Kinetic Ensemble and Yuri McCoy: “New from Old”

Organist Yuri McCoy joins the ensemble for a program of historical transformation. Works from the second world war escape to the baroque and beyond, including Poulenc’s organ concerto, Giazotto’s “rediscovery” of a supposed Albinoni adagio, and more from Andrzej Panufnik and Ruth Gipps.

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Dubbed “Houston’s Indie, Conductorless Orchestra” (Houston Public Media) and “Best Chamber Orchestra of 2023” (Houston Press), the artist-led, artist-curated Kinetic Ensemble has been gaining increasing momentum as an innovative and dynamic force in the classical music scene since forming in 2015. Consisting of 16 string players and performing without a conductor, Kinetic is committed to amplifying diverse, under-represented, and newly composed classical music through flexible chamber and orchestral performances. The ensemble has been hailed for its “thoughtful, incisive programming,” its “agile virtuosity and vibrant sound,” and “visually arresting… brilliantly executed” performances (Arts+Culture Texas).

In 2023, Kinetic’s self-titled album, which features world premiere recordings by four exciting young composers, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Traditional Classical charts. The ensemble’s studio recordings are also featured on the albums, Pierre Jalbert: String Theory (Orchid Classics, 2021); Studies in Nature: New Music by Karim Al-Zand (Centaur Records, 2018); and Daniel Knaggs: Two Streams (Capella Records, 2023), alongside Houston Chamber Choir.

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Dr. Yuri McCoy, organist of South Main Baptist Church, is a graduate of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where he studied with organist Ken Cowan. Hailed by Gramophone magazine as an organist possessing “rare virtuosity”, McCoy has made his mark on the organ world through bracingly original programming and a strong desire to shed a spotlight on less traversed areas of organ literature. Whether it is Ligeti’s Etudes on piano or his daring transcription of Varese’s massive orchestral work, Amériques, for organ, percussion, and assistant, Yuri enjoys the opportunity to share new sounds with audiences. During the summer of 2019, Yuri performed a transcription of Lutoslawski’s piano concerto alongside pianist Yvonne Chen at the Spoleto Music Festival. He also supports the music of living composers, and in 2006 premiered Voices of the Invisible Blue Butterflies by Vach Sharafyan at the SoundSCAPE music festival in Cortona, Italy.