Sycil Mathai

Photographer: Erin Baiano

Has played with The Knights since: 2009.

Favorite Knights moment: one summer at the Bandshell in Central Park, near the beginning of the concert, we experienced a downpour of rain. I naturally expected the audience to flee, but instead—seemingly in unison—they opened their umbrellas and sat through every minute of our concert. A testament to the tenacity of a New York City audience, but also to the magic that happened that night on stage in spite of less than ideal playing conditions.

Sycil Mathai is a trumpeter with a global musical career spanning genres from ensembles like The Knights Orchestra and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra to Berkshire Bach Society, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Extension Ensemble, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Argento New Music, Dave Sanford's big band Pittsburgh Collective, Ne(x)tworks, artists Carter Burwell, Butch Morris, the dance companies of Merce Cunningham, Mark Morris Dance Group, Nai-Ni Chen, and movie directors Andy Kaufman, and The Coen Brothers. He has recorded for RCA, PBS, CBS, EA Sports, Summit Records, Albany Records, and Sirius Satellite Radio. Sycil is a graduate of Juilliard and currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Area Coordinator for Brass/Percussion at California State University Fullerton.