Dynamic String Trio Empire Wild Opens New Lakeside Promenade Series at The Sembrich
The dynamic trio Empire Wild will open The Sembrich’s new lakeside Promenade Series on Saturday, July 16 at 7:30 PM. All classically trained, the three musicians met at Juilliard and formed Empire Wild as a vehicle for their love of musical exploration - fusing the sounds of pop, folk, Broadway and more into their songwriting and composition.
“We look forward to welcoming everyone to our new outdoor Promenade Series, set to accommodate a wide range of musical styles, from classics and light classics to jazz and cutting-edge new work,” says Artistic Director Richard Wargo. “To introduce the first of these Promenade concerts, we’re pleased to welcome Empire Wild, an ensemble that by its very definition epitomizes the spirit of the Promenade.”
Empire Wild is a genre-bending, crossover trio founded by Ken Kubota, Brandon Ilaw, and Mitch Lyon. Ken and Mitch bring all the cello has to offer - bowed, plucked, chopped and more. Brandon can be found singing and playing anything he can get his hands on – often a cajon, sometimes a guitar or piano, maybe some ankle bells. Their debut album ‘Paper Seasons’ features all original songs, highlighting the trio’s unique sound and instrumentation. Based in New York City, they have brought their signature mix of original music, inventive covers and twists on the classical canon to audiences across the country.
Empire Wild was selected as an Ambassador Prize winner in the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition and has spent this socially distant year working to reach out to audiences on social media and workshopping material for their next album. Individually, all three musicians are committed to community engagement and teaching. Mitch has been a teaching artist with the New York Philharmonic for several years, Ken is on faculty at Peabody Preparatory, and Brandon recently completed the Carnegie Hall Ensemble Connect Fellow-ship. Together as an ensemble, Empire Wild feels that it is important to continue this community-oriented work and bring creative musical outlets and opportunities to students of all backgrounds and skill levels. They have shared their unusual versatility with students through workshops at University of Iowa, the Peabody Institute, and the Preucil School, among others. Equally at home in classrooms, intimate salons, and large concert halls, Empire Wild brings a sense of community to every performance.
Individual tickets are $40 and series passes are $105 and includes admission to all Promenade Series concerts. Tickets and passes may be purchased at TheSembrich.org/festival or by calling (518) 644-2431.
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by the Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council.