"Their rock star status…is well deserved. Their classically honed technique mixed with grit and all out passionate attack transfixes the audience…" -- Sarasota Herald Tribune
"Not your grandparents’ chamber music." – The Observer
In today’s turbulent modern world, we need to come together more. Diversity is a strength and chamber quintet SYBARITE5 is known for bridging genre gaps to bring unexpected musical combinations together to create unique, dynamic, and intoxicating concert experiences. Dubbed the “Millennial Kronos,” SYBARITE5’s eclectic repertoire includes music with roots in classical, rock, jazz, hip-hop, Armenian folk, and the avant-garde. From David Bowie to Radiohead, John Coltrane to Astor Piazzolla, Pete Seeger to the Punch Brothers, and Akiho to Komitas, their selections, when combined with their commanding performance style, are turning heads throughout the music world.
Comprised of Sami Merdinian and Suliman Tekalli, violins; Caeli Smith, viola; Laura Andrade, cello; and Louis Levitt, bass, SYBARITE5 has taken audiences by storm all across the US, forever changing the perception of chamber music performance. From the moment their bows hit the strings, this quintet of talented, diverse musicians takes the audience on an exciting ride that engages the senses and redefines the rules. Recent seasons have included performances in 43 states and counting, from the Library of Congress and St. Paul’s Schubert Club to the Anchorage Concert Association and Sun Valley Center for the Arts, as well as concerts in their home of New York City at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, National Sawdust, the Apple Store, and the 92nd Street Y. In addition to their own groundbreaking, portable music festival, Forward Festival, SYBARITE5 has appeared at Ravinia, Caramoor Center for the Arts, Wolf Trap Opera, Grand Teton Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Music in the Mountains, Chautauqua Music Festival, Green Lake Music Festival, Look and Listen Festival, and many others. International appearances include Canada’s Tuckamore Music Festival, the New Docta International Music Festival in Cordoba, Argentina, and the Osaka Festa in Osaka, Japan.
Their latest album, Collective Wisdom, was five years in the making. Although three-fifths of the ensemble was replaced with new blood, there is no seismic alteration in the group's sound, no doubt attributable to the stabilizing presence of double bassist Louis Levitt and violinist Sami Merdinian and the clarity of vision these two founding members bring to the group. For SYBARITE5’s debut appearance at Canan Commons, expect an experience that will satisfy your inner rock star AND your secret Mozart.
All things SYBARITE5, including tour dates, merchandise, exclusive audio and video clips, and exquisite blogging, can be found at www.sybarite5.org and Facebook fan page “SYBARITE5” on Twitter (@sybarite5) and Instagram (@sybarite5).
