Kinetic Ensemble

Hi there! We’re seeing a lot of new faces this week, and so it’s about time for a (re)introduction—and a giveaway! We are Kinetic Ensemble: we perform concerts and make recordings that strengthen the fabric of our cultural landscape. In doing so, we uplift the voices of emerging composers, unearth hidden gems of the string orchestra repertoire, and gather the most compelling new music from across the globe to share with our community. 🗞️ Critics say our performances are “first class.” 👂 Audiences rave that we “approach music with wonder and curiosity.” 🎼 Composers with whom we have worked report that they have “seldom felt so well-represented in their music.” What one listener has identified as our “collaborative, entrepreneurial, and adventurous spirit” extends to more than just our artists: our audiences are hungry for something new, fresh, unexpected; their feedback shapes our programming, and has led to some of our most successful work to date. If that sounds like you, welcome! We can’t wait to get to know you. 🔥GIVEAWAY🔥 In celebration of reaching 2k followers, we’re giving away a merch package! One winner will receive a branded sweatshirt, tote bag, and sticker, along with a copy of our debut CD. 🎟️HOW TO ENTER🎟️ All you need to do is sign up for our mailing list! Click “Sign Up” on our profile, fill out the form, and you’re all set. As an added bonus, if you live near Houston, we will throw in free tickets to an upcoming concert just for entering! This giveaway is not in any way affiliated with Instagram or Meta. The winner will be randomly selected on Friday, November 7.

Septuplets to quintuplets and back again with the inimitable @miguelzenonmusic !

“This work should be heard again and again.” Relive @karimalzand ’s “The Strangers’ Case” through the words of @pianosherry ’s glowing review in EarRelevant. 📸 @lynnlanephotography

Recording session with the Karim’s was 🔥 @thekarimsulayman @karimalzand @musiqahouston @kineticensemble

Exciting sounds from today’s rehearsal of The Strangers’ Case. Join us tomorrow for the world premiere and experience it live. Get your tickets now - link in bio. #TheStrangersCase #WorldPremiere #NewMusic #ContemporaryMusic #HoustonArts

A faculty composer, a GRAMMY-winning alum, and an ensemble of our graduates walk into a room... 🦉🎻 The result? A powerful musical tribute to the immigrant experience. This Saturday, March 28, we celebrate the world premiere of professor Karim Al-Zand's "The Strangers’ Case," presented by Musiqa. The new song cycle brings together generations of Shepherd talent: GRAMMY-winning tenor Karim Sulayman (’01) joins forces with Kinetic Ensemble—Houston’s own conductorless string orchestra made up of our brilliant alumni. So much Shepherd excellence in one photo! 🤩 📸 We can’t wait to see this collaboration come to life on Saturday.

On March 28, Musiqa and Kinetic Ensemble partner to present the world premiere of Canadian-American composer @karimalzand The Strangers’ Case. The GRAMMY® award-winning, Lebanese-American tenor @thekarimsulayman joins the ensemble for this song cycle for tenor and string orchestra that gathers poems and other turn-of-the-century accounts by immigrants to the United States, and situates them among texts from canonically venerated authors including Shakespeare and Dickinson. In Al-Zand’s words, “The Strangers’ Case aims to remind us of our shared history, fraught as it is with contradiction, filled with both selfless generosity and selfish indifference. By using text materials that span diverse nationalities, stories, voices and historical periods, The Strangers’ Case aims to make a case of its own: though our commitment to immigrants and refugees has been equivocal, nonetheless their success forms the basis of American strength and renewal. As the child of an immigrant, I believe this sort of consciousness-raising is the only way forward. And as an artist, I believe that music is an ideal spark to kindle the altruism in our better natures.” Get your tickets to the premiere at the link in our bio!

"All that you change, changes you." Coming soon: rising star @jaylin.vinson has written a new flute concerto inspired by the legendary Octavia Butler. @flutist_tyler joins Kinetic Ensemble, playing the role of a protagonist traversing different types of space: "from the grounded to the galactic, the digital to the mental interior." Join us at @performingartshouston 's "New/Now" on March 20 and 21 to see the world premiere of Dark Matter, alongside new works from @scoredbykay and @aguilera_joel 's @mezcladadancecompany . Grab your pay-what-you-can tickets at the link in our bio!

Gone fishing with the marvelous @kineticensemble today 🎣🎹🎻🧠🔬🥼! A magical hour of holding a sacred space of musical healing for our cancer patients, physicians and caregivers at MD Anderson. Thank you @davidietz @aka_ogden @siggy516 @matt.lammers.violin for sharing your exquisite artistry; my wonderful students @alishishious @zfuuuuuu @amara.sophia @henrry.meyer for assisting the data collection, @meganblueeyes for participating, and @matthewrood for capturing our blissful music-making and forgetting the pains of the world, albeit transiently. @markwozny @georgejohn31416 @shepherd_school #schubert #troutquintet #musicmedicine #escape #mindfulness #humanconnection #classicalmusic #chambermusic #violin #bass #viola #cello

#FBF: “Promesa” with the Kinetic Ensemble at MIT last Fall 🎷 🎥 @kineticensemble #miguelzenon #chamberjazz

Last weekend at the @hobbycenterhou was an absolute dream: the crowd was electric, the music was gorgeous, and @miguelzenonmusic was unstoppable! 📸 @lynnlanephotography

Amazing time in Houston with the best fam, @kineticensemble and the best guest artist, @miguelzenonmusic . This program challenged me in so many ways but was also so rewarding and meaningful. Can’t wait to do it again! (Also- peep the new ‘do 💁‍♀️)