Ensemble ACJW
Ensemble ACJW is an inspirational collective of outstanding young professional musicians
from The Academy that has earned accolades from critics and audiences alike for the quality
of its performances, as well as its fresh and open-minded approach to performance and
programming. In a variety of venues, its members have played a wide range of music-from
works written centuries ago to those completed days before-with verve and total commitment
to their art.
The group performs its own series at Carnegie Hall and regularly appears at The Juilliard
School's Paul Hall and other venues throughout New York City, including a series at (Le)
Poisson Rouge nightclub in Greenwich Village. As part of a partnership with Skidmore
College that began in 2007, Ensemble ACJW gives master classes for university students and
performs for the Saratoga Springs community both in concert halls and in informal settings
around town.
All Ensemble ACJW members are alumni or current fellows of The Academy, a two-year
fellowship program created in 2007 by Carnegie Hall's Executive and Artistic Director Clive
Gillinson and The Juilliard School's President Joseph W. Polisi to support the finest young
professional musicians develop their careers as top-quality performers, innovative
programmers, and dedicated teachers who are fully engaged with the communities in which
they live and work.
Fellows of the two-year Academy program-chosen not only for their musicianship, but also
for their leadership qualities and commitment to music education-come from some of the best
music schools in the country, including The Colburn School, Eastman School of Music, The
Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, Rice University, University of Southern
California, and Yale School of Music.
In addition to performance opportunities at the highest level, a robust program of
professional development is an essential part of The Academy. Fellows partner with New York
City public schools to share their artistry with-and become central resources for-music
classrooms in the five boroughs. Fellows also take part in community work through
the Weill Music Institute's Musical Connections program, in which they perform at
multiple non-traditional music venues across New York City, including healthcare settings,
correctional facilities, and senior service organizations.
Exemplary performers, dedicated teachers, and advocates for music throughout the
community, the fellows of The Academy that make up Ensemble ACJW are redefining what it
means to be a musician in the 21st century. Visit acjw.org to learn more.
Harry Bicket
Internationally renowned as an opera and concert conductor of distinction, Harry Bicket is
especially noted for his interpretation of Baroque and Classical repertoire. He became
artistic director of The English Concert in 2007, one of the UK's finest period
orchestras.
Plans for the 2012-2013 season and beyond include extensive touring and recording
commitments with The English Concert and return performances with the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera (La clemenza di Tito, Giulio Cesare), Canadian Opera
Company, Gran Teatre del Liceu, and Houston Grand Opera. He has recently conducted opera
productions for the Metropolitan Opera (Rodelinda), Lyric Opera of Chicago
(Rinaldo), and Opéra National de Bordeaux (Alcina); as well as many
projects with The English Concert, featuring soloists such as Ian Bostridge, Andreas
Scholl, and Vesselina Kasarova. This summer, he conducted The English Concert at both the
BBC Proms and at the Edinburgh International Festival in performance with countertenor
David Daniels.
Highlights of recent seasons include guest conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los
Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, as
well as critically acclaimed opera productions for the Lyric Opera of Chicago
(Hercules), Minnesota Opera (Orfeo), Canadian Opera Company
(Orfeo and Idomeneo), Gran Teatre del Liceu
(L'arbore di Diana), Theater an der Wien (Iphigénie en Tauride),
and The Atlanta Opera (Orfeo). Mr. Bicket has toured extensively with The English
Concert (including performances in Spain, the Middle East, Austria, Germany, and the US)
and has returned to his native Liverpool to conduct the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Orchestra (including the world premiere of Ken Hesketh's oratorio Like the Sea, Like
Time). He has appeared as guest conductor with the San Francisco Symphony, Bavarian
Radio Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de
Monte-Carlo, Houston Symphony, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic
Orchestra, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
Mr. Bicket has appeared at major US festivals such as Glimmerglass, Spoleto, Aspen, and
Santa Fe. His discography includes releases with Ian Bostridge, David Daniels, Renée
Fleming, Susan Graham, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Sarah Connolly, Rosemary Joshua, Elizabeth
Watts, and most recently Lucy Crowe and The English Concert.