Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia Performing Arts Center will present The Knights chamber orchestra Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. The critically acclaimed ensemble will also become chamber orchestra in residence for the city of Athens with a series of educational programs for schools as well as a club date at Hendershot’s.
Based in New York City, The Knights are an orchestral collective, flexible in size and repertory, dedicated to transforming the concert experience. The Knights defy boundaries with programs that showcase the players’ roots in the classical tradition and their passion for musical discovery. The Los Angeles Times has called them “the future of classical music in America.”
The Knights evolved from late-night chamber music reading parties at the home of violinist Colin Jacobsen and cellist Eric Jacobsen. The Jacobsen brothers serve as artistic directors of The Knights with Eric as conductor. In 2012, the Jacobsens were selected from among the nation’s top visual, performing, media and literary artists to receive a U.S. Artists Fellowship.
The Knights’ Feb. 12 program is scheduled to include Rossini’s Overture to “The Barber of Seville,” John Adams’s Chamber Symphony, Schubert’s Five German Dances for String Orchestra and Haydn’s Symphony No. 6. The Performing Arts Center will offer a pre-concert lecture at 7:15 p.m. prior to The Knights UGA performance. The lecture is free and open to the public.
The concert will be recorded for national broadcast on American Public Media’s Performance Today, heard by 1.3 million listeners across the country. Tickets for the Performing Arts Center concert are $25-$52 and are discounted for UGA students. Tickets can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center box office, online at pac.uga.edu or by calling 706-542-4400 or toll free at 888-289-8497.
In addition to the Feb. 12 concert, The Knights will engage in educational outreach activities, working with UGA music students and visiting students in Athens-Clarke County public schools. The Knights will also perform a Young People’s Concert in Hodgson Hall for local school children.
The Knights will perform Feb. 10 at noon at the UGA Chapel. The free will last approximately 50 minutes.
Members of The Knights will play at Hendershot’s on Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. The Hendershot’s set will feature string quartet, bass, percussion and two singer-songwriters, Christina Courtin and Aoife O’Donovan.
The Athens residency of The Knights is presented in cooperation with The Classic Center Foundation.
