Strung Together (CAG CryptFest)

• Empire Wild

Taro Hakase — Jounetsu Tairiku
Holly Bean / Ken Kubota / Mitch Lyon — September Again
Holly Bean / Ken Kubota / Ethan Lewis / Mitch Lyon — For Chiaki/North Beat
George Gershwin — "'S Wonderful" from Funny Face
Mark Summer — Julie-O
Chick Corea — Armando's Rhumba
Holly Bean / Ken Kubota / Mitch Lyon — 30 to Life
Stevie Wonder — If You Really Love Me
Henry Mancini — Moon River
Jeremy Kittel — The Boxing Reels

What do you get when you take two Juilliard-trained cellists and a vocalist who's topped the bills at some of New York City's finest jazz establishments? You get Empire Wild, a trio comprised of Ken Kubota, Mitch Lyon, and Holly Bean, whose musical explorations transform pop, folk, Broadway and more into a unique musical gumbo that's equal parts talent, joy, and magic.

About Death of Classical

https://www.deathofclassical.com/

About Empire Wild

Empire Wild is a genre-bending, crossover trio featuring classically-trained musicians as a vehicle for their shared love of musical exploration—focusing the sounds of pop, folk, Broadway and more into their songwriting and composition. Empire Wild was selected as an Ambassador Prize winner in the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition.

The group's debut EP Paper Seasons features all original songs, highlighting the Trio's unique sound and instrumentation. Based in NYC, Empire Wild has brought its signature mix of original music, inventive covers, and twists on the classical canon to audiences across the country.

Individually, all three musicians are committed to community engagement and teaching. Together as an ensemble, Empire Wild feels 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 University of Iowa, the Peabody Institute, and the Preucil School, among others. Equally at home in classrooms, intimate salons and large concert halls, Empire Wild brings a sense of community to every performance.

https://www.empirewild.com/