@ensemble.connect ’s Up Close performances reimagine the boundaries of a traditional concert experience.
In their latest concert as part of this series, the musicians were joined by clarinetist @davidkrakman for “Songs of Cultural Transition.”
Feauturing Krakauer’s signature blend of klezmer and classical music, the performance also marked the celebration of 100 years of the @yivoinstitute .
📷: @stephaniebergerphotography
Tune in alert! Performances this season from Skidmore College and The Juilliard School’s Paul Hall are going to be featured on @wqxr_classical ’s Young Artists Showcase. Listen to hear great music along with an interview with our fearless leader Amy Rhodes.
Here are the dates and times to listen on WQXR 105.9 and wqxr.org:
TODAY, Wednesday, May 13 at 9 PM
Saturday, May 16 at 11 PM
Wednesday, May 20 at 9 PM
Saturday, May 23 at 11 PM
📷: Fadi Kheir (@londonisburning )
It’s Interactive Performance season!
Throughout the spring, we’ve been touring performances to community venues and partner schools across the five boroughs. Pictured here is an Interactive Performance with fellows Laurel Gagnon, violin; Abby Smith, viola; JJ Silvey, oboe; and Joey Vaz, piano from IS 78 Roy H. Mann in Brooklyn. In this performance, they explored storytelling in music. 📷: Fadi Kheir (@londonisburning )
Carnegie Hall traveled to @hudsonyards ! As part of Carnegie Hall Citywide, members of @ensemble.connect performed music inspired by Disney’s “The Lion King.” After the performance, families enjoyed a screening of the film in the Public Square and Gardens.
Looking for more family‑friendly events? We have two more screenings coming up—Disney’s “Up” on Saturday, May 9 and “Beauty and the Beast” on Saturday, May 30. Learn more 👉 carnegiehall.org/citywide
📸: Stefan Cohen
Nothing goes together quite like live music and whisky! As part of our Carnegie Hall Explorers program, members learned about the connection between @suntoryglobal ’s Hibiki Japanese Harmony Whisky and music through a guided tasting and performance of Brahms’ String Quintet No.2, Op. 111 by members of @ensemble.connect .
Guests explored how the component whiskies contribute to Hibiki Japanese Harmony and mirror musical elements within a composition. Thank you to Suntory Global for its ongoing support of Carnegie Hall! 📸: Kimiyasu Morikawa
Interested in joining us for events like these? Learn more about becoming an Explorer today! 👉 carnegiehall.org/explorers
We asked our fellows for one-ish word to describe Ensemble Connect’s collaboration with David Krakauer and here’s what we got 🥰🤩🥳 We are so excited for Wednesday’s Up Close concert!!
Join us in the Resnick Education Wing at Carnegie Hall on May 6, 2026 at 7:30pm ET to celebrate YIVO's centennial. Buy tickets here: /Ensemble-Connect.
An Up Close performance re-imagines the boundaries of a traditional concert experience, inviting a visionary artistic partner to create a new, cross-disciplinary experiment in collaboration with the adventurous Ensemble Connect. Tonight, the ensemble’s artistic partner is New York’s “ebullient clarinet wizard” (TimeOut New York) David Krakauer, who blends genres so seamlessly “you’d almost think that there’s no appreciable difference between jazz, klezmer, and formal classical music” (The Wall Street Journal). This event celebrates 100 years of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
Our fellows gave a legendary last Weill Recital Hall concert of the season 🤩 Sad you missed it?! Don’t worry!!! We have our last Up Close concert with the extraordinary @davidkrakman on May 6th at 7:30!!! 🥰🤩🥳🐝😎
Working with our partner schools and teachers is one of the best parts about being in Ensemble Connect. Pictured here is EC viola fellow @abby__viola with her students at her partner school, MS 180 Dr. Daniel Hale Williams in the Bronx.
Abby said: “I have absolutely loved getting to work with the students at MS 180. They are truly amazing kids and their energy, curiosity, and love for music have deeply inspired me. It’s been so rewarding to see them succeed and to experiment with new games and exercises to see what helps them learn best. I learn so much every time I visit!” 📷: @londonisburning
What are you doing on April 13th? Starting at 7:30pm all of your friends are going to be at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall for a spectacular evening of chamber music. Come to hear Wynton Marsalis’s ‘A Fiddlers Tale,’ but stay for Leonard Bernstein’s ‘Dance Suite’, Michael Tilson Thomas’s ‘Street Song’, and Joan Tower’s ‘Petroushskates.’ Get your ticket ASAP, link in our bio. We can’t wait to SEE YOU THERE ✨
