The brilliant appearance of the chamber orchestra The Knights in the Great Hall of the Elbphilharmonie with works by Bach sets high standards.
— Hamburger Abendblatt (Germany)
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Epochs, styles, countries, and genre boundaries? They can be safely forgotten by New York Chamber Orchestra The Knights, which electrified the audience in the Graf-Zeppelin Haus.
— Schwaebische (Germany)
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These two dozen musicians from Brooklyn… playfully combine early music with avantgarde, great classics with world music - constantly blowing away audiences because this mix is simply irresistibly refined.
— Hamburger Abendblatt (Germany)
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The Knights, an ensemble that loves to share and open doors of musical exploration for audiences, has reached, with its director Eric Jacobsen, a level of ambition and sound perfection that is, again, unparalleled. Unforgettable, was the comment one could overhear everywhere when leaving the concert hall. We agree and confirm!”
— Destimed (France)
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For decades, dancers and those who adore them have converged on Becket, Mass., for the Jacob’s Pillow festival. Its 85th season promises all the usual family-friendly events, Q&As and performances, and a provocative world premiere: “The Principles of Uncertainty.” Inspired by Maira Kalman’s words and pictures, John Heginbotham’s piece features a score performed live by members of the Knights, New York’s hot young chamber orchestra.
— New York Post
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“Here is an album that has the potential to make you fall in love with new contemporary classical music. In the vision of Yo-Yo Ma and the ensemble The Knights (as well as the composers represented), this music becomes inspiring and terribly engaging.”
— Ici Musique (Canada)
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Hear the widely anticipated recording of Osvaldo Golijov's "Azul," performed by cellist Yo-Yo Ma and The Knights.
— Your Classical
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"Classical music does not need pointless novelties; the freedom with which the Jacobsen brothers and their troops conceive it is its greatest asset."
— concertclassic.com (France)
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“On the occasion of the Easter festival in Aix-en-Provence…passers-by were able to take the baton and lead New York ensemble The Knights, under the the amused eye of their maestro.”
— Franceinfo (France)
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"The New York ensemble that is praised in the entire world for its inventive spirit and creative freedom, multiplies the musical experiences. This is the perspective from which one has to understand the spirit of their concert, offering an original layout that allows the audience to become acquainted with all the members of the group. The concert could have carried the title "All roads lead to Bach" – and all return to him, one may add: a tribute to the great composer presented from different angles."
— DestiMed (France)
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“The music searches, reaching ever higher, whirling itself into ecstasy, and finally falls back to earth into a pool of percussion. The slow movement begins in serene meditation — a heartbeat pulse in the strings, birdsong percussion and sustained cello pitches — but it gradually blooms into a sweet thunder of brass and winds.”
— NPR
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“... The music that came from it was connected to an old myth that concerned a bird trying to fly towards the sun. Its first attempts were failures; it wasn’t until the bird shed its physical shell that it could transcend earthly limitations.”
— WQXR
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“...the Brooklyn-based Knights seem to have found a sweet spot with programs that meld the familiar and novel, giving their fan base a taste of discovery with each performance... judging by the near-capacity crowd and enthusiastic response, one would expect local presenters to take heed.”
— Chicago Classical Review
Read More“The orchestral playing is particularly impressive: The Knights, under the baton of Eric Jacobsen, provide both a strong force and subtle sensitive moments... The orchestra gives strength in characters, glowing and shimmering... full of ever-changing virtuosic prowess.”
— Primephonic
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“[Colin] Jacobsen joined the cellist Eric Jacobsen (his brother) and Ms. de la Salle for an impressive rendition of the Ravel Trio in A minor... [de la Salle’s] colorful, technically assured playing balanced the richly toned, passionate contributions of the Jacobsens.”
— The New York Times
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“The contemporary-music scene in New York has been generating a nearly endless stream of high-powered young ensembles over the past decade. On Sunday night, one of the most imaginative of them — a musical collective known as the Knights — came to Dumbarton Oaks as part of the museum’s Friends of Music series.”
— The Washington Post
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“...the 26-member ensemble again demonstrated its polish, versatility and spirit in this and the evening’s other performances.”
— The Berkshire Eagle
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“With roots in the workshops of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, this [The Concerto for Violin, Santur and Orchestra] glittering, propulsive piece of East–West fusion blends solo sections for santur (Persian zither) and high, driving passagework for violin with shifting textures of strings, wind and percussion.”
— The Strad
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“The performances, in every case spirited and vital, survived amplification and the elements surprisingly well...”
— The New York Times
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