DISTINGUISHED BY A ROSTER OF THE REGION'S MOST ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIANS, THE KNICKERBOCKER CHAMBER ORCHESTRA IS A SUPERB PROFESSIONAL ENSEMBLE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF GARY S. FAGIN, SERVING THE LOWER MANHATTAN COMMUNITY.

Founded in 2008, the Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra brings outstanding orchestral and chamber music performances and educational programs to the downtown community, incorporating the area’s rich history into innovative presentations through collaboration with acclaimed soloists, choral, dance and literary organizations.

Past highlights of the KCO's presentations include the world premiere at the World Financial Center Winter Garden of Mr. Fagin’s composition “And Bold to Fall Withal (Henry Hudson in The New World)”, featuring Broadway star Jason Danieley in 2010, and the 2011 world premiere of Mr. Fagin’s "Robert Moses Astride New York," also at the Winter Garden, featuring Rinde Eckert. More recent highlights include the premiere of Mr. Fagin’s Juneteenth composition “Good Trouble” at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in 2022 and his “In Every Grain of Sand,” inspired by the works of Rachel Carson, celebrating Earth Day 2023 at the Winter Garden.

Music Director / Conductor

Gary Fagin is Music Director Emeritus of the Bucks County Symphony and conducted the New Jersey Ballet’s annual production of The Nutcracker for almost 30 years. Mr. Fagin served as Musical Director and Conductor for seven years at the Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven and for three seasons at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge.

Mr. Fagin is former Chairperson of Community Board No. 1's Seaport/Civic Center Committee and co-founder and co-director of the Seaport Community Coalition. A longtime Lower Manhattan resident, he lives in the South Street Seaport with his wife and daughter.

02102018+Brookfield+KCO+5950.jpg

Artistic Partnerships

Institutions

American Tap Dance Foundation

Arts Brookfield

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum

John Street Methodist Church

The Knickerbocker Club

Museum of Jewish Heritage

Pier A

Poets House

Schimmel Center for the Arts

South Street Seaport Museum

Trinity Church


guest artists

Brooklyn Youth Choir

Chauncey Packer

Elizabeth Pitcairn

Glenn Seven Allen

Henry Stram

Jason Danieley

Jody Oberfelder Dance Project

John Duykers

Jorell Williams

Jose Franch-Ballester

Judy Kuhn

Lindsay Roberts

Lucy Shelton

Manhattan Brass

Marin Mazzie 

Mikaela Bennett

Nancy Hume

Nathaniel Stampley

Neil Gaiman

Peter Kendall Clark

Rinde Eckert

Rosena Hill Jackson

Sarah Heltzell

Shira Levy

Tamar Greene


Board Members

Gary S. Fagin
Founder and Music Director

Chris Robertson
Board President

Jason Balaban

Clive Burrow

Gerald Carp

Lynda Davey

Jennifer Famery-Mariani

Sharon Fortenbaugh

Audrey Manley

Alix Michel

Delfina Pattacini

John Randolph

Chris Robertson

Alan Schiffres