The Curiosity Cabinet

Ensemble Members

The Curiosity Cabinet

Founded in 2009 by composer and conductor Whitney George, The Curiosity Cabinet is a chamber orchestra dedicated to performing works of the 20th/21st-century standard repertoire and premiering works by living composers working in interdisciplinary mediums. The group began as a Pierrot Ensemble, and has since grown into a collective of more than 20 instrumentalists and 6 singers, with a core group of 10 performers and a conductor. The ensemble has been involved in a variety of festivals and performances in New York and the east coast since it’s creation. In 2010, the ensemble was awarded the Robert Engelman Award for the premiere performance of George’s 50-minute monodrama 'The Yellow Wallpaper'. In the Spring of 2011, the ensemble premiered a 13-movement work written for the ensemble by George entitled 'The Anatomy of the Curiosity Cabinet'. This performance won the CUNY Graduate Center's prestigious Robert Starer Award. In the same year, the ensemble premiered selections of a new opera by David Bridges, and was the ensemble-in-residence at the annual Hartford Women Composers' Festival. In the Fall of 2014 , the Curiosity Cabinet was in-residence with Concrete Timbre’s artist collective for a Satie-inspired work titled 'Un Lieu de Vie', and in the Spring of 2015, the ensemble is collaborating with puppeteer Daniel Fay for a performance at the Standard Toykraft Theater in Brooklyn. Since 2011, the ensemble has been involved in the annual NY-wide "Composers NOW" event. The group has performed works by composers Whitney George, David Bridges, Ellen O'Meara, Chris Danforth, Girolamo Deraco, Faye-Ellen Silverman, and Karen Powers in addition to the staples of the 20th century such as Copland, Feldman, & Cage.