New York Classical Players welcomes the 2021-22 season, 12th year of exclusively free performances.
NYCP welcomes Parker quartet, YooJin Jang, Brannon Cho, and leading guest artists.
Three world premieres by composers Jeremy Gill, James Ra, Cashel Day-Lewis, and local premieres by Vivian Fung and Eric Nathan.
Jasmine Choi concludes Four-Year tenure as founding Artist-in-Residence.
After eighteen months of livestreams, virtual performances, and empty concert halls - New York Classical Players is ready to resume live, free performances and reunite with audiences. For music lovers who’ve missed the thrill of live concerts to families and new friends just discovering classical music, New York Classical Player’s twelfth season brings world class artists, beloved favorite pieces, and premieres by today’s most innovative artists.
“After a year playing for ourselves, we wanted to create a season everyone can enjoy,” “NYCP musicians can’t wait to share our art with our communities. We’re playing some of our favorite pieces and brand-new works we created with friends and collaborators.”
- Dongmin Kim, music director
NYCP’s 2021/22 season journeys from Romantic masterpieces, Bach tributes, an all-Mozart program, and contemporary works, to shimmering salutes for string orchestra. The season kicks off with the Brahms double concerto, featuring award-winning violinist Yoojin Jang - known for her “fiery virtuosity” (The Strad) and cellist Brannon Cho, praised for his “spellbinding technique” (Boston Classical Review”). The same program debuts a triple viola concerto by exciting young composer James Ra, with NYCP’s own Jordan Bak, Ramón Carrero-Martínez, and En-Chi Cheng as soloists. After opening the season, this program travels to Boston’s Jordan Hall for NYCP’s Boston debut.
In October, NYCP continues to share its magnetic virtuosity and joyful performances with audiences beyond its hometown: the ensemble will travel to Bolivia for a special program that shares a musical journey from Mozart, opera, musical theater, and Korean selections.
An All-Mozart program in November shares one of the composer’s most recognizable symphonies, the Great G minor, alongside his only oboe quartet and the whimsical Symphony No. 33.
Since 2017, NYCP has been privileged to call the unparalleled flutist Jasmine Choi Artist-In-Residence in an ongoing artistic partnership that has inspired four new commissions, musicmaking of the highest caliber, and a deep friendship that goes far beyond the stage. Audiences have traveled hundreds of miles to hear “one of best flutists in the history of music” (Sinfini Magazine) in her annual performances with NYCP. In February, her tenure as Artist-in-Residence comes to end with a special performance of musical fireworks: Jasmine premieres a new concerto by Cashel Day-Lewis in a thrilling performance, concluding with Haydn’s “Farewell” Symphony.
“Jasmine is a dear friend to New York Classical Players, and our partnership has inspired new works, great performances, and a lot of fun - we will always be grateful to call Jasmine our first-ever Artist-in-Residence,”
“Every performance with her is a revelation, and we are really looking forward to premiering Cashel’s new work.”
- Dongmin Kim, music director
Two programs planned for April and May continue to showcase NYCP’s commitment to new music and fresh interpretations of classical favorites. In April, a world premiere features the Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet in a new concerto for string quartet and string orchestra by Jeremy Gill, paired with selections by Tchaikovsky.
The season concludes dramatically with a Bach extravaganza, featuring two of Bach’s most beloved and recognizable works paired with contemporary selections that draw inspiration from Bach’s mastery. Works by Vivian Fung and Eric Nathan offer modern perspectives on the enduring beauty and relevance of Bach’s music.
More than 15 performances are planned for the 2021/22 season, bringing NYCP to stages in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens. As the region’s only chamber orchestra committed to exclusively free performances, NYCP eagerly anticipates the opportunity to share its artistry with audiences and resume the magic of live musicmaking.
“We are so grateful to our incredible Board of Directors, our generous supporters, and of course, our partners at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, for sustaining NYCP and getting us ready for the new season.”
- Dongmin Kim, music director
Founded in 2010, New York Classical Players (NYCP) is an ensemble dedicated to the highest standards of artistry, collaboration, and virtuosity. Fueled by the belief that access to musical excellence is an essential human right, NYCP presents all of its concerts free of charge. NYCP is comprised of dynamic young musicians who are launching their professional careers. Graduates of some of the world’s leading conservatories come together as NYCP to share free performances of familiar masterpieces, bold new commissions, and unexpected musical treasures with the public. Each season, thousands of NYCP concertgoers experience both the dynamic power of the orchestral repertoire and the versatile intimacy of chamber performance – without charge. NYCP is under the direction of Founder and Music Director Dongmin Kim, and a committed board of directors guides and supports the organization.
A registered 501c3 organization, NYCP is supported, in part, by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with City Council.
To learn more about New York Classical Players, visit www.nycpmusic.org.
Media Contact
Sarah Angello, general manager
sarah@nycpmusic.org