Arts & Theater

Bryant Park Picnic Performance: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Knights

When

Fri, Jul 3 · 7:00 PM

Where

Bryant ParkBryant Park Lawn (in Bryant Park), Manhattan · Map ↗

Price

See tickets

Celebrate Fourth of July weekend at a free outdoor performance by the intrepid chamber orchestra The Knights —a self-described “fellowship of adventurous musicians” with a fervent following at Carnegie Hall and across New York City. Led by Colin Jacobsen and Eric Jacobsen, they bring a program that fuses classical music with numerous American influences in true “Knightsian” fashion. Hear arrangements of Bonds’s “Troubled Water,” based on the spiritual “Wade in the Water”; selections from Coleridge-Taylor’s 24 Negro Melodies, arranged by violinist Curtis Stewart; Stones River by violinist Jeremy Kittel , which draws from a multicultural well of American Revolutionary and Civil War music; Colin Jacobsen’s arrangement of Paul Simon’s “American Tune” and other short works; a piece by Jacobsen inspired by Dvorák and bluegrass; and more. 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 rooted in the classical tradition and passion for artistic discovery. The Knights started with late-night chamber music reading parties with friends at the home of violinist Colin Jacobsen and cellist Eric Jacobsen. The Jacobsen brothers together serve as artistic directors of The Knights, with Eric Jacobsen as conductor. Proud to be known as “one of Brooklyn’s sterling cultural products ... known far beyond the borough for their relaxed virtuosity and expansive repertory” ( The New Yorker ), The Knights have toured extensively across the US and Europe since their founding in 2007. Their roster boasts musicians of remarkably diverse talents—including composers, arrangers, singer-songwriters, and improvisers—who bring a range of musical influences to the group, from jazz to indie rock. They are celebrated globally, appearing on the world’s most prestigious stages, including those at Tanglewood, the Ravinia Festival, Kennedy Center, Vienna’s Musikverein, and Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. The orchestra has collaborated with many renowned soloists who include Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Béla Fleck, and Gil Shaham. Carnegie Hall is honored to partner with local community organizations to present free concerts that are sensational celebrations of sounds from across the country and around the globe. At a Carnegie Hall Citywide concert, you can revisit your favorite music or try something new, stay in your home borough or journey farther afield. Whatever you choose, you’ll experience everything that makes New York City so vibrant. Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America is a free outdoor festival that welcomes all New Yorkers to experience the city’s vibrant arts and culture. The series provides a platform for extraordinary artists and serves as a vital outdoor venue for a wide array of New York’s cultural institutions.