Bela Fleck to Perform with The Knights at Schimmel Center, 1/28

On Wednesday, January 28, banjo legend Béla Fleck will join Brooklyn's own innovative chamber orchestra, The Knights, at Schimmel Center at Pace University to kick off a seven-state East Coast tour. The concert features the title track of the orchestra's brand new album, being released on January 26 on Warner Classics, The Ground Beneath Our Feet, a group composition that was written collaboratively by the members of the ensemble and is named after the Baroque ground bass that inspired it. Additional repertoire includes Rossini (overture and Se il mio nome spaer voi bramate, both from The Barber of Seville) and John Adams (Chamber Symphony).

Mr. Fleck will join The Knights onstage to perform two of his own compositions, which include the brand new Concerto for Banjo and Orchestra, The Imposter, and The Knight's own orchestral arrangement of Big Country, originally created by Fleck's own bluegrass-fusion band, the Flecktones. The concert will mark the first collaboration between Béla Fleck and The Knights.

The tour's inaugural performance at Schimmel Center at Pace University is the second of The Knights' three residencies at New York venues this season, as part of a three year initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation to help them connect even more closely with their native city.

When asked what he looks for in collaborative artists, Fleck had this to say, "I look for people that I have something to learn from, people I can offer something to, and people who I have a good time being with. These folks [The Knights] satisfy all 3 requirements!"

Ticket prices for Béla Fleck and The Knights at Schimmel Center at Pace University range from $39-59. The performance will take place on Wednesday, January 28 at 7:30pm.

Béla Fleck is widely regarded as the "premiere banjo player in the world." Many claim that Mr. Fleck has virtually reinvented the image and the sound of the banjo through a remarkable performing and recording career that has taken him all over the musical map and on a range of solo projects and collaborations.Already a powerfully creative force in bluegrass, jazz, pop, rock and world beat, Mr. Fleck at last made the classical connection with "Perpetual Motion", his critically acclaimed 2001 Sony Classical recording that went on to win a pair of Grammys, including Best Classical Crossover Album, in the 44th annual Grammy Awards. Collaborating with Fleck on "Perpetual Motion" was his longtime friend and colleague Edgar Meyer, a bassist whose virtuosity defies labels and also an acclaimed composer. Béla Fleck and Edgar co-wrote and performed a double concerto for banjo, bass and the Nashville Symphony, which debuted in November 2003. They also co-wrote a triple concerto for banjo, bass and tabla, with world renown tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain entitled The Melody of Rhythm. In 2011, Béla wrote his first stand-alone banjo concerto, on commission with the Nashville Symphony. This work, entitled "The Impostor", along with his new quintet for banjo and string quartet will be released in August on the Deutche Gramaphone label and will be played live during his January 28th concert with The Knights.The recipient of Multiple Grammy Awards going back to 1998, Béla Flecks' total Grammy count is 15 Grammys won, and 30 nominations. He has been nominated in more different musical categories than anyone in Grammy history. For more Information on Béla Fleck, please visit www.belafleck.com.

Under the artistic direction of brothers, Eric and Colin Jacobsen (who also form half of the genre-defying string quartet Brooklyn Rider), The Knights have gained a reputation for transforming the concert experience with their innovative programming and outstanding virtuosity. Flexible in size and repertory, the chamber orchestra is comprised of friends from a broad spectrum of the New York music world, "who are deeply committed to creating original, engaging musical experiences. 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 Knights have, as the New Yorker observes, "become one of Brooklyn's sterling cultural products, [and] are known far beyond the borough for their relaxed virtuosity and expansive repertory." The group has previously collaborated with artists such as, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Dawn Upshaw, Jeremy Denk, the Mark Morris Dance Group, the Joshua Redman Quartet, santur player Siamak Aghaei, and pipa virtuoso Wu Man. The Knights evolved from late-night chamber music reading parties with friends at the home of violinist Colin Jacobsen and cellist Eric Jacobsen. The Jacobsen brothers, who are also founding members of the string quartet Brooklyn Rider, serve as artistic directors of The Knights, with Eric Jacobsen as conductor. In December 2012, the Jacobsens were selected from among the nation's top visual, performing, media, and literary artists to receive a prestigious United States Artists Fellowship. The Knights' roster boasts 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. The unique camaraderie within the group retains the intimacy and spontaneity of chamber music in performance. The Knights' Warner Classics debut album, the ground beneath our feet, will be released on January 26, 2015 (US) and April 27, 2015 internationally. For More Information on The Knights, please visit www.theknightsnyc.com.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit http://schimmel.pace.edu or call toll-free (866) 811-4111.

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