New York City ConcertsOrpheus & Anthony McGill

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra 490 Riverside Drive, 11th floor New York, NY 10027-5788 The 92nd Street Y | New York, NY Rounds for String Orchestra Adagio and Fugue in C minor K 546 Symphony in F Major H 650 Clarinet Concerto in A Major Reuniting at 92NY after their thrilling romp through Copland’s concerto in 2023, clarinetist Anthony McGill and Orpheus now scale the highest peak in the clarinet repertoire. McGill is in good hands with the orchestra that has long set the standard for accompanying Mozart’s concertos, including its seminal recording of Mozart’s complete wind concertos. Hailed for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character” (The New York Times), clarinetist Anthony McGill is one of classical music’s most recognizable and brilliantly multifaceted figures. In addition to his dynamic international solo and chamber music career, McGill is Principal Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic—the first African-American principal player in the organization's history. Musical America named him the 2024 Instrumentalist of the Year. He is the recipient of the 2020 Avery Fisher Prize, one of classical music’s most significant awards given in recognition of soloists who represent the highest level of musical excellence. McGill was honored to take part in the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama, premiering a piece written for the occasion by John Williams and performing alongside violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and pianist Gabriela Montero. He earned his first GRAMMY® nomination for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for his album American Stories with the Pacifica Quartet (Cedille). McGill appears regularly as a soloist with top orchestras, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras. Highlights of the 2025–26 season include solo appearances with the New York Philharmonic; the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, where he and his brother Demarre McGill will premiere a new concerto for clarinet and flute by Billy Childs under the direction of Jonathon Heyward; The Knights at Carnegie Hall; and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in premiere performances of Gabriel Kahane’s If love will not swing wide the gates. As a chamber musician, McGill tours with Trio Afiori—a new ensemble he co-founded with mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron and pianist Gloria Chien—for a weeklong residency with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and performances at Chamber Music Northwest and across the U.S., featuring the premiere of a new work by Valerie Coleman. Additional chamber music highlights include The Annual Isaac Stern Memorial Concert at Carnegie Hall alongside Maxim Vengerov, Vilde Frang, James Ehnes, Daniel Müller-Schott, and Yefim Bronfman; continuing his decades-long collaboration with the Pacifica Quartet; performances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; and recital appearances in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and beyond. As a chamber musician, McGill is a favorite collaborator of the Brentano, Daedalus, Guarneri, JACK, Miró, Pacifica, Shanghai, Takács, and Tokyo Quartets, as well as Inon Barnatan, Gloria Chien, Yefim Bronfman, Gil Shaham, Midori, Mitsuko Uchida, and Lang Lang. He has toured with Musicians from Marlboro and regularly performs for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. His festival appearances include Bravo!Vail, Marlboro, Mainly Mozart, Ravinia, Skaneateles, Tanglewood, and the Music@Menlo, Santa Fe, and Seattle Chamber Music Festivals. McGill is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, and previously served as the Principal Clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera and Associate Principal Clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He is an ardent advocate for helping music education reach underserved communities and for addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in classical music. He serves on the faculty of The Juilliard School and also at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he holds the William R. and Hyunah Yu Brody Distinguished Chair. He is the Artistic Director for Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program, a weekend program dedicated to students who demonstrate a commitment to artistic excellence, which actively seeks young musicians from backgrounds underrepresented in classical music. In 2021, The Juilliard School announced a permanent endowment grant of $50 million for its Music Advancement Program (MAP) from Crankstart, which funds full-tuition scholarships for all MAP students and program expansion. In 2020, in concert with a $30,000 charitable gift from the Avery Fisher Artist Program designated to a charity of McGill’s choice, McGill and Weston Sprott, Dean of the Preparatory Division of The Juilliard School, established the Weston Sprott and Anthony McGill MAP Summer Scholarship Fund so MAP students can take part in summer programs and festivals. Since 2023,