The dynamic New York-based orchestral collective The Knights is reimagining classical music programming and captivating audiences at every turn. The ensemble’s expansive artistic vision has earned them critical acclaim, a Grammy nomination, and concert tours alongside artists including Yo-Yo Ma and Gil Shaham.

At the center of this concert are two beloved core classical works – Schubert’s ominous, radiant and magnificent “Unfinished” Symphony, and Vaughan Williams’ haunting and exquisite The Lark Ascending, featuring The Knights’ superb Colin Jacobson as violin soloist. Bookending the works are Records from a Vanishing City, an evocative contemporary tone poem with roots in an Angolan lullaby by acclaimed composer and violinist Jessie Montgomery, and the celebratory second symphony by Louis Moreau Gottschalk. The program traverses Manhattan’s Lower East Side in the 1990s and Vienna in the 1820s, illuminates themes of renewal and rebirth, and highlights echoes of Schubert in the work of a Creole-influenced composer, all showcasing the very essence of this thrilling ensemble.

Program Details:
Jessie Montgomery: Records from a Vanishing City
Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759 “Unfinished”
Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
Louis Moreau Gottschalk: Symphony No. 2 “À Montevideo”

Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Colin Jacobsen, violin

Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez