Metropolis Ensemble

Upcoming Concerts

2009-04-19T18:09:00.003-04:00

We've done a bit of spring cleaning around the Metropolis website in preparation for our 2009-2010 season, and we're excited to announce six upcoming events:Glimpses May 6, 2009 at Americas Society New Music 101: Intro to Electronica September 2009 at Le Poisson...

Gran Bwa from The Groanbox Boys

2009-01-17T02:43:00.001-05:00

The Groanbox Boys released their new album Gran Bwa at Metropolis Ensemble's concert, GROANBOX on January 28, 2009 at Le Poisson Rouge. The worldwide CD release party for Gran Bwa followed intermission at the concert, with a special performance by The Groanbox Boys....

Exploring the Roots of David Bruce

2009-01-16T16:22:00.000-05:00

Composer David Bruce shares insights about his new work, Groanbox, featuring Michael Ward-Bergeman on accordion, The Groanbox Boys, and the Metropolis Ensemble: As a composer whose music has long incorporated folk elements, it has been an incredibly exciting challenge...

Concert Highlights from The Rite: Remixed

2008-12-26T15:13:00.001-05:00

We're pleased to share a new documentary video about Metropolis Ensemble's world premiere of The Rite Remixed, last summer's adventurous collaboration exploding the boundaries of live electro-classical music. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the three concerts and watch...

Welcome Ray Lustig

2008-10-24T16:45:00.000-04:00

Metropolis Ensemble welcomes its 2008-09 Youth Works composer, Ray Lustig. Over the next year, Ray will work with elementary students at PS11 in Manhattan to teach them about composition and music appreciation... which culminates in a concert featuring the students'...

Live from Prospect Park

2008-07-18T13:22:00.001-04:00

Hear the Metropolis Ensemble and Deerhoof perform a concert from the Wordless Music Series, recorded live by WNYC at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY. Listen on NPR.org starting at 7:30pm EST. An hourlong special about the Wordless Music Series begins at 6:30pm. Tonight's...

Metropolis Ensemble on WNYC

2008-07-16T11:10:00.001-04:00

Artistic Director/Conductor Andrew Cyr and Composer Ricardo Romaneiro will be on WNYC Soundcheck at 2pm EST today to discuss their new composition, The Rite: Remixed and share the secrets of setting Stravinsky's most famous work to keyboards, laptops, brass and...

ASCAP Audio Portrait

2008-07-01T11:49:00.001-04:00

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers recently featured Avner Dorman in the ASCAP Audio Portraits series. The interview includes excerpts from the forthcoming studio album with Metropolis Ensemble performing the complete chamber orchestra concerti...

A Work of Pure Whimsy

2008-05-28T02:52:00.001-04:00

Metropolis Ensemble is pleased to offer a free download of Sports et Divertissements, recorded live at The Times Center in New York City on April 10, 2008. Erik Satie's twenty-one brilliant thumbnail sketches are presented in a delightful arrangement for chamber...

Piano Concerto Available for Free Download

2008-05-20T00:37:00.001-04:00

Metropolis Ensemble and composer Ryan Francis are delighted to offer the complete live recording of Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra during its world premiere performance at The Times Center in New York City on April 10, 2008. You can download it here,...

Wordless Music + Celebrate Brooklyn

2008-04-28T09:49:00.001-04:00

Metropolis Ensemble will be opening for Deerhoof in Prospect Park on July 18, 2008, as part of the Wordless Music Series and Celebrate Brooklyn. Metropolis Ensemble led by Artistic Director/Conductor Andrew Cyr and Wordless Music co-commissions The Rite: Remixed, a...

Meet the Composer Gala

2008-04-27T18:41:00.000-04:00

World-renowned soprano and leading new music muse Dawn Upshaw, and Meet the Composer Foundation have invited Metropolis Ensemble to perform the newly arranged Three Pieces from Piosenki by composer David Bruce at a gala dinner held in Upshaw's honor at the Manhattan...

The Sound Recyclers

2008-04-27T12:06:00.001-04:00

During the second semester of Youth Works, Metropolis Ensemble's 40-week education program teaching music composition and creativity to 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders at PS 11 School, Cristina Spinei has been concentrating our weekly lessons on rhythm. After learning about...

Ryan Francis: A Concerto Realized

2008-04-03T15:38:00.001-04:00

This is part of our composer series on Ryan Francis. In this post, Ryan talks about his new piano concerto, the featured work in Metropolis Ensemble's upcoming concert Loop. Composed concurrently to his Piano Etudes, Ryan Francis's Concerto for Piano and Chamber...

Ryan Francis: Etudes for Piano

2008-02-28T10:47:00.001-05:00

This is part of our composer series on Ryan Francis. In this post, Ryan discusses his new piano etudes, featured in Metropolis Ensemble's upcoming concert Digital Sustain. Since Frédéric Chopin, the genre of piano etudes transformed from their intention...

Ryan Francis: On Composing

2008-02-28T10:40:00.001-05:00

This is part of our composer series on Ryan Francis. In this post, Ryan talks with Metropolis Ensemble's Artistic Director, Andrew Cyr, about his compositional background. Conceptual inspiration abounds in the music of composer Ryan Francis. Although Maurice Ravel and...

Upcoming Concerts

2008-01-08T12:27:00.000-05:00

Metropolis Ensemble and Artistic Director/Conductor Andrew Cyr are delighted to announce two new concerts for 2008: LOOP Thursday, April 10, 2008 (8pm) The Times Center (620 8th Avenue at 41st Street) Tickets: $20 online / $25 at the door Buy tickets now... The World...

Ryan Francis: Piano Concerto

2008-01-06T03:16:00.001-05:00

This is part of our composer series on Ryan Francis. In this post, Ryan offers his thoughts on his new Piano Concerto, the featured work in Metropolis Ensemble's spring concert, Loop. This concerto feels like an arrival point for me artistically that has been in the...

Kids Bringing Music to Life

2008-01-06T02:52:00.001-05:00

To say that Cristina Spinei's experience teaching for Metropolis Ensemble's Youth Works has been successful would be an understatement. Now halfway through this year's program at Public School 11 in Manhattan, Cristina wrote a report to capture some of the amazing...

Sports et Divertissements

2008-01-06T02:29:00.001-05:00

Metropolis Ensemble commissioned a new arrangement for chamber orchestra of Erik Satie's Sports et Divertissements from London-based composer David Bruce for our spring concert Loop. Sports et Divertissements was originally written for piano and narrator in 1914 as a...

Ryan Francis Wins American Composers Forum Commission

2007-12-30T17:10:00.000-05:00

Metropolis Ensemble's Wet Ink Composer Resident, Ryan Francis, won a competitive commission from the American Composers Forum with funds provided by the Jerome Foundation for his Piano Concerto. The world premiere will be presented by the Metropolis Ensemble's spring...

Classical Domain Interview

2007-10-08T16:34:00.000-04:00

What happens when you put Vivaldi, bluegrass, and Israeli folk music together? Why is an international cast of top musicians converging on New York City this month? Find out when Metropolis Ensemble conductor Andrew Cyr and featured composer Avner Dorman talk about our...

Avner Dorman: Concerto in A

2007-10-01T18:20:00.000-04:00

This is part of our composer series on Avner Dorman. Inspiration has many names. Avner Dorman's inspiration for his Concerto in A first came from Bach's Harpsichord Concerto No. 4 in A Major (BWV 1055). In 1995 while serving in the Israeli army, he heard the Bach...

A Conversation with Avner Dorman

2007-10-01T16:45:00.000-04:00

We're excited to introduce you to renowned Israeli composer Avner Dorman, whose complete chamber orchestra concerti are featured in Metropolis Ensemble's upcoming fall concert, On Record. Through a series of recordings, Avner discusses the intimate details of each of...

Into the Studio

2007-09-16T14:19:00.000-04:00

In October, Metropolis Ensemble is embarking on our debut studio recording. In the very capable hands of David Frost, 2005's Grammy-winning classical producer of the year, we will produce an exciting new album featuring music from our fall concert, On Record. Each of...