About Metropolis Ensemble

Creating, amplifying, and flourishing. Together.

Metropolis Ensemble is a Grammy-nominated nonprofit organization dedicated to commissioning and producing ambitious creative projects in contemporary music. 

With a particular focus on expanding opportunities for emerging professional musical creators and performers through collaboration, Metropolis partners with world-class musical artists and institutions to create, commission, and produce site-specific performances, new works, recordings, and digital experiences. Founded by Grammy-nominated conductor Andrew Cyr in 2006, NYC-based Metropolis Ensemble gathers independent expert musicians for each project, inspiring audiences through the creation of new instrumentations and dynamic collaborations.

More to Explore: Commissions / Artists / Staff / Contact Us

Our Projects

We partner with world-class institutions to create, commission, and produce site-specific performances, new works, recordings, and digital experiences.

“Metropolis performs and commissions new music from some of today's most promising new composers, featuring a revolving cast of the finest young chamber musicians around.”

—David Garland, NPR

Biophony SoundGarden

• 2023: 5,000 visitors explored a live, site-specific electro-acoustic music installation by composer Ricardo Romaneiro and 20 musicians.

• Metropolis and Brooklyn Botanic Garden co-commissioned the project throughout seven conservatory ecosystems.

• “The music performance in the conservatory was a delight. So unique and so fitting for the spaces.” —BBG Visitor

Bangsokol

• 2010–17: Metropolis developed, co-produced, and premiered a new theatrical work, fusing film, music, and traditional dance and musical arts. 

• Created in collaboration Cambodian Living Arts and The Office, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Rithy Pahn, composer Him Sophy, music director Andrew Cyr, choreographer Belle Sodhachivy, libbretist Trent Walker, and staging director Gideon Obarzanek (Melbourne Festival).

• “Bangsokol stands on its own as an extraordinary musical experience that brings cultures and people together.” —Variety

Postcards to The Met + Life Returns

• 2021–22: Metropolis was commissioned by The Metropolitan Museum of Art to produce a 12-month video series (generating 350K+ Instagram views) and large-scale work of new music by composer Matthew Evan Taylor.

• The project culminated in a sold-out concert at The Met featuring a hybrid ensemble with Rajas (Indian Carnatic ensemble led by Rajna Swaminanthan), Metropolis, Ganavya, and Matthew Evan Taylor (sax/flute). 

• “A monumental evening-length work to celebrate resilience and triumph in the face of despair.” —Slipped Disc

Tyondai Braxton: Telekinesis

• Germany’s Opus Klassik Nominee 2023 

• Tyondai Braxton’s massive studio recording of an eighty-seven-piece work for electric guitars, orchestra (Metropolis Ensemble, Andrew Cyr, conductor), choir (with The Crossing Choir and Brooklyn Youth Chorus) and electronics on Nonesuch/New Amsterdam Records.

• “A joy… the next big statement… Tyondai Braxton in full command of his art.” —New York Times

Flame Keepers

Live-streaming perpetual music installation weaves together multiple streams of sound into unexpected, evolving combinations.

Venues

Metropolis projects have been presented by Hollywood Bowl, The Met, Lincoln Center, The Tonight Show, Celebrate Brooklyn, Le Poisson Rouge, New Victory Theater, Kennedy Center, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, among others. 

Partners

Metropolis partners with world-class organizations for each project, including Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, Cambodian Living Arts, COSM, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Academic of Music, Nonesuch Records, Creative Time, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and more.

Artists

Since 2006, Metropolis has employed over 2,000 performers and composers, commissioned 500+ works, collaborated on 25+ studio albums, and released over a terabyte of digital content.

Our People

Collaboration is at the core of our programming. We catalyze intense small-group collabs between project artists and Metropolis artistic director, producer, and Grammy-nominated conductor Andrew Cyr — to bring each work to life.

“Metropolis isn't just the hippest classical gang in the city; the musicians who play with them are also some of New York's best.”

—Charlie Suisman, Manhattan Users Guide

Artist Spotlight

Ricardo Romaneiro: Merging electronic and classical with Metropolis

A long-time Metropolis collaborator, multi-faceted composer and electronic artist Ricardo Romaneiro’s premieres over the years include Biophony SoundGarden, The Rite Remixed, Hallucinations, and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis.

Artist Spotlight

Molly Joyce: Thoughtfully redefining the concert experience

Both behind-the-scenes and on stage, Molly Joyce is an instrumental force behind many of our Rivington and digital projects, as well as forthcoming commissions for the deaf community.

Artist Spotlight

Vivian Fung: Exploring our global voices

Vivian Fung composed numerous Metropolis crowd favorite works over the years. Her forthcoming opera with Edmonton Opera and Metropolis explores the topics of family oral history and mental health.

Artist Spotlight

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson: Exploding the boundaries of genre

Metropolis has contributed to multiple projects with music polymath Questlove and hip-hop band The Roots, including the acclaimed BAM concerts Shuffle Culture and Electronic, and Grammy-nominated album, Undun, and And then you shoot your cousin.

Artist Spotlight

Paula Matthusen: Bringing diverse instrumentations to life

Composer and performer Paula Matthusen has woven her electroacoustic textures into many Metropolis projects, including For the Birds, House Music, The Phillips Collection, Free Assembly, and Flame Keepers.

Artist Spotlight

Erika Dohi: Metropolis becomes eclectic

A long-time Metropolis collaborator, Pianist Erika Dohi produced a 13-event piano festival at One Rivington, bringing together jazz artists and improvisers, classical and contemporary specialists.

Artist Spotlight

Timo Andres: An evolving creative partnership

Composer and pianist Timo Andres has collaborated with Metropolis since 2010. His upcoming studio album on Nonesuch is in-production with Metropolis, Nonesuch, and Grammy-winning producer Silas Brown.

Artist Spotlight

Jakub Ciupinski: Blurring the layers between music, electronics, and code

Composer and electronic artist Jakub Ciupinski has collaborated with Metropolis to create some of our most pivotal experimental projects, such as Flame Keepers, Brownstone, and New Music 101.

Our Initiatives

We are building a hopeful future for new music to thrive. Our mission is to inspire new audiences by commissioning and producing ambitious projects in contemporary music.

“Metropolis Ensemble presents new music played with the same kind of panache and bravura we usually experience only in performances of standard repertoire.” —Esa-Pekka Salonen, San Francisco Symphony

Commission Spotlight

Matthew Evan Taylor

• MetLiveArts and Metropolis commissioned composer and saxophonist Matthew Evan Taylor to produce both a 12-month video series and an evening-length concert work.

• Metropolis also commissioned original digital artwork by Juniper Creative.

Commission Spotlight

Flame Keepers

• Since 2021, Metropolis has commissioned dozens of composers for a live-streaming, perpetual sonic art installation.

• Thousands of audio stems have been created for this evolving online concert.

Commission Spotlight

Phong Tran

• In 2021–22, Metropolis commissioned composer and digital artist Phong Tran to create dozens of digital images for our Biophony concert series.

• 95 composers were commissioned by Metropolis to develop 40 new original musical works for any combination of instruments at a variety of scales.

Educator Spotlight

Brad Balliett

• From 2009-2016, bassoonist and composer Brad Balliett was instrumental in Youth Works, our decade-long partnership with Teak Fellowship and NYC public schools.

• Brad mentored young composers and showcased their work at end of the school year concerts.

Collaboration Spotlight

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

• In a multi-year partnership, Metropolis Ensemble collaborated with Brooklyn Botanic Garden staff, gardeners, and curators to develop programming for our Biophony series.

• Since 2021, BBG’s Art in the Garden with Metropolis has generated increased visitorship and donations to both organizations.

Collaboration Spotlight

Metropolitan Museum of Art

• Since 2016, Metropolis Ensemble has collaborated with MetLiveArts to commission and present new works from Matthew Evan Taylor, Rajna Swaminathan, Timo Andres, Caroline Shaw, and Mohammed Fairouz.

• Both the in-person and digital performances are expanding The Met’s live arts programming in new directions, while increasing visibility of Metropolis initiatives into a wider community of music fans.

Collaboration Spotlight

Brown University

• In an ongoing partnership with Brown Arts Institute at Brown University, Metropolis Ensemble is developing a new multimedia digital installation led by composer William Brittelle.

• The partnership has brought together a constellation of supporting organizations, including Cincinnati Symphony, The Walker Art Center, and New Amsterdam Records.

Project Spotlight

Biophony Pop-Up NYC

• Since 2021, Metropolis Ensemble’s annual outdoor pop-up concert series has employed and empowered over 500 musicians and composers that reflect the diversity of NYC.

• The series brings free “pandemic proof” experiences to unexpected areas in the city that are rarely offered new music, uniting neighbors and artists together in locally-relevant spaces.