Vail Series presents The Knights orchestra

Date of Event: April 11, 2012

Posted: March 23, 2012

GRANVILLE, Ohio—Nothing quite equals the joy and energy of making music with your friends, and that’s the premise behind The Knights, a superlative orchestra composed of congenial professional musicians, who perform together for the sheer exhilaration of it. Denison University’s Vail Series presents The Knights and an evening of classical and contemporary music at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, in Swasey Chapel (200 Chapel Drive). A limited number of tickets may be offered for sale to the general public at $15 if space allows. Details will be posted at www.vailseries.org or call 740-587-6557.

The Knights, led by conductor Eric Jacobsen, are renowned for their ability to bring the intimacy and camaraderie of chamber music to the orchestral stage. The orchestra’s impeccable musicality provides a structural base for their energy and enthusiasm as they explore classical compositions and engage deeply with the music.

Mark Swed of the L.A. Times said of The Knights, “But if we are to talk about the future of classical music in America, sooner or later, the Knights will come up...musicians with a modern sensibility, a wide repertory of works new and old, along with a crusading musical mission...” Their impressive repertoire reaches from traditional to contemporary masterworks and collaborations with such stellar musicians as acclaimed cellist Yo Yo Ma, consummate fiddler Mark O’Connor, and Iranian ney (Persian flute) virtuoso Siamak Jahangiri.

Denison plays host to The Knights on their first-ever U.S. tour. The program begins with the whimsical yearning of “The Unanswered Question” by Charles Ives; takes an excursion to the Andes with Gabriela Franks’ “Leyendeas: An Andean Walkabout;” strums the heartstrings with the Samuel Barber’s passionate “Adagio for Strings;” and softly falls into the “Night of the Flying Horses,” by Osvaldo Golojov.

The Knights will return after intermission with a piece they premiered in June of last year at Central Park, “Tempelhof Etude,” composed by Lisa Bielawa, who is named “one of our best living composers,” by critic Will Robin. The evening will draw to a close with the perennial favorite and very timely “Appalachian Spring Suite” by the great American composer, Aaron Copeland.

According to their website, The Knights evolved from late night chamber music reading parties with friends at the home of brothers Colin and Eric Jacobsen, who now serve as co-artistic directors. Among the group’s diverse talents are composers, arrangers, singer-songwriters and improvisers, who bring a range of cultural influences. The musicians are graduates of elite music schools, and members have performed as soloists with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago and San Francisco symphony orchestras.

Endowed by a generous gift from the late Mary and Foster McGaw in honor of Jeanne Vail, class of 1946, the Vail Series brings to campus the world’s premier performers, as well as new musical talents, enriching the artistic experience of the entire Denison Community.

Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING, Denison University, Granville— Concert: The Knights orchestra at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, in Swasey Chapel (200 Chapel Drive). A limited number of tickets may be offered for sale to the general public at $15 if space allows. Details will be posted at www.vailseries.org or call 740-587-6557.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For event inquiries:

Name: Mary Frazell
Position Title: Associate Director, Event Planning
Primary Email: frazellm@denison.edu
Business Phone: (740) 587-6611

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