The Queen's Cartoonists

Joining the two longstanding American traditions of animation and jazz, the remarkable New York-based ensemble The Queen’s Cartoonists performs the indelible music from animation’s golden age synchronized to screenings of classic cartoons from the 1930s-50s as well as gems from the present day for this family-friendly holiday concert. 

Formed in 2015 and led by pianist Joel Pierson, who has collaborated with artists ranging from the New York Philharmonic and the Kronos Quartet to Linkin Park and Ke$ha, TQC boasts a multi-national cast of musicians hailing from Bulgaria, Japan, Australia, and the U.S. The Queens-based sextet recreate the exact soundtracks from the animated shorts that employ compositions from Jazz Age composers Raymond Scott, Carl Stalling, and Duke Ellington as well as opera and classical works by Mozart, Richard Strauss, and Rossini, in performances that blend stunning virtuosity with endless reserves of humor.  

With an irreverent stage presence that incorporates hilarious anecdotes about the cartoons and composers along with stream-of-consciousness wit and deft physical comedy, the group breathes fresh life into these beloved shorts from the major animation studios of the early 20th century as well as more modern cult cartoons. Join us for this all-ages holiday experience like no other.