Brooklyn Rider brings classical music with a twist

Brooklyn Rider has performed in the Library of Congress, New York nightclubs and the Todai-ji Temple in Japan.

And tonight, the band will perform in Memorial Hall for the third time.

The Brooklyn-based string quartet will play with The Knights, an orchestra of friends founded by brothers Colin and Eric Jacobsen, two members of Brooklyn Rider.

Both Brooklyn Rider and The Knights play typical classical pieces, including the symphonies of Mozart and Beethoven as well as their own original songs.

While both groups will perform the traditional classical pieces, Ellen James, manager of marketing and communications for Carolina Performing Arts, said the groups are globally-minded.

“Their music looks at classical music with an eye towards the world,” she said.

Erin Hanehan, artistic coordinator for Carolina Performing Arts, said Brooklyn Rider is also innovative in its interpretation of classical music.

“Brooklyn Rider uses the technique and form of classical music, but they try to advance it in a new, funky way,” she said.

The group has played with several notable musicians, including Yo-Yo Ma and 2 Foot Yard.

“They’re basically the string core of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble,” said Richard Luby, associate chair for performance.

Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble played at Memorial Hall at the start of Carolina Performing Arts’ 2010-2011 season.

At previous shows, Brooklyn Rider was able to draw a really young audience, Hanehan said.

“They attract people interested in the idea of classical music, but in a new, global way,” she said.

All four members of Brooklyn Rider are also members of The Knights, an orchestra directed by Brooklyn Rider’s cellist, Eric Jacobsen.

While Jacobsen serves as musical director and conductor, the group is largely “self-governed,” Hanehan said.

The Knights have been on tour in Germany and the United States. They have played at some of the world’s most prestigious music festivals, such as Tanglewood in Boston and Salzburg in Germany, and have performed with orchestras like the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

While The Knights have many of the same aspirations as Brooklyn Rider, they will also be performing songs from many different genres.

“They play with the idea that classical music can contain so much,” James said. “We like what they represent in that aspect.”

Aside from the traditional and contemporary classical pieces, The Knights’ repertoire includes more popular and global pieces as well.

“Their energy is palpable,” Hanehan said.

James said that the group will likely captivate the audience at tonight’s show.

“Sitting there, you really feel like you’re experiencing their passion and it really resonates when you’re listening to them,” she said.

“It’s going to be a classical musical concert where you’re going to be on the edge of your seat.”

Contact the Arts Editor at arts@dailytarheel.com.