The Knights with Béla Fleck to Bring Bold, Innovative Performance to CPS on Feb. 3

Community Performance Series Presents Grammy-Winning Béla Fleck in Concert with Orchestral Collective, The Knights

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The Knights with Béla Fleck will perform in the Helen M. Hosmer Concert Hall at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

POTSDAM, NY (01/21/2015)(readMedia)-- Community Performance Series will continue its 25th anniversary season welcoming The Knights with Béla Fleck to the stage at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music. Featuring the world's most famous banjoist and a unique orchestral collective, the performance will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Helen M. Hosmer Concert Hall.

"This will be Béla Fleck's third performance with CPS. His previous performances have featured his bluegrass/fusion work with the Flecktones, while this opportunity will give the audience a chance to appreciate the genre-defying nature of his work, as he partners with The Knights, to perform a mix of standard classical pieces and new classical works," said CPS Executive Director Amy Flack. "The Knights are taking the classical world by storm with their young and vibrant approach to chamber music. We couldn't be more pleased to be presenting this collaborative concert, which truly celebrates the innovation of brilliant musicians."

Don't miss a special conversation with Fleck, which will be offered on Monday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. on campus. In addition, Eric and Colin Jacobsen, the artistic directors for The Knights, will also host a conversation on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 4 p.m. prior to the evening performance. Both events, which are free and open to the public, will explore the artists' creative process. The location of these events will be announced on the CPS website in coming days.

The Knights are an orchestral collective, flexible in size and repertory, dedicated to transforming the concert experience. Driven by an open-minded spirit of camaraderie and exploration, they engage listeners and defy boundaries with programs that encompass their roots in the classical tradition and passion for musical discovery. With their innovative programming and bold mission, The Knights have been called "the next generation of classical music" by "Performance Today" host Fred Child.

Along with the 15-time Grammy Award-winning banjo artist Béla Fleck, The Knights will perform from their group composition "the ground beneath our feet," as well as the beloved overture to Rossini's "Barber of Seville" and their own arrangement of a favorite tenor aria from the same opera, contrasted with John Adams's "Chamber Symphony." The collective will also perform from Fleck's tour-de-force banjo concerto, "The Impostor," and present their orchestral arrangement of "Big Country," originally created by Fleck's bluegrass-fusion band, the Flecktones.

For more information about The Knights, visit www.theknightsnyc.com. To learn more about Béla Fleck, visit www.belafleck.com.

Single tickets are currently on sale, and can be purchased in person at the CPS Box Office, now located in SUNY Potsdam's new Performing Arts Center, or by calling (315) 267-2277. The box office will be open in the lobby of Hosmer Hall one hour prior to the performance. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.cpspotsdam.org.

Community Performance Series is a college-community partnership presenting world-class performing artists and arts education opportunities in Northern New York. This rich mixture of programming links communities, classrooms and audiences of all ages and preserves access to the performing arts for future generations.

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of only three arts campuses in the entire SUNY system. SUNY Potsdam's arts curriculum offers the full palette: music, theatre, dance, fine arts and creative writing. No matter the discipline, people from all backgrounds can find their creative compass at Potsdam, with myriad arts immersion experiences available for both campus and community.

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