The Knights

Eric Jacobsen, conductor

Conductor and cellist Eric Jacobsen has built a reputation for engaging audiences with innovative and collaborative projects. As conductor of The Knights, Jacobsen has led the “consistently inventive, infectiously engaged indie ensemble” (The New York Times) at New York venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to Central Park, and at such renowned international halls as Vienna’s Musikverein, Cologne Philharmonie, and the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie. Now in his fourth season as music director of the Orlando Philharmonic, Jacobsen is also much in demand as a guest conductor and recently led the Camerata Bern, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Deutsche Philharmonie Merck, and Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble. 

The Knights

The Knights are a Grammy-nominated collection of adventurous musicians, dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audiences and music. 

Having performed and recorded with such renowned soloists as Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, Béla Fleck, and Gil Shaham, and appeared in venues including Vienna’s Musikverein and New York’s Carnegie Hall, recent highlights include a thrilling performance as part of the opening season of the new Hamburg Elbphilharmonie and an appearance as the first American orchestra-in-residence at the Festival de Pâques in Aix-en-Provence, performing multiple concerts throughout the city, including programs with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and violinist Renaud Capuçon. 

The Knights recently presented a fully-staged version of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide in honor of his 100^th birthday at both the Tanglewood Music Festival and the Ravinia Festival, and gave the premiere of The Head and the Load with international artist William Kentridge at London’s Tate Modern and New York’s Park Avenue Armory. The Knights evolved out of friendly late-night chamber music sessions at the home of violinist Colin Jacobsen and cellist Eric Jacobsen. Since the orchestra’s incorporation in 2007, the brothers have served as its artistic directors.