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THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

PRESENTS “DATE NIGHT” FEATURING

ETHEL & FRIENDS

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ETHEL and Friends is a music series lovingly programmed for “Date Night” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Great Hall at the Balcony Bar by The Met’s Resident Ensemble, ETHEL.

The Great Hall Balcony Bar “Date Night” Artists perform 3 sets on Fridays and Saturdays:

6 PM, 7 PM and 8 PM

ABOUT ETHEL

ETHEL signature sessions still in color

ETHEL is one of the most acclaimed ensembles in contemporary music. With an eye to tradition and an ear to the future, the quartet is a leading force in concert music’s re-engagement with musical vernaculars, fusing diverse performance practices into a vibrant, engaging sound. ETHEL and ETHEL members perform regularly at the Petrie Court Café, and they welcome celebrated friends to the series–such luminaries as JP Jofre, Alexis Michelle, Kaki King, Allison Loggins-Hull and Raja Rahman.

ETHEL & FRIENDS SERIES CALENDAR

June 6th

ETHEL

Ralph Farris, viola
Kip Jones, violin
Corin Lee, violin
Dorothy Lawson, cello

Performing the House Band’s Greatest Hits, to include music by Thelonious Monk, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and Ron Carter.

June 7th

Sterling Strings

Frederique Gnaman, violin
Patrick Page, viola
Eric Cooper, cello

Sterling Strings is a modern string ensemble, reimagining classical elegance with a fresh, vibrant sound, transcending expectations and crafting custom arrangements that blend timeless melodies with contemporary hits to create unforgettable performances.

June 13th

Juneteenth LP, featuring Sterling Strings

Juneteenth LP, featuring Sterling Strings

Frederique Gnaman, violin
Sean-David Cunningham, violin
Patrick Page, viola
Eric Cooper, cello

Juneteenth LP is a Harlem, NYC-based music collective whose mission is to share the sounds of the African Diaspora through the unique lens of Black classically trained musicians. The ensemble brings together unexpected classical music and brilliantly crafted arrangements of more popular repertoire for a refreshing take on live performances. This particular iteration features Sterling Strings playing music inspired by the recently re/imagined and transformed Africa Wing of the Met. Art and sound come together as crisp strings bring Afropop and other popular beats to vibrant life. Music by Burna Boy, Pheelz, Rema and CKay.

June 14th

Juneteenth LP, featuring Drs. Edward W. Hardy and Nnenna Ogwo

Juneteenth LP, featuring Drs. Edward W. Hardy and Nnenna Ogwo

Juneteenth LP is a Harlem, NYC-based music collective whose mission is to share the sounds of the African Diaspora through the unique lens of Black classically trained musicians. The ensemble brings together unexpected classical music and brilliantly crafted arrangements of more popular repertoire for a refreshing take on live performances. This particular iteration of the ensemble features the duo of violinist, Hardy and pianist Ogwo playing music inspired by The Met’s spring 2025 exhibition entitled “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”. Their program explores the idea of style, grace and iconic flair in a recontextualized sonic framework of mesmerizing swing, rhythmic swagger, lyrical joys and haunting melodies. Music by Ellington, Piazzolla, Gershwin, Hardy and Ogwo.

June 20th & June 21st

Booked by The Met

June 27th & June 28th

Rock Paper Scissors

Lavinia Pavlish, violin
Ralph Farris, viola
Laura Metcalf, cello

New York’s most engaging string trio brings classics old and new with their signature high-energy spirit — from Beethoven and Kodály, to Hailstork, Hu and Skoryk.

July 4th & July 5th

Corin Lee, Violin

Corin Lee, violin
ETHEL’s own Corin Lee offers a showcase of Concert and Contemporary Favorites for Solo Amplified Violin.

July 11th & July 12th

Raja Rahman, piano

Raja Rahman, piano
President & CEO of Nevada School of The Arts, and one half of magic duo, Jarrett & Raja, pianist Raja Rahman is a perennial Met favorite. The winner of the 2022 Nevada Arts Council Professional Artist Grant, Raja is active as a soloist, chamber musician, and recording artist with the Sono Luminus label. Performing favorites of the repertoire from Bach to Glass.

July 18th & July 19th

Booked by The Met

July 25th & July 26th

Shearing Stones

Shearing Stones
Lavinia Pavlish, violin
Eleanor Norton, cello
New York’s most engaging string duo brings classics old and new with their signature high-energy spirit — from Bach to Bartók and beyond!

August 1st & August 2nd

Raja Rahman, piano

Raja Rahman, piano
President & CEO of Nevada School of The Arts, and one half of magic duo, Jarrett & Raja, pianist Raja Rahman is a perennial Met favorite. The winner of the 2022 Nevada Arts Council Professional Artist Grant, Raja is active as a soloist, chamber musician, and recording artist with the Sono Luminus label. Performing favorites of the repertoire from Bach to Glass.

August 8th & August 9th

Rock Paper Scissors

Lavinia Pavlish, violin
Ralph Farris, viola
Laura Metcalf, cello

New York’s most engaging string trio brings classics old and new with their signature high-energy spirit — from Beethoven and Kodály, to Hailstork, Hu and Skoryk.

August 15th & August 16th

ETHEL

Ralph Farris, viola
Kip Jones, violin
Corin Lee, violin
Dorothy Lawson, cello

Performing the House Band’s Greatest Hits, to include music by Thelonious Monk, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and Ron Carter.

August 22nd & August 23rd

ETHEL

Ralph Farris, viola
Kip Jones, violin
Corin Lee, violin
Dorothy Lawson, cello

Performing the House Band’s Greatest Hits, to include music by Philip Glass, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and Janis Joplin.

August 29th & August 30th

Corin Lee, Violin

Corin Lee, violin
ETHEL’s own Corin Lee offers a showcase of Concert and Contemporary Favorites for Solo Amplified Violin.

Stay tuned. More dates to be announced.

ETHEL at THE MET

ETHEL has been in Residence at The Met for over a decade– originally on the Balcony Bar, and for the past two years in the virtual realm, producing The Met’s celebrated “Balcony Bar from Home” series where the group presented weekly celebrations of ETHEL’s wide world of music, featuring collaborations with an extraordinary collection of guest artists from Svjetlana Bukvich to Jarrett & Raja; from Layale Chaker to Rhett Price; from Ron Carter to Todd Rundgren.

Visit ETHEL’s YouTube Channel, featuring a playlist of some of ETHEL’s classic BBfH offerings.

Here is a sampling: