SYBARITE5 EXPANDS VISION WITH THE LAUNCH OF SYBARITE SOUND LAB
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York, NY – September 30th 2025 – After nearly two decades of redefining the string quintet experience with its inventive programming and adventurous spirit, acclaimed ensemble Sybarite5 is evolving into a new era with the launch of Sybarite Sound Lab. This new initiative builds upon Sybarite5’s legacy while offering expanded opportunities for musicians and audiences alike.
Sybarite Sound Lab will serve as an incubator for bold artistic projects that extend beyond the core quintet, fostering ensembles of varying sizes, supporting boundary-pushing collaborations, and commissioning an ever-expanding range of new works. True to Sybarite5’s adventurous DNA, the new platform will combine genres, styles, and artistic disciplines in unexpected ways—creating sonic experiences that challenge assumptions about classical and contemporary music.
“Sybarite Sound Lab represents the natural next step in our organization's artistic growth,” said founder Louis Levitt. “Over the years, audiences have embraced us for the unexpected. With this new scaffolding we can offer even more: a space where musicians and composers can experiment beyond string quintet, collaborate, and bring to life projects that wouldn’t otherwise fit within traditional ensemble frameworks.”
As part of this broader vision, Sybarite5 will serve as the Lab’s flagship ensemble throughout the 2025–26 touring season. Featuring violinists Simone Porter and Ariel Horowitz, cellist Amanda Gookin, violist and composer Jessica Meyer, and double-bassist Louis Levitt, the quintet will embody the Sybarite’s mission of boundary-breaking collaboration while continuing to tour nationally and internationally. Highlights of the upcoming season include Seasons of Change with six-time Grammy® nominated violinist & composer Curtis Stewart at New York’s Music Mondays (November 3), the prestigious Van Cliburn Concert Series in Fort Worth, (November 11) and appearances winter and spring 2026 at the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival, Joye in Aiken Festival, and Onstage Ogden in Utah.
Sybarite Sound Lab will officially launch in the 2026–27 season with How to Disappear Completely, marking the beginning of an expansive new chapter for the ensemble and its artistic family.
How to Disappear Completely explores the power of music to confront societal challenges and create moments of transcendence. Inspired by recent disturbing events and the haunting beauty of Radiohead's iconic song, this performance features the Sybarite Sound Lab in a mesmerizing journey through sound and emotion. The centerpiece is an otherworldly arrangement of "How to Disappear Completely," surrounded by newly commissioned on this subject works from an array of composers Each piece serves as a unique response to our tumultuous times, offering both a reflection on our shared struggles and a beacon of hope for the future. Through this carefully curated program, Sybarite Sound Lab invites the audience to experience the transformative power of music – to disappear into its depths and emerge renewed
For more information and bookings about Sybarite Sound Lab, contact Daniel Knapp- daniel@brightshiny.ninja