GRAMMY®-Nominated A Far Cry Announces 20th Anniversary Season – Nine Thoughtfully Curated Programs from September 2026 through June 2027

Photo by Anja Schütz available in high resolution here.

GRAMMY®-Nominated A Far Cry Announces 20th Anniversary Season

Featuring Nine Thoughtfully Curated Programs Throughout the Boston Area from September 2026 through June 2027

“This conductorless chamber orchestra is one of Boston’s most admired musical groups.” – WBUR

Complete Schedule: afarcry.org/all-concerts

Season Subscriptions Available Now
Single Tickets On Sale August 12, 2026

Boston, MA – Described as a “world-wide phenomenon” by WBUR, Boston-based, multi-GRAMMY®-nominated chamber orchestra A Far Cry (AFC) has nurtured a distinct approach to music-making since its founding in 2007. The self-conducted ensemble is a democracy in which decisions are made collectively and leadership rotates among the players (“Criers”). This structure has led to consistently thoughtful, innovative programming and impactful collaborations with celebrated performers and composers. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, A Far Cry presents nine thoughtfully curated programs throughout the Boston area including a grand finale anniversary celebration, from September 2026 through June 2027 at venues including New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plan, Old South Church in Boston, First Church in Cambridge, and the Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama.

A Far Cry was founded in 2007 on the belief that every voice deserves to be heard; so instead of one artistic director, the collective of musicians curate and submit program ideas inspired by individual curiosities, the greater musical community, and what is happening in the world at large. The result is a dynamic representation of music and collaborators across genres and backgrounds. The Criers believe it is this core value and sense of curiosity and mission that led The Boston Globe to write that, “even though A Far Cry has decisively established itself as a mainstay of the Boston musical community, something about it feels perpetually fresh with every performance.” In addition to its home season in Boston, the ensemble tours nationally, collaborates regularly with other world-class musicians throughout the country, and has twice been nominated for GRAMMY® Awards in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance category. The group’s recording of Rounds by Jessie Montgomery with pianist Awadagin Pratt on his album Stillpoint garnered Montgomery the GRAMMY® Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2024.

A Far Cry’s 20th anniversary season makes room for Baroque and brand new music, for celebration and reflection, for old friends and first-time listeners alike, with something to satisfy every musical appetite. It includes four Mainstage Concerts, four Neighborhood Chamber Music Concerts, and one special Season 20 Celebration.

AFC’s 2026-2027 Mainstage Concerts include an expansion on the ensemble’s previous collaboration with GRAMMY®-nominated pianist Simone Dinnerstein, creating a newly re-imagined version of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations (September 19, Jordan Hall), to be recorded for later commercial release; Mighty Fortress (November 7, Old South Church) featuring the Boston Children's Chorus and highlighting the strength that comes from unity with music by inti figgis-vizueta, J.S. Bach, and Julius Eastman; Heart Strings: The Most Beautiful Music in the World (February 12, Jordan Hall) celebrating Valentine’s Day and embracing the emotive richness of music for strings and harp by Johann Pachelbel, Elfrida Andree, George Walker, Pēteris Vasks, Gustav Mahler, and more, alongside spoken word by Boston Poet Laureate Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah; and Side by Side: Absolute Cinema (April 10, Jordan Hall) highlighting music’s capacity to shape stories told on screen and beyond in selections by Tōru Takemitsu, Harold Arlen, and Erich Wolfgang Korngold, plus the world premiere of a new work co-commissioned by A Far Cry and Project STEP from Quinn Mason, with students from the New England Conservatory and Project STEP.

AFC’s four 2026-2027 Neighborhood Chamber Music Concerts invite audiences into intimate musical spaces where stories, traditions, and communities come alive. Each concert highlights a different facet of connection across cultures, generations, and landscapes. Folie à deux explores the magic of musical partnerships with works by Akshaya Avril Tucker, Fabian Otten, Paul Wiancko, Caroline Shaw, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Osvaldo Golijov (October 24, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain and October 25, First Church in Cambridge); Brandenburgs celebrates the holiday season and honors the timelessness of masters from the Baroque era including J.S. Bach, Antoine Dauvergne, and Arcangelo Corelli (December 19, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain and December 20, First Church in Cambridge); Coming to Boston: From Haiti (January 9, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain and January 10, First Church in Cambridge) shines a light on figures integral to Boston’s history, as well as the beautiful culture and steadfast resolve of the Haitian community with music by Werner Jaegerhuber, Robert Durand, Jean “Rudy” Perrault, and Daniel Bernard Roumain, presented in collaboration with Haitian poet, educator, visual artist, and cultural activist Charlot Lucien; The Greatest (March 13, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain and March 14, First Church in Cambridge) uses music to consider the idea of greatness through a lens other than that of achievement, and features selections by Joseph Haydn, Valerie Coleman, Rebecca Clarke, and Osvaldo Golijov.

For its 20th anniversary grand finale on June 5, AFC presents Mix Tape for Boston: Costumes Change, Pulse Remains, transforming the Boston Center for the Arts’ Cyclorama into a spectacular space filled with live music, revelry, food, and drink. Inspired by the long tradition of the masked ball, and the irresistible pull of a great party, this spectacular event will blur the boundaries between concert and celebration.

Beyond the concert stage, A Far Cry continues its commitment to making music accessible and participatory through free community programs for listeners of all ages. Little Criers introduces young children and their caregivers to live chamber music through interactive performances, creative activities, and hands-on musical play. Listening Lab invites audiences to explore the art of listening through immersive performances with guided conversation, transforming them from passive listeners into active participants in the music-making process. Dates and details for the 2026–27 season will be announced soon.

Audiences beyond Boston can also experience Season 20 through A Far Cry's Virtual Passport, developed in partnership with Immersive Music Project. These cinematic livestreams and on-demand recordings place viewers within the ensemble, offering an intimate perspective to the concert experience. The Virtual Passport includes livestream and video-on-demand access to all four mainstage concerts, audio from all four neighborhood chamber performances, and additional subscriber benefits.

About A Far Cry

A Far Cry was founded in 2007 on the belief that every voice deserves to be heard; so instead of one artistic director, the collective of musicians (“Criers”) curate and submit program ideas inspired by individual curiosities, and what is happening in the world at large. The result is ensemble-playing at its most intimate, representing a diverse mix of music and collaborators.

A Far Cry has risen to the top of Billboard’s Traditional Classical Chart and has twice been nominated for GRAMMY® Awards in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance category. The group’s recording of Rounds by Jessie Montgomery with pianist Awadagin Pratt on his album Stillpoint garnered Montgomery the GRAMMY® Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2024. A Far Cry’s albums The Blue Hour (New Amsterdam and Nonesuch Records) and A Gentleman of Istanbul (Crier Records) were also GRAMMY® nominees that year in the Best Engineered Album, Classical category. A Far Cry’s Crier Records launched auspiciously in 2014 with the GRAMMY®-nominated album Dreams and Prayers. The label’s second release, Law of Mosaics, was included on many top 10 lists, notably from The New Yorker’s Alex Ross and WQXR, which named A Far Cry as one of the "Imagination-Grabbing, Trailblazing Artists of 2014.” The 2018 release Visions and Variations, received two GRAMMY nominations, including one for Best Chamber Music Performance.

A Far Cry’s omnivorous approach has led to collaborations with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Simone Dinnerstein, Dinuk Wijeratne, Davóne Tines, Roomful of Teeth, the Silk Road Ensemble, Vijay Iyer, and David Krakauer, to name a few. Highlights include new commissioning projects: Philip Glass’ third piano concerto with soloist Simone Dinnerstein, and The Blue Hour, “a gorgeous and remarkably unified work” (Washington Post) written by a collaborative of five leading female composers – Rachel Grimes, Angélica Negrón, Shara Nova, Caroline Shaw, and Sarah Kirkland Snider. The Blue Hour was released in partnership with New Amsterdam and Nonesuch Records, and was named a Top 10 Album of the year by NPR. In 2023, the group recorded and toured pianist Awadagin Pratt’s Stillpoint project, which features music by Alvin Singleton, Jessie Montgomery, Judd Greenstein, Paola Prestini, Pēteris Vasks, and Tyshawn Sorey. The album, out on New Amsterdam, was called “perhaps the finest of his [Pratt’s] career” by NPR. In 2023, Crier Records also released Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol's A Gentleman of Istanbul, which the group commissioned in 2017. San Francisco Classical Voice called the work a “dazzling multicultural symphony.”

In addition to presenting its annual home series of nine programs at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall and other locations throughout Boston, A Far Cry tours nationally and has performed at leading venues including The Kennedy Center, National Gallery of Art, Kaufman Music Center, the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park, at Caramoor, the Ravinia Festival, Rockport Chamber Music Festival-Shalin Liu, Groton Hill Music Center, Newport Classical Music Festival, and many more.The Criers are proud to call Boston home, and maintain strong roots in the city. The group recently celebrated the conclusion of a 10-year residency at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Collaborating with local students through educational partnerships with the New England Conservatory and Project STEP, A Far Cry aims to pass on the spirit of collaboratively-empowered music to the next generation.

A Far Cry Season 20 — Concert Schedule

Mainstage Concert: Goldberg Variations with Pianist Simone Dinnerstein
Curated by Alex Fortes & Sarah Darling
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at 7:30pm | New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall (30 Gainsborough St., Boston)

A Far Cry and Simone Dinnerstein present a modern reimagining of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, expanding Bach’s iconic keyboard masterpiece in revelatory and unexpected ways into a living dialogue for piano and string orchestra. Created by Criers Alex Fortes and Sarah Darling with Dinnerstein, this arrangement draws out the hidden possibilities within each variation: a hint of trio sonata here, a French overture there, even a jazz-inflected bass line or a playful quodlibet. Solo piano and strings continually trade, mirror, and transform one another, revealing new colors, textures, and moments of surprise while remaining rooted in the brilliance of Bach’s original.

Johannes Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 arr. by Simone Dinnerstein, Alex Fortes and Sarah Darling

Neighborhood Chamber Music Concert: Folie à deux
Curated by Rafael Popper-Keizer
Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 3pm | St. John’s Episcopal Church (1 Roanoke Ave., Jamaica Plain)
Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 3pm | First Church Cambridge (11 Garden St., Cambridge)

French for the “madness of two,” Folie à deux explores the possibilities of musical partnership through six striking duos for violin, viola, cello, and marimba. Moving through every possible pairing of the ensemble’s four instruments, this program reveals how intimacy, tension, vulnerability, and joy can emerge when two voices come together. These vibrant works by contemporary composers range from the shimmering stillness of Akshaya Avril Tucker’s Breathing Sunlight to the mournful echoes of Osvaldo Golijov’ Mariel;, from the playful textures of Caroline Shaw’s Limestone and Felt to the profound gravity of Penderecki’s Ciaccona. Together, they form a kaleidoscopic meditation on connection, memory, identity, and shared experience. By turns playful, sincere, grief-stricken, and ecstatic, Folie à deux celebrates the power—and necessity—of not going it alone.

Akshaya Avril Tucker: Breathing Sunlight
Fabian Otten: L’Assillo
Paul Wiancko: American Haiku
Caroline Shaw: Limestone and Felt
Krzysztof Penderecki: Ciaccona
Osvaldo Golijov: Mariel

Mainstage Concert: Mighty Fortress featuring Boston Children's Chorus
With Ariadne Greif, soprano; Clare McNamara, alto; Brian Giebler, tenor; and Max Tipton, bass
Curated by Alex Fortes
Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 7:30pm | Old South Church (645 Boylston St., Boston)

A Far Cry gathers musicians and audiences inside the soaring sanctuary of Old South Church for an evening centered on themes of human resilience. The program connects three visionary works across centuries: inti figgis-vizueta’s Talamh (land), Johann Sebastian Bach triumphant Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”), and Julius Eastman’s monumental Gay Guerrilla, which transforms the famous hymn into a bold, ecstatic meditation on endurance and liberation. Performed by the combined forces of orchestra, chorus, soloists, and organ, Mighty Fortress celebrates the strength we discover when we listen, sing, and stand together.

inti figgis-vizueta: Talamh (land)
Johann Sebastian Bach: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God), BWV 80
Julius Eastman: Gay Guerrilla

Neighborhood Chamber Music Concert: Brandenburgs
Curated by Jae Cosmos Lee
Saturday, December 19, 2026 at 3pm | St. John’s Episcopal Church (1 Roanoke Ave., Jamaica Plain)
Sunday, December 20, 2026 at 3pm | First Church in Cambridge (11 Garden St., Cambridge)

Ring in the holiday season with an afternoon of radiant baroque music. Centered around two of Bach’s beloved Brandenburg Concertos, this luminous program invites listeners to slow down, gather with loved ones, and experience the warmth and brilliance of music made in community. Alongside Bach’s exuberant concerti, Antoine Dauvergne’s sparkling Concert de Simphonies brings elegance and charm, while Corelli’s admired Christmas Concerto captures the wonder and anticipation of Christmas morning. Festive, vibrant, and full of heart, this seasonal tradition offers a moment of joy, reflection, and togetherness on the brink of the winter solstice.

J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048
Antoine Dauvergne: Concert de Simphonies No. 4 in A major, Op. 4/2
J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concert No. 6 in B-flat major, BWV 1051
Arcangelo Corelli: Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 8 (“Christmas Concerto”)

Neighborhood Chamber Music Concert: Coming to Boston: From Haiti
Curated by Francesca McNeeley in Collaboration with Charlot Lucien
Saturday, January 9, 2027 at 3pm | St. John’s Episcopal Church (1 Roanoke Ave., Jamaica Plain)
Sunday, January 10, 2027 at 3pm | First Church in Cambridge (11 Garden St., Cambridge)

Coming to Boston spotlights the stories of those who have shaped—and been shaped by—this city. In From Haiti, music, history, and cultural identity converge in a powerful program celebrating Haitian artistry, resilience, and diasporic connection. Werner Jaegerhuber’s Plainte nocturne draws from Haitian folk melodies and nocturnal songs of lament, while Robert Durand’s String Quartet No. 1 blends echoes of Dvořák and Smetana with the rhythms and spirit of Haitian méringue. Haitian American composer Daniel Bernard Roumain’s electrifying String Quartet No. 1, “X” channels the urgency, anger, and transformational power inspired by Malcolm X, while Jean “Rudy” Perrault’s music explores the cultural origins and deeper meaning behind the Haitian zonbi tradition. This program will be presented in collaboration with Charlot Lucien—Haitian poet, educator, visual artist, and cultural activist—helping weave together music, storytelling, and reflection into an afternoon centered on cultural exchange, memory, and community.

Werner Jaegerhuber: Plainte nocturne #1
Robert Durand: String Quartet No. 1
Jean “Rudy” Perrault: Movements from String Quartet No. 2 Z.O.E. (“Zombie Origin and Evolution”)
Daniel Bernard Roumain: String Quartet No. 1 “X”
With additional music by Ludovic Lamothe and Dickens Princivil

Mainstage Concert: Heart Strings: The Most Beautiful Music in the World
Featuring spoken word performances by Boston Poet Laureate Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah
Curated by Rafael Popper-Keizer
Friday, February 12, 2027 at 7:30pm | New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall (30 Gainsborough St., Boston)

For this year’s annual Heart Strings program, A Far Cry’s most thoughtful and sentimental curator, Rafael Popper-Keizer, invites audiences into an evening of unabashedly gorgeous music for strings and harp: music of tenderness, longing, melancholy, devotion, and transcendent beauty. From the familiar warmth of Pachelbel’s Canon in D to the aching serenity of Mahler’s Adagietto, the program gathers luminous works that tug unapologetically at the heartstrings. Along the way, George Walker’s deeply moving Lyric for Strings mourns and remembers; Pēteris Vasks’ Lonely Angel offers balm for an aching world; and Schoenberg’s lush Notturno shimmers with late-night romance and dreamlike intimacy. Music by Elfrida Andrée, Gerald Finzi, and Fikret Amirov rounds out a program that moves fluidly between ardor, nostalgia, vulnerability, and wonder. Interwoven throughout the evening will be live, spoken word performances by Boston Poet Laureate Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah, whose poetry responds to the music in real time, creating a dialogue between sound, love, and human connection. Following the performance, audiences are invited to continue the evening over champagne, sweets, and conversation—because perhaps the most beautiful part of a concert is discovering we are not alone.

Johann Pachelbel: Canon in D Major
Elfrida Andree: Andante quasi recitativo
George Walker: Lyric for Strings
Fikret Amirov: Symphony for String Orchestra, mvt. 1
Schoenberg: Notturno for string orchestra and harp
Finzi: Prelude for String Orchestra in F minor Op. 25
Pēteris Vasks: Vientulais Enģelis for solo violin and string orchestra
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor; mvt. 4 Adagietto

Neighborhood Chamber Music Concert: The Greatest
Curated by Megumi Stohs Lewis
Saturday, March 13, 2027 at 3pm | St. John’s Episcopal Church (1 Roanoke Ave., Jamaica Plain)
Sunday, March 14, 2027 at 3pm | First Church in Cambridge (11 Garden St., Cambridge)

What makes someone—or something—great? Inspired in part by Valerie Coleman’s Shotgun Houses, a musical tribute to Muhammad Ali, this chamber program explores greatness not simply as triumph or fame, but as attention, vitality, generosity, and love. Haydn’s “Quinten” Quartet transforms the most elemental building blocks of music into something endlessly inventive and alive. Rebecca Clarke’s luminous Pastorale offers a moment of intimacy and reflection, while Coleman’s exhilarating portrait of Ali celebrates the power of community and living with conviction. The program closes with Osvaldo Golijov’s Ever Yours, inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s letters to his brother Theo and dedicated to enduring friendship and artistic devotion. Together, these works ask us to consider another kind of greatness: not greatness that stands above others, but greatness that notices, connects, and leaves the world more vibrant than it found it.

Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in D minor Op.76, No.2, “Quinten”
Valerie Coleman: Shotgun Houses for Clarinet & String Quartet
Rebecca Clarke: Pastorale for Clarinet & Viola
Osvaldo Golijov: Ever Yours

Mainstage Concert: Side by Side: Absolute Cinema
Featuring Students from New England Conservatory and Project STEP
Curated by Hannah Collins
Saturday, April 10, 2027 at 5pm | New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall (30 Gainsborough St., Boston)

In A Far Cry’s annual Side by Side, the Criers partner with students from Project STEP and New England Conservatory for a joyous performance celebrating the next generation of artists—and the mentors, teachers, families, and friends who help them grow. This year’s program, Absolute Cinema, explores another influential force that shapes us: music’s pivotal role in the stories we tell on screen and beyond. From Tōru Takemitsu’s atmospheric Three Film Scores to Harold Arlen’s iconic Somewhere Over the Rainbow, this program draws focus on music’s ability to transport us, define moments, and stay with us for a lifetime. The concert also features the world premiere of a new work by composer Quinn Mason co-commissioned by A Far Cry and Project STEP, alongside Korngold’s lush and cinematic Symphonic Serenade.

With a special 5:00pm start time, Absolute Cinema invites audiences of all ages to make an evening of it—bringing families, students, teachers, and music lovers together to celebrate the next generation of artists and the stories that connect us all.

Tōru Takemitsu: Three Film Scores
Quinn Mason: New commission by A Far Cry; World premiere with ProjectSTEP
Harold Arlen: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Symphonic Serenade in B-flat major, Op. 39

Season 20 Celebration: Mix Tape for Boston: Costumes Change, Pulse Remains
Curated by Clara Lyon
Saturday, June 5, 2027 at 7:30pm | The Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama (539 Tremont St., Boston)

For A Far Cry’s milestone Season 20 gala, the orchestra transforms the BCA Cyclorama into a spectacular evening of live music, revelry, food, drink, and delightful abandon. Inspired by the long tradition of the masked ball—and the irresistible pull of a great party—Costumes Change, Pulse Remains blurs the boundaries between concert and celebration. Spanning centuries of dance music, this genre-bending mixtape reveals unexpected connections between Baroque splendor, Romantic drama, and disco ecstasy. From chandeliers to mirror balls, from gavottes to groove, the pulse remains the same: music that brings people together, moves bodies, and invites transformation. Expect costumes. Expect surprises. Expect to dance. Repertoire and special guests will be announced closer to the event, but audiences can look forward to A Far Cry’s signature approach to programming—bringing the same energy, artistry, and curiosity to Mozart and Chic, Berlioz and the Bee Gees.

A Far Cry’s full performance calendar: afarcry.org/all-concerts

For more information about A Far Cry: afarcry.org/group-bio