New York Classical Players was founded in 2010 by Music Director Dongmin Kim with a simple but ambitious belief: music of the highest quality should be open to everyone.
Now in its seventeenth season, NYCP has grown into a distinctive chamber orchestra known for refined ensemble playing, imaginative programming, and close collaboration among musicians, soloists, and composers. Our performances bring established masterpieces into conversation with contemporary works, world premieres, and newly imagined arrangements.
Music belongs to everyone.
At the heart of NYCP is the conviction that exceptional music should not be limited by ticket prices, social background, or geography. All of our public performances are presented free of admission, allowing longtime concertgoers and first-time listeners to experience live classical music together.
For NYCP, access does not mean compromising artistic standards. It means bringing musicianship of the highest level to audiences without placing barriers between the music and the people it can move.
An Ensemble Built on Collaboration.
NYCP brings together accomplished musicians whose individual voices and experiences shape every performance. Close listening, flexibility, and trust allow the ensemble to combine precision with spontaneity, a shared musical identity created by many distinct imaginations.
The same collaborative spirit guides our work with guest artists and composers. Rather than treating soloists, new works, or contemporary voices as additions to a program, NYCP invites them into the artistic conversation at the center of each project.
Tradition in Conversation with the Present.
Our programming moves freely across centuries. Familiar works are heard alongside music by living composers, creative arrangements, and repertoire that deserves renewed attention.
Through commissions, premieres, recordings, and long-term artistic partnerships, NYCP works to keep classical music alive as an evolving art form—rooted in tradition, but always open to discovery.
A Musical Community.
Every NYCP performance is made possible through the shared commitment of musicians, audiences, presenters, community partners, donors, and volunteers.
Together, they have helped build an orchestra where artistic excellence and public access strengthen one another—and where music becomes a place of connection, curiosity, and belonging.
We invite everyone to listen, discover, and belong.
New York Classical Players.
New York Classical Players (NYCP) is a professional chamber orchestra dedicated to artistic excellence, collaborative music-making, and public access. Founded in 2010 by Music Director Dongmin Kim, the ensemble brings together accomplished musicians, distinguished guest artists, and composers whose individual voices shape each project.
NYCP’s programming ranges from orchestral and chamber music landmarks to world premieres, contemporary works, imaginative arrangements, and overlooked repertoire. Through performances, commissions, and recordings, the ensemble approaches classical music as a living and continually evolving art form.
All NYCP public performances are presented free of admission. Based in the New York metropolitan area, the orchestra works with cultural institutions and community partners to share exceptional live music with audiences across New York City, northern New Jersey, and beyond.
