Ensemble Connect

Following their bi-annual week-long residency at Skidmore, Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect performs a must-hear program for fans of chamber music. Enjoy Brahms’s Clarinet Quintet, one of the repertoire’s greatest masterworks; Copland’s bright and beloved Sextet; Reena Esmail’s Khirkiyaan , which transforms three of the composer’s pieces into an imaginative work for brass quintet; and a Carnegie Hall–commissioned New York premiere by Hannah Ishizaki. Program COPLAND| Sextet HANNAH ISHIZAKI | New Work (World premiere, commissioned by Carnegie Hall) REENA ESMAIL | Khirkiyaan BRAHMS | Clarinet Quintet About the Artists Ensemble Connect fellows are early-career professional musicians selected for a two-year Carnegie Hall fellowship through a competitive application and audition process. They perform chamber music at Carnegie Hall, Juilliard, Skidmore, and other venues; partner with New York City public schools; lead interactive performances and workshops; and receive professional development in teaching, community engagement, advocacy, entrepreneurship, and leadership. The 2025–2027 Ensemble Connect fellows are: Elena Ariza, cello Cameron Cullen, flute Laurel Gagnon, violin Nicole Martin, clarinet Coco Mi, violin Grace O’Connell, trumpet Anoush Pogossian, clarinet Will Sands, French horn David Seder, trombone JJ Silvey, oboe Abby Smith, viola Joseph Vaz, piano Presented by the Skidmore College Office of Special Programs in collaboration with the Department of Music. Made possible by the generous support of the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation. Come back on Sunday, February 21 at 2 p.m. for a special Well-Being Concert with Ensemble Connect. Tickets available here.