A Far Cry joins Anthony McGill, Principal Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, for a performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, pairing McGill’s trademark brilliance with the ensemble’s adventurous, collaborative spirit in a program of elegance, vitality, and shared musical purpose.
Rockport Chamber Music Festival
Friday, June 19, 7:30 pm
A Far Cry &
Anthony McGill, clarinet
A FAR CRY
A Far Cry is a Boston-based, Grammy-nominated chamber orchestra acclaimed for its democratic structure, adventurous programming, and deeply engaged performances. WBUR has called the ensemble “a refreshing corrective to classical music’s rigid hierarchies,” while Boston Arts Diary praises its “top-notch, finely crafted, precisely delivered performances” and “robust communal expressiveness.” Guided by the belief that music can help create “a world that listens,” A Far Cry has become a model for artist-driven collaboration in classical music.
Now in its nineteenth season, A Far Cry presents nine distinctive programs shaped by themes such as memory, migration, love, and the passage of time. The orchestra’s subscription series includes full-ensemble concerts at Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory and chamber music performances at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain, alongside appearances throughout the Boston area. The ensemble is known for collaborations that cross genres and cultures, working with artists such as tenor Karim Sulayman, cellist and singer-songwriter Yeemz, and piri virtuoso Gamin.
Founded without a single artistic director, A Far Cry operates as a collective of musicians—known as “Criers”—who collaboratively curate programming inspired by individual curiosity, shared values, and current events. This approach fosters a wide-ranging repertoire, strong audience engagement through initiatives like Listening Labs and family concerts, and performances that feel both rigorously crafted and vividly alive. As The Boston Globe has observed, even as A Far Cry has become a mainstay of the city’s musical life, “something about it feels perpetually fresh with every performance.”
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ANTHONY MCGILL, clarinet
Anthony McGill is one of classical music’s most distinctive and influential artists, hailed by The New York Times for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound, and rich character.” He is Principal Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, making history as the first African-American principal player in the orchestra’s legacy, and maintains a dynamic international career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, and cultural leader.
McGill appears regularly as a soloist with leading orchestras including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and the Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras. Highlights of recent seasons include premieres of works by Billy Childs and Gabriel Kahane, performances with The Knights at Carnegie Hall, and appearances with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. An esteemed chamber musician, he collaborates frequently with ensembles such as the Brentano, Pacifica, Takács, Miró, and Tokyo Quartets, and with artists including Mitsuko Uchida, Yefim Bronfman, Gil Shaham, and Midori. He is a regular presence at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and major festivals worldwide.
A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, McGill serves on the faculties of The Juilliard School and Curtis, where he holds the William R. and Hyunah Yu Brody Distinguished Chair. Deeply committed to equity and access, he is Artistic Director of Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program and an active advocate for social justice initiatives within and beyond the concert hall.
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