Musicians Of Ensemble Connect Kick Off Third Year Of Celebrated Fellowship Program

Entering its 16th season, Ensemble Connect continues its celebrated fellowship program with its eight distinguished fellows taking part in concerts at Carnegie Hall and The Juilliard School, as well as residencies and performances at Skidmore College, and in schools and community venues throughout New York City.

Highlights of Ensemble Connect's 2022-2023 season include three performances in Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, including the New York premiere of a new work by Michi Wiancko (commissioned by Carnegie Hall), which will receive its world premiere by the group on February 17 at Skidmore College; the return of Ensemble Connect Up Close-the Weill Music Room concert series curated collaboratively by the fellows and guest artists; and two performances at Juilliard's Paul Hall. Over the course of the season, Ensemble Connect will present a number of works by living composers, including Eleanor Alberga, Philippe Hersant, Paquito D'Rivera, Kevin Puts, Jennifer Higdon, Michi Wiancko, and Valerie Coleman. The season concludes with Ensemble Connect's partner school festival performance at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at The Juilliard School on May 23, 2023-the first culminating event to take place with partner school students since 2018 due to COVID-19. This season marks the third and final year of the fellowship for the current cohort of Ensemble Connect musicians, with their appointments extended for an extra year in light of the pandemic.

From October 18-21, Ensemble Connect continues its biannual residency at Skidmore College by connecting with the students and Saratoga Springs community. During the residency, fellows engage with Skidmore College students as well as students in local elementary, middle, and high schools, offering master classes, lessons, class demonstrations, and interactive performances. The residency culminates with a performance in Skidmore's Arthur Zankel Music Center, Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall, on Friday, October 21 at 7:00 p.m., which will be livestreamed for audiences everywhere. In this first Ensemble Connect performance of the 2022-2023 season, the fellows perform Martinů's Quartet for Clarinet, Horn, Cello, and Side/Snare Drum, H. 139; C. Schumann's Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 17; Eleanor Alberga's String Quartet No. 2; and J. S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, which will also feature students from Skidmore College. Ensemble Connect will return to Skidmore College for a second residency this season from February 14-17, 2023.

Ensemble Connect presents the fourth season of its popular Up Close series in the Weill Music Room in Carnegie Hall's Resnick Education Wing. This series of "exquisite chamber performances" (I Care If You Listen) explores different approaches to presenting classical music by experimenting with concert formats, audience engagement, and multimedia to activate the performance space in exciting new ways. The two Up Close concerts this season will be on Monday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m. and Monday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m. More details on the repertoire and guest artists, who will collaborate with the Ensemble Connect fellows to design the program, will be announced later this season.

In addition to their performances this season, Ensemble Connect will continue their partnerships with 14 New York City public schools, with the eight Ensemble Connect fellows and six program alumni each working alongside a New York City instrumental music teacher. The musicians bring their expert musicianship-as well as their professional performer's perspective and creative approaches-to band, keyboard, and string programs across four New York City boroughs.

Ensemble Connect presents approximately 60 interactive performances in schools this season. Fellows and alumni develop these programs to explore a musical piece or concept and incorporate listening activities and audience participation. Ensemble Connect will also partner with community venues in New York City in the spring bringing interactive performances to incarcerated populations, senior community centers, homeless shelters, and for organizations supporting people with disabilities.

Over the course of their fellowship, Ensemble Connect fellows participate in professional development sessions aimed at ensuring they have the skills they need to succeed in all areas of the program and to shape purposeful, personally rewarding career paths that redefine the role of the 21st-century musician. Fellows meet weekly to learn from artists, composers, and industry professionals in the fields of performance, teaching artistry and music education, arts management, entrepreneurship, and others to gain new skills and experiment with new approaches to music performance and education while building a strong community within the ensemble. Ensemble Connect alums also play an important role in leading professional development workshops.

Ensemble Connect is an inspirational collective of young professional musicians created in 2007 by Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education. The program prepares the exceptionally talented musicians for careers that combine musical excellence with teaching, community engagement, advocacy, leadership, and entrepreneurship. It offers them top-quality performance opportunities, partnerships with New York City public schools, and rigorous professional development. Applications for the 2025 fellowship are now open through December 1, 2022. For more information, please visit Carnegie Hall's website.