About Us

The Metropolis Ensemble is a flexible chamber orchestra that gathers the finest young chamber musicians and soloists affiliated with such prestigious organizations as Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society Two, Marlboro, Alarm Will Sound, Concert Artists Guild, and The Academy of Carnegie Hall.

Founded in 2006 by Andrew Cyr, the Metropolis Ensemble performs and commissions new music from the next generation of composers, in addition to presenting some of the most influential works of the 20th Century from composers such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Stravinsky, Ravel, Shostakovich, Britten, Osvaldo Golijov, Ligeti, Copland, Weill, David Schiff, and Bartok.

The Metropolis Ensemble embraces the fluid state of contemporary music, yet recognizes the strength and integrity of the traditional concert format.  Since its founding, the Metropolis Ensemble performs to near-capacity crowds, cultivating a vibrant young audience and a reputation for consistently achieving the highest artistic and professional standards.

The Metropolis Ensemble recorded its debut studio album with the Grammy-winner ‘Classical Producer of the Year’ (2005) David Frost, featuring the chamber orchestra concerti of composer Avner Dorman (b. 1975), set for international release in the fall of 2008. 

The Metropolis Ensemble has performed in such venues as The Times Center, Angel Orensanz Center for the Arts, the Chelsea Art Museum, the Scandinavian House, and has recently been invited to present a concert series at Le Poisson Rouge, a new multimedia art cabaret located in the site of the historic Village Gate.  This summer, as part of the acclaimed Wordless Music Series and the Celebrate Brooklyn Festival, the Metropolis Ensemble will be paired with the forward-thinking indie-rock sensation Deerhoof, to an expected audience of 10,000.  Recently, the Metropolis Ensemble was featured at a Meet the Composer concert-gala, in honor of soprano Dawn Upshaw.

In addition to its active concert schedule, the Metropolis Ensemble runs a 40-week after-school education program at Public School 11, teaching music composition and creativity to 3rd, 4th and 5th graders.

Mission and Vision

The Metropolis Ensemble is dedicated to building artistic connections between composer, performer, and audiences in settings that will inspire a new generation of music lovers.

We are rooted in a conception of music as a living art form, continuously renewed. The creations of a living composer is the focal point of our concerts, exploring the associations and ramifications from sources used to inspire new works. Our programs explore similarities between musical and poetical texts and images, displaying a kaleidoscopic sense of intertwined musical collaboration between artists present and past. We provide vital support to living composers by encouraging the commission, creation and performance of new work.

We recognize that New York City's cultural organizations have the enormous potential to make a special contribution to the quality of life of the city's school children and are equally devoted to educating a new generation of composers, musicians, and listeners.