About this Artist
Hailed by NPR's Fred Child as "one of the groups that has really helped to shape the future of classical music," yMusic is a sextet of young performers equally comfortable in the overlapping classical and pop music worlds. The "six hip virtuosi" (Time Out New York) play a unique combination of instruments: string trio, flute, clarinet and trumpet. This exciting orchestration has inspired an expanding repertoire of works by some of today's most important artists. Indie rock luminaries Annie Clark (St. Vincent), Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) and Ryan Lott (Son Lux) have crafted instrumental works specifically for the ensemble. On yMusic's debut album, "Beautiful Mechanical," they pair these compositions with pieces by prominent young composers Judd Greenstein, Sarah Kirkland Snider and Gabriel Kahane. "Beautiful Mechanical" was recently named Time Out New York's #1 Classical Record of 2011. In 2014, yMusic plans to release a new album of commissions by Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Norman, Marcos Balter, Timothy Andres, and Mark Dancigers.
In addition to performing its own repertoire, yMusic serves as a ready-made collaborative unit for bands and songwriters. In the current season, the group has collaborated with virtuoso guitarist, Blake Mills, at the Lincoln Center Atrium, and will perform in filmmaker Sam Green's live documentary, Biggest Smallest, at the Sundance Festival. The 2012/13 season featured new projects with Dirty Projectors, Gabriel Kahane and Richard Reed Parry of Arcade Fire. Prior collaborations have included work with The National, St. Vincent, My Brightest Diamond, Aaron and Bryce Dessner, Ra Ra Riot and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. These affiliations have brought the ensemble to prominent stages around the world including Amsterdam's Muziekgebuow, New York's Carnegie Hall and Beacon Theater and the Sydney Opera House. yMusic can be heard on Dirty Projectors' 2012 release "Swing Lo Magellan," Son Lux's "We Are Rising," My Brightest Diamond's "All Things Will Unwind" and a forthcoming record of compositions by Richard Reed Parry.
yMusic was created in 2008 to bring a classical chamber music aesthetic to new audiences. Its members have individually toured and recorded with artists such as Bon Iver, Bjork, Paul Simon, Antony & the Johnsons, Ryuichi Sakamoto, The National, Meredith Monk, Joshua Bell, The New York Philharmonic, David Byrne and Sufjan Stevens.