The 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY) presents Curtis New Music Ensemble: We The Artists at Buttenwieser Hall at The Arnhold Center, 1395 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10128, on Friday, November 21, 2025 at 7:30 PM. Tickets start at $45 in-person and $25 to livestream and are available at https://www.92ny.org/event/curtis-new-music-ensemble-we-the-artists.

Curtis New Music Ensemble explores 20th- and 21st-century repertoire through the highest level of artistry. Their first 92NY appearance with the program We the Artists features the music of five wide-ranging modern composers. Carlos Simon pays homage to five Black American icons, from Maya Angelou to Herbie Hancock in Giants. The late Soviet-born Sofia Gubaidulina’s innovative, mystical work is represented in her haunting Letter to the Poetess Rimma Dalos. Clarice Assad brings echoes of Latin America, with influences from Argentine tango and Brazilian choro to Andean chants. Valerie Coleman writes that her Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes “honors the legacy of Native Americans and former African slaves who traversed the Trail of Tears.” And two selections from Joan Tower’s Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman – her Copland-inspired “tribute to women who take risks and are adventurous” — punctuate this inspiring program celebrating creativity, strength, and resilience.

Program

CARLOS SIMON Giants

JOAN TOWER Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, No. 6

SOFIA GUBAIDULINA Letter to the Poetess Rimma Dalos

CLARICE ASSAD Canções da America

TOWER Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, No. 5

VALERIE COLEMAN Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes

Curtis New Music Ensemble

Violin: Jacques Forestier, Jake Shim

Viola: Sumin Kim

Cello: Carson Ling-Efird, Joan Herget

Flute: Eunah Kim, Xiaoxi Annie Li

Oboe: Ben Price

Clarinet: Alexander Erlich-Herzog, Hwaseop Jeong, Hyein Oh, James Lee, Tzu-Yi Yu

Bassoon: Diego Peña

Horn: Nick Ivy

Voice: Jeysla Rosario Santos

Piano: Charm Hee Han

About Curtis New Music Ensemble

Curtis New Music Ensemble features compelling repertoire from the 20th and 21st centuries. With bold collaborations and striking productions, Curtis New Music Ensemble embraces the cutting edge of contemporary classical music through the highest level of artistry.

About Curtis

The Curtis Institute of Music educates and trains exceptionally gifted young musicians to engage a local and global community through the highest level of artistry. Since 1924, Curtis has provided each member of its small student body with an unparalleled education alongside musical peers, distinguished by a “learn by doing” philosophy and personalized attention from a faculty of world-class musicians and educators. With admissions based solely on artistic promise, no student is turned away due to financial need. Curtis invests in each admitted student, ensuring no tuition is charged for their studies and they enter the profession free from educational debt.

Curtis students hone their craft through more than 200 orchestra, opera, and solo and chamber music offerings each year in addition to collaborative projects within the community to provide arts access and education. This real-world training empowers these extraordinary young artists to become inspiring performers, composers, conductors, creators, and musical leaders, making a profound impact on music onstage and in their communities. To learn more, visit Curtis.edu.

About Curtis On Tour

Curtis on Tour is the Nina von Maltzahn global touring initiative of the Curtis Institute of Music. Embracing the school’s “learn by doing” philosophy, ensembles are infused with the energy and passion of extraordinary emerging artists performing alongside celebrated alumni and faculty. In addition to performances, musicians engage with local communities through educational and community engagement activities. For 15 years, Curtis on Tour has maintained a presence at top international concert halls, performing more than 450 concerts in over 120 cities, from New York to Berlin and Hong Kong to Santiago.

About The 92nd Street Y, New York: The 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY) is a world-class center for the arts and innovation, a convener of ideas, and an incubator for creativity. 92NY offers extensive classes, courses and events online including live concerts, talks and master classes; fitness classes for all ages; 250+ art classes, and parenting workshops for new moms and dads. The 92nd Street Y, New York is transforming the way people share ideas and translate them into action all over the world. All of 92NY’s programming is built on a foundation of Jewish values, including the capacity of civil dialogue to change minds; the potential of education and the arts to change lives; and a commitment to welcoming and serving people of all ages, races, religions, and ethnicities. For more information, visit www.92NY.org.