Playwright Jennifer Fawcett, in collaboration with Grammy Award winning producer and recording engineer Jesse Lewis, brings her radio play adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s haunting The Kreutzer Sonata to the Riverside Theatre, featuring music performed by The Knights.

Tolstoy’s Kreutzer, written in 1889, was inspired by Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata, infamous in its own time for its size and difficulty. The novella, in turn, inspired composer Leoš Janácěk to write his lush, manic “Kreutzer” string quartet. Fawcett’s radio play weaves these two pieces, performed by The Knights, into the fabric of the story.

The Kreutzer Sonata will be broadcast by Iowa Public Radio as part of the MusicIC 2021 on Sunday, August 8 at 4:00 PM Central Time, 5:00 PM Eastern. Click the link below to tune in!

Episode 3 of our Spring Family Show Series goes live this Sunday, May 23, at noon! Join Joe Gramley and Knights Education Coordinator Margaret Dyer-Harris for an all-ages tour of the world of percussion. Joe demonstrates the xylophone, timpani, bass drum, and many, many more instruments. Let your musical mind run wild while exploring the possibilities of percussive sound alongside clips of The Knights in action.

Join us here and on our Youtube channel on Sunday, May 23 at noon!

The Knights present Episode Two of our 2021 Online Family Shows. Episode two features pianist Steven Beck, oboist Gustav Highstein, and cellist Jane Cords O’Hara presenting their instruments and playing excerpts from some of their favorite pieces. With a mix of family-friendly information about instruments and techniques, beautiful performances, clips from past Knights shows, and interactive elements, there’s something for children and adults of all ages to enjoy.

The Knights continue their partnership with violinist Gil Shaham on Saturday, April 17 with a streamed performance from WBGH Boston. Shaham joins the Knights as soloist in chamber music arrangements of two of Beethoven’s masterpieces, a “pocket” version arranged by The Knights of his ravishing Violin Concerto, Op. 61, and the Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus, as arranged by Beethoven’s friend (and sometimes enemy!) Johann Nepomuk Hummel.

The stream will go live on April 17th and will be available for three weeks.

The Knights present Episode One of our 2021 Online Family Shows.

Episode One features horn-player David Byrd-Marrow, Clarinetist Agnes Marchione and violinist Alex Gonzalez presenting their instruments and playing excerpts from some of their favorite pieces. With a mix of family-friendly information about instruments and techniques, beautiful performances, clips from past Knights shows, and interactive elements, there’s something for children and adults of all ages to enjoy.

The Knights are delighted to team up with Gil Shaham on Sunday, March 14th for a virtual program at 92Y. Shaham joins the Knights for String Quartet No. 5 in G Major, Op. 1 by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a composer whose fascinating works have only recently been given a well-deserved spotlight. Shaham will also be featured as soloist in chamber music arrangements of two of Beethoven’s masterpieces, his ravishing Violin Concerto, Op. 61, and the Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus, as arranged by Beethoven’s friend (and sometimes enemy!) Johann Nepomuk Hummel.

Go deeper into the music with Gil Shaham and The Knights. Moderated by former WQXR host Naomi Lewin, Shaham and Knights Artistic Directors Colin and Eric Jacobsen will discuss Beethoven’s gorgeous and fascinating Violin Concerto, op. 61, the centerpiece of The Knights’ March 14th livestreamed concert at 92Y. This online presentation will include performances of passages from the work, as well as a question and answer session at the end of the program.

More info about the March 14 Concert can be found here.

On September 14 at 7:00 PM, join The Knights for TENACIOUS, an online evening of gratitude for our supporters, artists, and community. Celebrating 10 years of The Knights' ambition, innovation, and adventure, this online event features performances and conversations with illustrious musicians including dear friends Jessie Montgomery and Sharleen Joynt alongside The Knights. Experience a forty-five minute musical journey exploring the versatility of The Knights’ vibrant artistry. In TENACIOUS, The Knights respond to this moment through creativity and hope, extending deep appreciation to our audience and the inspiring generosity that makes The Knights' work possible. TENACIOUS is free for all to attend.

On Sunday, September 6, at 2:00 PM, Artistic Directors Colin and Eric Jacobsen team up with three classical music giants to perform Brahms’ seminal Clarinet Quintet. Celebrated New York Philharmonic Principal Clarinetist Anthony McGill we be joined by Eric, Colin (on viola!), and violin virtuosi Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony to perform the masterwork. The concert will be streamed live on the innovative virtual venue Dreamstage. Purchase tickets via the link below.

Celebrate Leonard Bernstein’s 102nd birthday with The Knights’ production of his iconic opera Candide. Described as “supremely satisfying and intelligent” (The Berkshire Edge), the August 2018 performance recorded at Tanglewood Music Center features dazzling instrumentals, vocals, and choreography. The Knights, 13-member cast, and production team together honor one of the most significant American cultural personalities of the 20th century. RSVP for the watch party and learn more at the link below.

92Y’s Concerts @Home Series: Join Knights artistic directors Colin and Eric Jacobsen on Thursday, July 30, at 7:00 PM for a program featuring Maurice Ravel’s “lean, ruthlessly linear” Debussy tribute Sonata for Violin and Cello; the Jacobsens’ own compositions; and pieces by Grammy Award-winner singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan.

PROGRAM
Maurice Ravel: selections from Sonata for Violin and Cello
I. Allégro
II. Très vif
Bob Dylan / Franz Schubert: Not Dark Yet / An die Musik
Aoife O'Donovan, with text by Rainer Maria Rilke: She Sings
Colin Jacobsen: Lydia's Reflection
Traditional, arrangement by Jeremy Kittel: Lakes of Pontchartrain

The Knights are dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audience and music. The New York Times has described them as “an adventurous young orchestra that has established a strong reputation for polished performances and imaginative programming.” The ensemble performs the world premiere of a new work by Anna Clyne featuring Knights cellist Karen Ouzounian, and the Brahms String Sextet No. 2 in G, Op. 36.

The Knights present, via online livestream, the world premiere of Pauchi Sasaki’s k’uKu, a composition for string quartet, percussion, live electronics, and video commissioned for Americas Society,.

Join us on 6/18 from 9-11 pm for a broadcast of The Knights’ 2017 performance of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K550 at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. The performance will air during the second half of WQXR’s “New York in Concert” Series!

Link Coming Soon!