The Knights Announce Summer Performances - Zodiac Suite at Caramoor, Azmeh on Fishers Island, Mozart with Ax at Tanglewood

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Katy Salomon | Primo Artists | VP, Public Relations 
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The Knights Announce Summer 2024 Performances 

Performing Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite, from their GRAMMY®-
Nominated Album with Aaron Diehl, at Ravinia and Caramoor

Premiering Kyle Sanna’s Undone Landscape with Clarinetist 
Kinan Azmeh at Lighthouse Works on Fishers Island

Four Mozart Concerti with Emanuel Ax, Spanning Two Nights at Tanglewood 

“A refreshing reminder of how much music gains when it is performed by friends 
who delight as much in their art as in one another’s company” – The New York Times

theknightsnyc.com

 

New York, NY (April 30, 2024) – Known for their “relaxed virtuosity and expansive repertory” (The New Yorker), The Knights announce their summer 2024 performances. This slate of upcoming appearances brings vibrant new programs reflecting both The Knights’ roots in the classical tradition and their passion for artistic discovery, infused with the orchestral collective’s open-minded spirit of camaraderie and exploration. Highlights include performances of Mary Lou Williams' Zodiac Suite at the Ravinia Festival (Highland Park, IL) and Caramoor (Katonah, NY); a two-night engagement at Tanglewood (Lenox, MA) with Emanuel Ax, featuring four Mozart concerti; and appearances at the Clark Art Institute (Williamstown, MA), Lighthouse Works at the Ordnance (Fishers Island, NY), and the historic Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park for a free concert.

On Tuesday, June 25, 2024 at 7:30pm, Naumburg Orchestral Concerts presents The Knights in a free performance of Mozart, Farrenc and Beethoven at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park, conducted by Artistic Director Eric Jacobson. Mozart’s Overture to Le Nozze di Figaro and Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony are paired with Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op 36, a long-neglected masterwork from the mid-19th century.

On Saturday, June 29, 2024 at 1:30pm, Ravinia Festival presents The Knights and pianist Aaron Diehl at the Festival’s Martin Theatre (Highland Park, IL). The program features excerpts from composer Mary Lou Williams' Zodiac Suite, from The Knights’ and Aaron Diehl’s GRAMMY®-nominated album of the same name, the Finale-Allegro from Louise Farrenc's Symphony No. 3 in G minor, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral.” The Knights then take a variation on this program, featuring the full Zodiac Suite, to the Venetian Theater at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in Katonah, NY on Sunday, June 30, 2024 at 4:00pm. For both of these dates, the program will be conducted by Artistic Director Eric Jacobsen.

On Wednesday, August 14, 2024 and Thursday August 15, 2024 at 8:00pm, Tanglewood presents The Knights with pianist Emanuel Ax at Seiji Ozawa Hall in Lenox, MA. Conducted by Artistic Director Eric Jacobsen, this program is part of the Tanglewood Recital Series and features Emanuel Ax alongside the orchestra in four Mozart concerti over two nights: first, Mozart Piano Concerti Nos. 14 and 20, preceded by Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ Overture to L'amant anonyme on August 14; followed by Nos. 17 and 25 paired with Gabriela Ortiz’s La Calaca for string orchestra on August 15.

On Saturday, August 17, 2024 at 6:00pm, musicians from The Knights return to the Ordnance on Fishers Island, NY for a program presented by Lighthouse Works. Performing alongside Syrian-American clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh, The Knights will feature Azmeh's Concertino Grosso, which derives inspiration from the Baroque Concerto Grosso form, for violin, clarinet, guitar, percussion, and strings. Also featured on this program are Azmeh’s works “Wedding,” from his Suite for Improviser and Orchestra, and Dear Ocean, composed for himself and The Knights’ Megan and Shawn Conley (harp and bass, respectively). Dear Ocean was commissioned by Ocean Music Action, an organization founded by Megan Conley, which draws attention to ocean sustainability issues through music and art. As part of this concert, The Knights will also workshop and share an insider's view into Undone Landscape, a new piece of electroacoustic music by guitarist/composer Kyle Sanna. Saint-Saens' poetic Fantasie for violin and harp completes the program, anchoring this performance in the classical tradition. 

In a second performance at the Ordnance on Sunday, August 18, 2024 at 2:00pm, The Knights will offer a Family Concert, introducing audiences of all ages to their instruments and classical music in an inclusive, fun, and informative atmosphere.

On Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 4:00pm, The Knights return to the Clark Art Institute (Williamstown, MA) to celebrate their Guillaume Lethière exhibition in an outdoor concert that speaks to the layered influences of art and artists. In this program, the orchestra plays a double violin concerto by Lethière’s contemporary, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. This program also features the world premiere of Undone Landscape by Kyle Sanna with Kinan Azmeh as guest soloist. Sanna’s Undone Landscape is a part of The Knights’ Rhapsody project, a multi-year initiative that comprises commissions, performances, recordings, and educational initiatives, inspired by the example of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and its centennial in 2024. 

The Knights will also offer a Family Concert at the Clark Art Institute on Sunday, September 1, 2024 at 12:00pm, with excerpts from the previous day’s program.

The Knights Summer 2024 Season Calendar

Tuesday, June 25, 2024 at 7:30pm
The Knights at Naumburg Orchestral Concerts
Naumburg Bandshell | New York, NY
Link: https://naumburgconcerts.org/upcoming/tbd-8t9gs 

Program:
W.A. Mozart – Overture to Le Nozze de Figaro
Louise Farrenc – Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op. 36 
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"

The Knights
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director & conductor
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director & violin

Saturday, June 29, 2024 at 1:30pm
The Knights with Aaron Diehl at Ravinia Festival
Martin Theatre at Ravinia Festival | Highland Park, IL
Link: https://www.ravinia.org/Online/Article/062924-KnightsDiehl

Program:
Louise Farrenc – Excerpt from Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op. 36 (Finale–Allegro)
Mary Lou Williams – Excerpts from Zodiac Suite
     Aaron Diehl, piano
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"

The Knights
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director & conductor
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director & violin
Aaron Diehl, piano

Sunday, June 30, 2024 at 4:00pm
The Knights with Aaron Diehl at Caramoor
Venetian Theater at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts | Katonah, NY
Link: https://caramoor.org/event/the-knights-aaron-diehl-summer-2024/ 

Program:
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68, "Pastoral"
Mary Lou Williams – Zodiac Suite
     Aaron Diehl, piano

The Knights
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director & conductor
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director & violin
Aaron Diehl, piano

Wednesday, August 14, 2024 at 8:00pm
The Knights with Emanuel Ax at Tanglewood
Seiji Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood | Lenox, MA
Link: www.bso.org/events/tanglewood-recital-series-bologne-mozart 

Program: 
Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-Georges – Overture to L'amant anonyme
W.A. Mozart – Piano Concerto No.14 in E-flat Major, K. 449
W.A. Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K.466

The Knights
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director & conductor
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director & violin
Emanuel Ax, piano

Thursday, August 15, 2024 at 8:00pm
The Knights with Emanuel Ax at Tanglewood
Seiji Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood | Lenox, MA
Link: https://www.bso.org/events/tanglewood-recital-series-gabriela-mozart

Program: 
Gabriela Ortiz – La Calaca for string orchestra
W.A. Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K.453
W.A. Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major, K. 503

The Knights
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director & conductor
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director & violin
Emanuel Ax, piano

Saturday, August 17, 2024 at 6:00pm
Lighthouse Works Presents: Musicians from The Knights
Ordnance | Fishers Island, NY
Link: https://lighthouseworks.us/happenings/the-knights 

Program:
Kinan Azmeh – Dear Ocean for clarinet, harp, and bass
Kinan Azmeh – Concertino Grosso
Kyle Sanna – Undone Landscape
Kinan Azmeh – Suite for Improviser and Orchestra, “Wedding”
Camille Saint-Saens – Fantasie for violin and harp

The Knights
Kinan Azmeh, composer & clarinetist

Sunday, August 18, 2024 at 2:00pm
Lighthouse Works Presents: A Knights Family Show
Ordnance | Fishers Island, NY
Link: https://lighthouseworks.us/happenings/lw-presents-the-knights-family-show 

Program:
Kinan Azmeh – Dear Ocean for clarinet, harp, and bass
Kinan Azmeh – Concertino Grosso
Kyle Sanna – Undone Landscape
Kinan Azmeh – Suite for Improviser and Orchestra, “Wedding”
Camille Saint-Saens – Fantasie for violin and harp

The Knights
Kinan Azmeh, composer & clarinetist

Saturday, August 31, 2024 at 4:00pm
The Knights at the Clark Art Institute
Fernández Terrace at the Clark Art Institute | Williamstown, MA
Link: www.clarkart.edu/event/detail/2595-91560 

Program: 
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges – Symphonie Concertante in G Major, op. 13, no. 2
     Alex Gonzalez and Colin Jacobsen, violins
Gabriela Ortiz – La Calaca for string orchestra
Kyle Sanna – Undone Landscape, featuring Kinan Azmeh, clarinet [WORLD PREMIERE] 
Kinan Azmeh – "Wedding" from Suite for Improviser and Orchestra
     Kinan Azmeh, clarinet

The Knights
Eric Jacobsen, Artistic Director & conductor
Colin Jacobsen, Artistic Director & violin
Alex Gonzalez, violin
Kinan Azmeh, composer & clarinet

Sunday, September 1, 2024 at 12:00pm
The Knights at the Clark Art Institute: Family Concert
Manton Auditorium at the Clark Art Institute | Williamstown, MA
Link: www.clarkart.edu/event/detail/2594-91559 

About The Knights
The Knights are a collective of adventurous musicians dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audiences and music. Driven by an open-minded spirit of camaraderie and exploration, they inspire listeners with vibrant programs that encompass their roots in the classical tradition and passion for artistic discovery. The orchestra has toured and recorded with renowned soloists including Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, Béla Fleck, Chris Thile, and Gil Shaham, and has appeared across the world’s most prestigious stages, including those at Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, Ravinia, The Kennedy Center, and the Vienna Musikverein.

The Knights evolved from late-night chamber music reading parties with friends at the home of violinist Colin Jacobsen and cellist Eric Jacobsen. The Jacobsen brothers, who are also founding members of the string quartet Brooklyn Rider, serve as artistic directors of The Knights, with Eric Jacobsen as conductor. Since incorporating in 2007, the orchestra has toured consistently across the United States and Europe.

The Knights seek to share music with a broad general public regardless of background, and the group designs programs to appeal to both loyal followers and new listeners alike. The Knights perform in traditional concert halls as well as in parks, plazas, and bars, and create unusual and adventurous partnerships across disciplines. Counted among recent highlights are fully-staged performances of Bernstein's Candide at both Tanglewood and Ravinia; the release of “The Kreutzer Project” album, and the 2023 summer season featuring performances at Central Park’s Naumburg Bandshell, Tanglewood, Bryant Park, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, and Newport Classical Music Festival.

The orchestra seeks out and prioritizes collaborative partnerships with artists often underrepresented in classical music. Recent seasons have included performances with Brooklyn-based Pan Evolution Steel Orchestra, with African musicians as part of William Kentridge’s The Head and the Load, and with a diverse group of contemporary composers and performers including Vijay Iyer, Kinan Azmeh, Angélica Negrón, and Jessie Montgomery, among others.

Artistic collaborators in the 2022-23 season included GRAMMY-winning countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo; violinist Ray Chen, who joined the orchestra for an eleven-stop European Tour; and genre-shattering pianist/composer Aaron Diehl, with whom The Knights released a GRAMMY-nominated album of Mary Lou Williams' Zodiac Suite in September 2023.

For the latest on our season and a complete list of artistic partners and collaborative projects, please visit www.theknightsnyc.com.  

*Photography Credit: Shervin Lainez

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