COOPERSTOWN — The Cooperstown Concert Series will close out its season with Empire Wild, a genre-bending crossover trio at 7 p.m. Friday, April 19, at the Otesaga Hotel at 60 Lake St. in Cooperstown.
According to a media release, Juilliard-trained classical musicians embody the group’s shared love of musical exploration, fusing the sounds of pop, folk and Broadway into their songwriting and composition.
Empire Wild was selected for an Ambassador Prize in the 2020 Concert Artists Guild’s Victor Elmaleh competition.
The trio includes Ken Kubota and Mitch Lyon on cello and Jiyong Kim on piano.
The group’s debut EP “Paper Seasons” features all original songs, highlighting the trio’s unique sound and instrumentation. Based in New York City, Empire Wild has brought its signature mix of original music, inventive covers, and twists on the classical canon to audiences across the country.
Recently, the trio performed at South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, a concert on the Harriman-Jewell Series in Kansas City, and a day at the Kaufman Music Center’s Musical Storefronts in Lincoln Center.
Last fall, the trio embarked on a tour of the Midwest with more than 20 performances across 10 states along with educational workshops in Iowa and Ohio.
Individually, all three musicians are committed to community engagement and teaching. Together as an ensemble, Empire Wild agrees that it is important to prioritize community-oriented work and bring creative musical outlets and opportunities to students of all backgrounds and skill levels. They have shared their unusual versatility with students through workshops at the University of Iowa, Peabody Institute, and Preucil School. Described as equally at home in classrooms, intimate salons, and large concert halls, Empire Wild brings a sense of community to every performance.
Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for students with college ID and youths 6 to 18. Children 5 and younger will be admitted for free. Tickets may purchased at cooperstownconcertseries.org or at the door.
The 2023-24 concert season was made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and by the Scriven Foundation.