Ensemble ACJW
Created in 2007 by Carnegie Hall's Executive and
Artistic Director Clive Gillinson and The Juilliard School's President Joseph W. Polisi,
Ensemble ACJW is an inspirational collective of young professional musicians who are
fellows in a two-year program that supports them in building careers as top-quality
performers, innovative programmers, and dedicated teachers who fully engage with the
communities in which they live and work.
Ensemble ACJW fellows-chosen 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 Curtis Institute of Music, Eastman School of Music, The Juilliard
School, Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, Peabody Institute, Stony Brook
University, University of Southern California, and Yale School of Music.
Ensemble ACJW has earned accolades from critics and audiences alike for the quality of its
performances as well as its fresh and open-minded approach, performing a wide range of
music-from centuries past to works written days before an event-in a variety of performance
venues. The group performs its own series at Carnegie Hall and has regularly appeared at
The Juilliard School's Paul Hall and other venues throughout New York City, including (Le)
Poisson Rouge nightclub in Greenwich Village, Subculture in NoHo, and Galapagos Art Space
in Brooklyn. 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 in both concert halls and in informal settings around town.
Along with performance opportunities at premier venues in New York City and beyond,
Ensemble ACJW fellows each partner with a New York City public school to share their
artistry with-and become central resources for-music classrooms in the five boroughs.
Ensemble ACJW 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. Throughout the two-year program, Ensemble ACJW fellows
participate in rigorous, ongoing professional development to ensure that they gain the
necessary skills to be successful in all areas of the program and to become leaders in
their field. Areas of emphasis include artistic excellence, engagement strategies on and
off the stage, advocacy, professional skills, and preparation for their in-school
work.
Exemplary performers, dedicated teachers, and advocates for music throughout the
community, the forward-looking musicians of Ensemble ACJW are redefining what it means to
be a musician in the 21st century. Visit acjw.org to learn more.