op. 1a

Ralph Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending

Felix Mendelssohn Octet for Strings

Lighthouse Works Presents: A Knights Family Show

Join The Knights for a free, interactive family show, featuring excerpts and selections from the following works: 

Colin Jacobsen Beloved, do not let me be discouraged

Osvaldo Golijov Ever Yours

Felix Mendelssohn String Octet

Lighthouse Works Presents: The Knights at Fishers Island

The Knights are thrilled return to Lighthouse Works on Fishers Island with a program featuring two contemporary chamber works by concertmaster and composer Colin Jacobsen and Osvaldo Golijov alongside Felix Mendelssohn’s beloved String Octet.

Program:

Colin Jacobsen Beloved, do not let me be discouraged

Osvaldo Golijov Ever Yours

Felix Mendelssohn String Octet

The Knights
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director and Conductor
Chris Thile, Mandolin and Vocals

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.  

Program:

Philip Glass excerpts from Symphony No. 3

Caroline Shaw And So, featuring Chris Thile, vocals

Johann Sebastian Bach Double Concerto, BWV 1043, featuring Colin Jacobsen, violin and Chris Thile, mandolin

Chris Thile ATTENTION!, featuring Chris Thile, mandolin and vocals

The Knights
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director and Conductor
with Julien Labro, Bandoneon

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.

This event is free and open to the public, no tickets or reservations required.

Presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with Bryant Park.

Lead support for Carnegie Hall Citywide is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Hearst Foundations. Additional support provided by Northwell Health, Official Healthcare Partner of Carnegie Hall.

The Knights
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director & violin
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director & conductor

The Knights are excited to return to the iconic Naumburg Bandshell on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. 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.

Program:

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), Concerto Grosso from L’Estro Armonico for Two Violins, Cello, and Strings in G minor, Op. 3, No. 2 (RV 578), (1711)

1. Adagio e spiccato, 2. Allegro, 3. Larghetto, 4. Allegro

Colin Jacobsen and Nanae Iwata, violins, Alex Greenbaum, cello

William Grant Still (1895-1978), Summerland: for Flute, Harp, and String Trio, (1935)

Alex Sopp, flute, Megan Conley, harp

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Trio Sonata in G Major, BWV 1038, (1732-35)

1. Largo,  2. Vivace, 3. Adagio, 4. Presto

Colin Jacobsen, violin, Alex Sopp, flute, Eric Jacobsen, cello, Steven Beck, harpsichord

Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889), Gran Duo for Clarinet and Double Bass

1. Allegro - Andante 2. Allegro vivace - Moderato

Agnes Marchione, clarinet, Zachary Cohen, double bass

Intermission

Claude Debussy (1862-1918), Danses sacrée et profane, (1904)

Megan Conley, harp

Chen Yi (b. 1953), Sound of the Five (arranged for marimba and strings), (2001)

3. Romance of Hsiao and Ch’in, 4.Flower Drums in Dance

Joseph Gramley, marimba

Traditional, arr. Danish String Quartet (from Last Leaf)

Polska from Dorotea, Unst Boat Song, The Dromer

The Knights
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director & Violin
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director
Michael P. Atkinson, Associate Conductor
Kathryn Mueller, Soprano
Christina Courtin, Violin and Vocals
Alex Sopp, Flute and Vocals

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.

Program:

Christina Courtin and Alex Sopp Pretty Pea in the Blue

Reena Esmail The History of Red, featuring Kathryn Mueller, soprano (NEW YORK CITY PREMIERE)

Christina Courtin rhapsody on being giant proof (WORLD PREMIERE)

Antonín Dvořák Serenade for Strings in E major, Op. 22 B52

Members of The Knights join acclaimed author Colum McCann for an intimate musical and literary salon at Maison Brooklyn. Led by concertmaster Colin Jacobsen, The Knights present a globe-traversing program inspired by McCann's new novel Twist, featuring the traditional Irish fiddler Dana Lyn and a chamber arrangement of the balafón virtuoso Fodé Lassana Diabaté's Sunjata's Time. The performance will bookend a conversation and Q&A with McCann to celebrate Twist. 

All tickets include a discount to The Knights' next concert at Carnegie Hall on May 15 (discount code provided in confirmation email). Space is limited.

Cécile McLorin Salvant, Vocals

The Knights
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director and Conductor

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
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director & Violin
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director & Conductor
Aoife O’Donovan, Vocals and Guitar

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. 

Program:

W.A. Mozart Overture to Le Nozze di Figaro

Aoife O'Donovan, arr. Tanner Porter America, Come, featuring Aoife O'Donovan, vocals

Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 "Scottish"

Traditional Scottish Folk Tunes

The Knights
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director & Violin
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director & Conductor
Alex Sopp, Flute

Program:

W.A. Mozart Flute Quartet No. 1 in D Major, K. 285

Allison Loggins-Hull new flute concerto, featuring Alex Sopp, flute

W.A. Mozart Sinfonia concertante in E-flat for violin and viola, K. 364, featuring Colin Jacobsen, violin, and Nicholas Cords, viola

Presented by the Sunday morning chamber music series GatherNYC, “Play Out!” is an interactive, intergenerational family program (recommended for ages 5 and up) that focuses on what it means to feel deeply, and how our big emotions are the foundation for how we relate to ourselves and interact with others. In “Play Out!” we're exploring how music is an incredible outside representation of our emotions inside, through a wide range of music for string quartet performed by members of The Knights. Created and hosted by Knights cellist Caitlin Sullivan, this program includes the performance of original poetry by Jennifer Wynn, and video art by illustrator Jorge Carvajal.

This project is supported by the Carmela S. Haklisch Innovation Fund.

The Knights
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director & Violin
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director & Conductor
Aaron Diehl, Piano

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.

Program:

Keith Jarrett arr. Michael P. Atkinson Suite from Book of Ways, featuring Aaron Diehl, harpsichord WORLD PREMIERE

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60  

Michael Schachter New Work / Rhapsody, featuring Aaron Diehl, piano WORLD PREMIERE

George Gershwin arr. Michael P. Atkinson Rhapsody in Blue, featuring Aaron Diehl, piano

Music lovers of all ages will delight in a family-friendly concert that celebrates world-class music and complements the Guillaume Lethiere exhibition in an engaging, interactive setting. The Knights perform excerpts from works by Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges (Lethiere's friend and contemporary), alongside audience participation activities that 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 Fernández Terrace on August 31.