On January 31, 2026, Ensemble Connect will launch the seventh season of their ‘Up Close’ series. Curated by 2025-26 Perspectives artist and conductor Marin Alsop, the series will exclusively feature music from contemporary classical composers.
The series, according to an official press release, seeks to “explore different approaches to presenting classical music by experimenting with concert formats, audience engagement, and multimedia to activate the performance space in exciting new ways.”
Held at the Weill Music Room of Carnegie Hall’s Resnick Education Wing, the program will features works such as Jessie Montgomery’s ‘Strum;’ Jennifer Higdon’s ‘Book of Brass;’ Emma Lou Diemer’s ‘Quartet for Trumpet, Horn Trombone, and Piano;’ and Christopher Rouse’s ‘Rotae Passiones.’ There will also be a performance on May 6 with clarinetist David Krakauer, with program to be announced at a later date.
Founded in 2007 through the partnership of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, Weill Music Institute, and the New York City Department of Education, Ensemble Connect is a two-year fellowship program which offers exceptional classical musicians opportunities in performance, education, entrepreneurship, and more.