A Treat Grows in Brooklyn: ARKAI Wows a Sold-Out Crowd with help of Lindsey Stirling
Standing in the middle of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is National Sawdust, an old sawdust factory that was recommissioned a decade ago to provide New York City with one of its most unique and exciting stages for what The New York Times described as “the city’s most vital new-music hall” and as “a triumphantly successful performance space that stands for a hip, sophisticated brand of new music.”
It was in this setting that two graduates of the world-famous Juilliard School in Manhattan returned to their musical roots and performed an 80-minute set in front of a sold-out crowd of over 300 enthusiasts in the facility’s brilliantly designed and acoustically superb room.
ARKAI is cellist Philip Sheegog and violinist Jonathan Miron. Make no mistake, these two dynamic performers are not your grandfather’s chamber music duo. Their name, “ARKAI,” comes from a Greek word meaning “Leaders,” and they have done just that in the world of contemporary instrumental music, winning the 2026 GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for their album ‘Brightside.’
The show started 30 minutes past the posted start time to accommodate those waiting to get in. The duo opened with ‘Patchwork,’ a single from 2022, and in the number two slot was the title track from the GRAMMY-winning album ‘Brightside.’
After some banter with the crowd, the duo launched into a trio of tunes, including the original composition ‘Sun Drifter’ from the ‘Brightside’ album and two brilliantly adapted covers: Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘The Sound of Silence’ and The Beatles’ ‘Blackbird.’ At the start of ‘Blackbird,’ Philip and Jonathan, playing electroacoustic versions of their respective instruments, used different methods and strokes to recreate the sounds of the jungle reawakening after a night’s slumber. Just beautifully done. Similarly, when playing ‘Tokyo Sidecar,’ aka the credit card song, interesting sounds were created by using the cards as additional complementary percussion.
The interaction between the musicians was also outside the realm of what one might expect from a simple stringed duo. It was clear that these gents loved what they were doing. Their body movements, facial expressions, and exchanged glances all added to a significantly more dynamic experience than the staid violin-and-cello duo sitting in the corner at the cocktail hour of a wedding. More punk than patrician.
After ‘Tokyo Sidecar,’ there was a visit from the great Lindsey Stirling. Ms. Stirling has known and been friends with the ARKAI duo for seven years now, and their great affection for each other showed. For those unfamiliar with her work, Stirling has elevated contemporary string performance to levels never before seen and was beginning her winter tour shortly, with ARKAI lending support as the opening act. She performed two songs with them that night: ‘High Noon’ and ‘King of Coins.’
In a somber moment, the next song was ‘Remembrance.’ Jonathan told the audience that the song had been given its title by an audience member a few years earlier. She had approached the duo after a show and told them that her partner had passed away a couple of days before, and that the song had brought back memories of all their beautiful moments together.
The night ended with ‘Symphony X’ and what they called an “Audience Jam.” It was a fun and interesting night in a fun and interesting venue. Their upcoming tour with Lindsey Stirling is highly recommended.
Photos (c) David Fang
