An Ensembles concert at Merkin Hall provides an intimate connection between musicians and audience. Experience the individual talents that make up the Orchestra, and see how a small setting can make for a huge musical event. At this concert, NY Phil Musicians perform works by Dvořák, Robert Schumann, and Brahms.

Program

Dvořák: String Quartet No. 9
R. Schumann: Märchenerzählungen (Fairy Tales)
Brahms: Piano Trio No. 2

Artists

I-Jung Huang (Violin): Taiwanese violinist I-Jung Huang joined the New York Philharmonic in 2022. Before that, she was appointed to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s first violin section in 2020. Huang is a top prizewinner of the 2017 Ima Hogg Concerto Competition and the 2016 Hudson Valley String Competition; a Laureate of the 2015 Michael Hill International Violin Competition; a top prizewinner of the Taipei Symphony Orchestra “The Young Talent” competition and the Academy of Taiwan Strings Competition in Taiwan; and was the youngest musician selected at the Young Artist Taiwan Bank in 2011. She has appeared as soloist with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Taiwan Philharmonic, and Taipei Symphony Orchestra. Learn more about I-Jung Huang

Lisa GiHae Kim (Violin): Lisa GiHae Kim joined the New York Philharmonic’s violin section in February, 2003. As a soloist, Kim has appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. John’s Smith Square (under the direction of Lord Yehudi Menuhin), Santa Cruz Symphony Orchestra, San Angelo Symphony, Flint Symphony Orchestra, and other ensembles. Learn more about Lisa GiHae Kim

Kuan Cheng Lu (Violin): Violinist Kuan Cheng Lu joined the New York Philharmonic at the start of the 2004–05 season — the first Taiwanese classical musician to earn a seat in the Philharmonic in its 170-year history. Lu has received numerous awards and scholarships that include the top prize in the Taiwan National Violin Competition, first prize in the ASTA string competition, the Raphael Bronstein Award, and the Taiwan Chi-Mei Corporation’s Outstanding Young Artist award. He received his bachelor’s in music degree from Oberlin College, his master’s in music from the Manhattan School of Music, and his doctor of musical arts from the Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY). He is an alumnus of the Music Academy of the West, now a partner in the New York Philharmonic Global Academy, and has studied with former New York Philharmonic Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow, Lisa Kim, Associate Principal, Second Violin Group, and Yoko Takebe. Other teachers have included Roland and Almita Vamos, Daniel Phillips, Julia Bushkova, as well as his father, Chung Chih Lu. Learn more about Kuan Cheng Lu

Leah Ferguson (Viola): Violist Leah Ferguson joined the New York Philharmonic in October 2018, having previously been a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 2016. Originally from Chicago, she began playing the violin at age five and switched to the viola at age twelve, studying with Roland Vamos. Learn more about Leah Ferguson

Vivek Kamath (Viola): Violist Vivek Kamath has been a member of the New York Philharmonic since 1997. Growing up in Rochester, New York, he was a student of Lynn Blakeslee in the preparatory department of the Eastman School of Music. Learn more about Vivek Kamath

Sumire Kudo (Cello): Sumire Kudo joined the Philharmonic as a cellist in June 2006. Previously she taught at Indiana University–South Bend and was the cellist of the Avalon String Quartet. Born in Tokyo, Japan, Kudo began cello studies at age four with her father, cellist Akiyoshi Kudo. She came to the United States in 2000, after establishing herself in her native country through solo performances and recordings. Her honors include the Hideo Saito Memorial Fund Award, which she received from the Sony Music Foundation after being chosen by Seiji Ozawa and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi as the most promising cellist in 2005, and prizes at the Sapporo Junior Cello Competition and 62nd Japan Music Competition. Kudo is a graduate of Tokyo’s Toho School and The Juilliard School. She has participated in the Nagano-Aspen Music, Aspen Music, Santa Fe, and Marlboro Music festivals.  Record Geijutsu,  Japan’s leading classical music magazine, named her second solo CD,  Love of Beauty,  Best Recording. Learn more about Sumire Kudo

Qiang Tu (Cello): Chinese-born cellist Qiang Tu enjoys a multi-faceted career as a performer, teacher, and advocate for classical music. Now in his third decade as a member of the New York Philharmonic, he has also concertized as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician in Australia, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. In the United States he has performed at major venues in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Honolulu, and Princeton. He has shared the stage with numerous distinguished artists including pianists Garrick Ohlsson, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Lukas Foss; former New York Philharmonic Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow; and former Principal Clarinet Stanley Drucker. As a recording artist, Tu has released multiple solo albums on the China Record Corporation label and chamber music recordings on the Bridge Records, Cala Records, and EMI labels. A dedicated teacher, he is a member of the orchestral performance faculty at the Manhattan School of Music; early in his career he taught at the Beijing Central Conservatory. Learn more about Qiang Tu

Benjamin Adler (Clarinet): Benjamin Adler, a native of Brooklyn, New York, joined the New York Philharmonic as Associate Principal Clarinet and E-flat clarinet at the start of the 2023–24 season. Adler previously held positions with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared as guest principal clarinet in St. Louis and with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and has performed as a guest musician with The Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.  Learn more about Benjamin Adler

Hélène Jeanney (Piano)

Chelsea Wang (Piano)