Outdoor Concert: The Knights
Saturday, August 30, 2025
4:00 PM–5:00 PM
Fernández Terrace
(See the event location map)
Get directions to the Clark
The Knights return to the Clark! To celebrate the A Room of Her Own exhibition, the orchestra’s program includes:
Dame Ethel Smyth (a remarkable British composer)
Scherzo: Allegro vivace from her Suite in E Major for String Orchestra op. 1a
Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Lark Ascending (string arrangement; written for and premiered by the acclaimed English violinist Marie Hall)
Felix Mendelssohn
Octet for Strings
Based in New York City, The Knights are a collective of musicians dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audience and music. Led by an open-minded spirit of camaraderie and collaboration, they seek to engage with contemporary culture through vibrant performances that honor the classical tradition and their passion for musical discovery. The collective was founded and is directed by violinist Colin Jacobsen and conductor and cellist Eric Jacobsen, who, together, also founded the Brooklyn Rider string quartet. The Knights’ roster boasts musicians of remarkably diverse talents, including composers, arrangers, singer-songwriters, and improvisers, who bring a range of cultural influences to the group, from jazz and klezmer to pop and indie rock music. Since their founding in 2007, The Knights have toured and recorded with prominent soloists including Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, Béla Fleck, Itzhak Perlman, and Gil Shaham, and have performed at Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, and the Vienna Musikverein.
Free. Bring a picnic and your own seating. For accessibility questions, call 413 458 0524. Rain moves the performance to August 31 at 4 pm.
This performance is presented through the generous support of the Sea Island Foundation.
Dame Ethel Smyth (a remarkable British composer)
Scherzo: Allegro vivace from her Suite in E Major for String Orchestra op. 1a
Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Lark Ascending (string arrangement; written for and premiered by the acclaimed English violinist Marie Hall)
Felix Mendelssohn
Octet for Strings
Based in New York City, The Knights are a collective of musicians dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audience and music. Led by an open-minded spirit of camaraderie and collaboration, they seek to engage with contemporary culture through vibrant performances that honor the classical tradition and their passion for musical discovery. The collective was founded and is directed by violinist Colin Jacobsen and conductor and cellist Eric Jacobsen, who, together, also founded the Brooklyn Rider string quartet. The Knights’ roster boasts musicians of remarkably diverse talents, including composers, arrangers, singer-songwriters, and improvisers, who bring a range of cultural influences to the group, from jazz and klezmer to pop and indie rock music. Since their founding in 2007, The Knights have toured and recorded with prominent soloists including Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, Béla Fleck, Itzhak Perlman, and Gil Shaham, and have performed at Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, and the Vienna Musikverein.
Free. Bring a picnic and your own seating. For accessibility questions, call 413 458 0524. Rain moves the performance to August 31 at 4 pm.
This performance is presented through the generous support of the Sea Island Foundation.
