Absolute Ensemble is a multi-disciplinary electro-acoustic chamber band based in New York City. Created in 1993 by Conductor Kristjan Järvi (then a piano major at Manhattan School of Music), Absolute Ensemble has 18 key players hailing from across the Globe (Japan, Estonia, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Holland, Bulgaria, Canada and the USA). Järvi’s uncanny prescience for the future of classical music led him to create the band that the American Record Guide claims “may well be the most alluring and virtuosic of today’s new music groups.” An ebullient student term papers mix of jazz, classical and world music played with virtuosic flair, each project is created by the group from start to finish, drawing from their rich portfolios as composers, performers and improvisers.

Absolute has toured extensively, having performed at every major concert hall and festival in Europe. The Ensemble maintains close ties with New York City and continues to perform locally and record at Absolute Studios in Brooklyn. Absolute Ensemble has released fourteen albums and has been awarded the German Record Critics Prize, a Grammy nomination and the Deutsche Bank Prize for Outstanding Artistic Achievement. Their most recent recording for SONY, “Bach Re-Invented” features pianist Simon Dinnerstein.

Absolute Ensemble is one of the longest running, independently-operated chamber ensembles in New York City. We are cultural ambassadors for the United States, showcasing the diversity, the creativity and the excellence our country has to offer. Our mission is not only to serve our listeners by delivering unique, inspiring concert experiences and recordings, but also to support the artists who make this possible. We are committed to our players, our composers, our guest artists, our students and our audiences. Please help us sustain our organization and continue to spread peace, love and music to the world.