Opera + Film
Metropolis Ensemble has produced innovative opera and film projects with the likes of composers David Bruce, Molly Joyce, Chris Cerrone, Ricardo Romaneiro, William Brittelle, and Vivian Fung.
Featured Project
In A Grove
In 2025, director Mary Birnbaum and music director Andrew Cyr present Christopher Cerrone and Stephanie Fleischmann’s haunting new opera at Prototype Festival with Metropolis Ensemble.
More Projects in this Collection
Metropolis Ensemble and MetLiveArts’ co-commissioned work, Life Returns, from composer Matthew Evan Taylor.
Director Mary Birnbaum and music director Andrew Cyr present Christopher Cerrone and Stephanie Fleischmann’s haunting new opera at Prototype Festival.
Celebrate the holidays with Brooklyn Youth Chorus at the Cathedral of St. Joseph with special appearances by Metropolis.
March 24, 2022
An evening-length composition at The Met drawing on African American, South Indian, and European musical practices.
December 18th, 2021
Celebrate the holidays with Brooklyn Youth Chorus at the beautiful Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, with a stirring and dynamic concert of contemporary music and holiday classics, featuring students from our Teen division and acclaimed performing ensembles, with special appearances by members of the Grammy-nominated orchestra collective Metropolis Ensemble.
Join Brooklyn Youth Chorus to start the holidays and leave full of the spirit of the season.
JENNY BECK’S SETTING WRAPS SAPPHO’S AND CARSON’S WORDS IN A DREAMY, IMMERSIVE SOUNDSCAPE SO THAT WE MIGHT HEAR SAPPHO’S POETRY OUT LOUD ONCE MORE, PERHAPS NOT AS SHE WOULD HAVE HAD IT, BUT HOW IT SINGS TO US NOW: DISTANT, PRESENT, LOST, REACHABLE, AND EXQUISITELY ALLURING.
February 20, 2020
GRAMMY-NOMINATED METROPOLIS ENSEMBLE GATHERS A SUPER-GROUP OF INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SOLOISTS AND COMPOSER/PERFORMERS FROM BRAZIL, ARGENTINA, COLOMBIA, SPAIN, AND THE UNITED STATES TO SHOWCASE FOLK-INSPIRED NUEVO LATINO MUSIC AS IT INTERMIXES WITH NEW YORK’S CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL SCENE.
January 7, 2020
GUATEMALAN-BORN SINGER-SONGWRITER GABY MORENO IS JOINED BY THE WOMEN OF LATIN ALTERNATIVE QUARTET LADAMA AND THE GRAMMY-NOMINATED CHAMBER ORCHESTRA METROPOLIS ENSEMBLE (ELINOR RUFEIZEN, GUEST CONDUCTOR) TO PERFORM MUSIC FROM ¡SPANGLED!—HER COLLABORATIVE NONESUCH ALBUM WITH AMERICAN MUSICIAN, SONGWRITER, ARRANGER AND PRODUCER VAN DYKE PARKS.
December 2, 2019
METROPOLIS ENSEMBLE IS THRILLED TO JOIN THE COLLECTIVE 37D03D (UPSIDE-DOWN “PEOPLE”) TO GATHER FOR A WEEK TO COMPOSE, COLLABORATE AND PRESENT MUSIC, VISUAL ART, AND LITERATURE IN A VARIETY OF SPACES AND SETTINGS.
November 22-23, 2019
OPERA IN DEVELOPMENT BY COMPOSER CHRISTOPHER CERRONE, LIBRETTIST STEPHANIE FLEISCHMANN, AND DIRECTOR MARY BIRNBAUM
October 12, 2019
A COLLECTION OF SONGS EXPLORING SECULAR SPIRITUALITY, COMPOSED BY WILLIAM BRITTELLE, AT SOUNDS FROM A SAFE HARBOUR FESTIVAL
September 15, 2019
EMILY WELLS, BROOKLYN-BASED SINGER AND MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST, PERFORMS WITH METROPOLIS ENSEMBLE, OPENING FOR LEGENDARY EXPERIMENTAL ROCK BAND TORTOISE
June 22, 2019
METROPOLIS ENSEMBLE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AMERICAN LYRIC THEATER, ALT ALUMNI: COMPOSERS AND LIBRETTISTS IN CONCERT
March 3, 2019
EMILY WELLS — THIS WORLD IS TO _____ FOR YOU, NYC PREMIERE AND ALBUM RELEASE SHOW FEATURING METROPOLIS ENSEMBLE
February 28, 2019
August 5, 2018 at Hollywood Bowl
William Brittelle's Spiritual America, featuring Wye Oak and Metropolis Ensemble, opens for Bon Iver and TU Dance.
THE BAY-AREA VIOLIN/VOCALS DUO HAE VOCES CREATES AN EVENING INSPIRED BY ARTIST SONYA RAPOPORT’S DRAWINGS, READING THEIR VISUAL INTENSITY AND PLAYFULNESS LIKE NOTES ON A PAGE
June 14, 2018
April 21, 2018 / World premieres from Timo Andres, Caroline Shaw, and a performance of Charpentier with Metropolis Ensemble and TENET early music ensemble.
WORLD PREMIERE WITH WYE OAK, METROPOLIS ENSEMBLE, AND BROOKLYN YOUTH CHORUS
February 16, 2018
Metropolis Ensemble and a global company of 100+ artists performs Him Sophy’s theatrical requiem for Cambodia.
April 23, 2015 at Music Hall of Williamsburg
Metropolis joins forces with the eight-piece baroque pop band and composer Ellis Ludvig-Leone, to create an expanded orchestral version of their new album.
February 12, 2015 at The Appel Room
The enveloping swell of Ellis Ludwig-Leone’s baroque pop project San Fermin rises from grand-scale compositions complete with string and brass quartets and operatic vocals.
May 20, 2014 at Rockefeller Center
The Roots perform “Never” with Metropolis and DJ A-Trak on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson (The Roots) returns to BAM with an all-star mash-up that celebrates the pioneering works of electronic music.
Recent Press
Armistead Booker
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