American Modern Ensemble presented a 28-piece string orchestra, outside & socially distanced, at the iconic artist resident building, Manhattan Plaza, on October 8, 2020, led by Maestro David Rosenmeyer in an unforgettable musical gift to New York City.

Featuring music by Tchaikovsky, Paterson, and Grieg, AME is sharing this special performance with you through our Tuesday Tapas video concert series, continuing today with the Allegro Vivace of Robert Paterson’s Suite for String Orchestra.

This project was inspired by a survey from The Center for an Urban Future that concluded just over 56,000 artists resided in the five boroughs in 2015. 

Let’s say half of them left due to COVID, or since that 2015 study (no current studies available since 2015). That is still 28,000 artists living right now in NYC. This number represents professional full-time working artists: musicians, actors, singers, writers, dancers, and visual artists. Each member of our 28-piece string orchestra will represent 1,000 NYC artists and their resilience and vitality, in the face of the devastating impact of 2020.

Performing in celebration and in joy, to give healing, AME celebrates the vitality and importance of the arts in 2020, and beyond.