The Latest
Stories, reviews, and updates from our artists and the world of classical music.
Jeffrey Kahane, with the Louisville Orchestra and Teddy Abrams. Out June 26 on Pentatone, Jeffrey is the soloist in Andrew Norman's Split, a restless, kinetic counterpart to Christopher Cerrone's title work. Contemporary, alive, and very much worth a listen.
Jessie is the cover story of the new issue of Strings Magazine: a wide conversation about her music, her violin, and a voice that has become one of the most performed in American concert halls.
After more than four decades, the Hagen Quartet has given its final concerts, and The New York Times marked the occasion with a moving tribute. We were honored to serve as the Quartet's final North American management, and to help bring their last performances here to audiences.
The Poiesis Quartet welcomes violinist Coco Mei as its newest member, opening the next chapter for one of the field's fastest-rising young ensembles.
Anthony and Demarre McGill took the spotlight in the world premiere of a new work by Billy Childs during the League of American Orchestras Conference.
Pianist Simone Dinnerstein, one of today’s most distinctive voices in classical music, announces two significant new partnerships: she has joined the roster of MKI Artists for management and signed a new recording agreement with naïve Records.
On January 8 and 9, 2026, the Naples Philharmonic will present the world orchestral premiere of African Queens, a groundbreaking song suite conceived by soprano Karen Slack.
On top of everything else non-musical that he loved (astronomy, biology, writing, etc.) Prokofiev was a fanatical chess player. As a young man, he was a constant presence at the St. Petersburg Chess Club.
The Pacifica Quartet, with pianist Orion Weiss, has released The Korngold Collection, a new recording on Cedille Records devoted to the complete string quartets and rarely heard chamber works of Erich Wolfgang Korngold.
We’re absolutely delighted to welcome the Verona Quartet to MKI Artists. Praised by The New York Times as an “outstanding ensemble… cohesive yet full of temperament,” the Verona has quickly established itself as one of the defining quartets of its generation.
We are thrilled to welcome Andrew Yee (she/her) to the MKI Artists roster in an expanded role as a soloist and composer. Already celebrated worldwide for her exceptional work as the cellist of the Attacca Quartet.
MKI is proud to announce that Morgan Pappas has joined MKI Artists as a Senior Booking Agent. Before joining MKI, Morgan served as a Booking Agent at Arts Management Group and previously led booking and operations at Marsalis Mansion Artists, supporting a wide range of internationally recognized musicians and ensembles.
In three standout performances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, soprano Karen Slack delivered a “wide-ranging vocal part with aplomb and enormous power.” Together with a bold program that included the world premiere of Kathryn Bostic's DRAG, the concert was hailed as both musically thrilling and socially significant.
Pianist Orion Weiss delivered commanding performances in two recent engagements. In his return to the Utah Symphony, Weiss was praised in Utah Arts Review for giving “a captivating performance that captured the dramatic passion and melodic charm” of Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor.
The Poiesis Quartet has been named the recipient of the 2026 Cleveland Quartet Award, granted by Chamber Music America. The honor recognizes the ensemble as one of the most promising young string quartets in North America.
Fresh off their Grand Prize win at the 2025 Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC), MKI Artists is proud to welcome the Poiesis Quartet to its roster. Selected from among ten exceptional quartets representing leading conservatories and cultural hubs worldwide, Poiesis stood out for its artistry, vision, and dynamic performance style.
The Ariel Quartet's recent performances of Beethoven's String Quartet Op. 131 in the haunting setting of the Green-Wood Catacombs has drawn rave reviews in both Interludes and Broadway World. Critics praise not only the Quartet's technical mastery and emotional range, but also their ability to harness the unique acoustics and atmosphere of the venue.
Cantus Vocal Ensemble joins the Off the Charts podcast — produced by the Center for Health Journalism — to explore the transformative power of music in dementia care. In this episode, Executive Director Shelley Quiala and Artistic Co-Director Paul Scholtz share insights from Wanting Memories, a touring program that uses song to access memory, identity, and connection.
Meet the musicians behind the groundbreaking and revitalized Kronos Quartet as they reflect on five decades of fearless music-making and the enduring impact of their work. In this intimate profile, members of Kronos speak candidly about the ensemble's mission, the power of thoughtfulness, and the emotional energy they hope to bring to audiences around the world.
Since its world premiere in August 2024, at Carnegie Hall's WOW! Festival with NYO2, Jasmine Barnes' KINSFOLKNEM has dazzled audiences across the nation. Performed by top-tier symphony orchestras in Nashville, Dallas, College Park, and Aspen, the work has repeatedly been hailed as “a three-movement fusion of classical structures and music with roots in African-American culture.”
Violinist Rachel Barton Pine joins the Grammy Award-winning Pacifica Quartet and pianist Orion Weiss for French Impressions, a richly expressive Cedille Records release spotlighting the seldom-heard chamber works of Ernest Chausson and Germaine Tailleferre. Dedicated to MKI's own John Zion, the 12-track recording reveals the emotional depth and modern resonance of two overlooked French masters.
For his final Summer at Orchestra Hall, pianist and Creative Partner Jon Kimura Parker delivered a deeply engaging evening with the Minnesota Orchestra, delighting audiences with his introspective and expressive reading of Schumann's Piano Concerto — a fitting farewell to his six-year tenure as curator.
Marking the 80th anniversary of the Trinity nuclear test, the Kronos Quartet, together with The Hard Rain Collective, has released two powerful reimaginings of Bob Dylan's “A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall.” The sung version, Hard Rain, features an eclectic ensemble of voices including Iggy Pop, Willie Nelson, Allison Russell, Laurie Anderson, and Stephin Merritt.
Celebrating their 30th anniversary, the Grammy Award-nominated Miró Quartet, joined by soprano Kiera Duffy on the Third Quartet, unveils Ginastera: String Quartets, a definitive new album on PENTATONE, released July 25, 2025. This powerful cycle charts Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera's artistic evolution.
Violinist Rachel Barton Pine brought a magnetic new voice to the classical stage, delivering the French premiere of Earl Maneein's Dependent Arising with the Orchestre National de Bretagne — a concerto born at the crossroads of Western classical tradition and heavy-metal intensity, commissioned for Pine.
MKI Artists is proud to welcome the Kronos Quartet to its roster. With a newly revitalized lineup — David Harrington (violin), Gabriela Díaz (violin), Ayane Kozasa (viola), and Paul Wiancko (cello) — Kronos enters a bold new chapter. MKI is honored to support an ambitious new phase of expanded touring across North America.