Watch & Listen

“In almost any other city, an entire cultural center would be built around The Knights, the orchestra founded by brothers Colin and Eric Jacobsen in the late 90s, such is the excellence and commitment they bring to their performances. But perhaps part of their artistic success lies in their flexibility, with players free to pursue other interests outside of The Knights, returning newly invigorated when called upon for a show.”

—AnEarful

“For ‘Ears of the Book,’ a concerto premiered by The Knights and pipa virtuoso Wu Man last month at Carnegie Hall, Du Yun says she wasn’t inspired by the music of Gershwin itself, but—similarly to ‘Rhapsody in Blue’—the work does move in a series of polaroids, capturing ephemeral moments in time…Another entry in The Knights’s ‘Rhapsody’ project comes courtesy of walking rhapsody Chris Thile. Like Gershwin, he has crafted a piece that is somewhat undefinable.”

—Van Magazine

“Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin (in the composer’s 1919 orchestral arrangement) fluttered and twirled like Disney butterflies on the Zankel Hall stage at Carnegie Hall.”

—BachTrack

“At times it made me feel physically uncomfortable - but in a good way, feeling the presence of a massively imaginative spirit finding expression through a collective of smart, game realizers who embody the best of creative 21st-century performance synthesis.”

—BlogCritics

“Deftly mixing everything from the Baroque, to the Classical and contemporary, the program for a concert by The Knights often reads like the roster of an All-star team—with players from different sports.”

—CANNOPY

“This recording is no awkward collision of two genres, but rather an organic, unselfconscious fusion. It combines the lushness of an orchestra with a distinctly American vibe and swagger. The New York-based Knights, Diehl, and their musical guests exchange phrases and themes seamlessly.”

—WQXR