Chapel Concert Series
Boyd Meets GirlRather than a notated program, tonight’s musical selections will be shared and introduced by the artists throughout the performance.
Program
Approximate run time is one hour
RUPERT BOYD, GUITAR & LAURA METCALF, CELLO
Biography
Boyd Meets Girl pairs Australian classical guitarist Rupert Boyd with American cellist
Laura Metcalf. The duo has toured the world sharing their eclectic mix of music from
Debussy and Bach to Radiohead and Beyoncé, and their two studio albums have
received over 4 million streams on Spotify alone. Both acclaimed soloists in their own
right, Boyd has been described as “truly evocative” by The Washington Post, and as "a
player who deserves to be heard" by Classical Guitar Magazine, while Metcalf, who has
also toured as a member of the popular chamber ensembles Eighth Blackbird, Break of Reality and Sybarite5, has been called "brilliant" by Gramophone. Boyd Meets Girl has toured throughout the USA, India, Nepal, New Zealand, and every state and territory in Australia, including engagements at Caramoor, Newport Classical, Festival Napa Valley, Austin Classical Guitar, Moab Music Festival and many others.
The duo’s debut album, released in 2017 on the Grammy award-winning label Sono
Luminus, reached #3 on the Billboard Traditional Classical chart, and received the following praise in Gramophone: “They play like one, with a harmony of purpose as sure as their intonation.” Their sophomore album, Songs of Love and Despair, released in 2022 was also praised in Gramophone as “Beguiling… fascinating… enchanting… their mutual understanding is manifest in every bar, not least the way they listen to each other.” Their music is broadcast on radio stations around the world, including regularly on New York’s WQXR and SiriusXM.
In 2024, Boyd Meets Girl gave the world premiere performances of ANAHATA, a cello and guitar double concerto composed by the Grammy-nominated Clarice Assad, and commissioned for the duo by the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. Carolyn Kuan, the Artistic Director for the HSO, conducted the world premiere of the three-movement piece, which Assad describes as “a musical reflection on the complex nature of love.
The duo arranges much of their repertoire themselves, drawing inspiration from artists across all genres, and often speak from the stage about the works to create an engaging, conversational concert experience that breaks down boundaries not only between musical genres but between audience and performer.
Artistic directors of the acclaimed Sunday morning concert series GatherNYC, and a happily married couple, the duo lives in New York City with their son Milo.
Welcome to the Chapel at West End Church. We are delighted that you are here for the opening concert of our Chapel Concert Series.
This series is presented for the New York City community as a place where people of all faiths, beliefs, and backgrounds can gather to experience live music in an intimate and beautiful setting. Tonight’s performance is the second of three concerts in the series this month. Information and tickets for the upcoming concerts can be found here.
As a courtesy to the performers and those around you, please silence any devices that may beep or ring. Restrooms are located downstairs; if you need directions, one of our staff will be happy to help. We hope you feel welcome in this space and that tonight’s performance brings you joy and inspiration. Thank you for being here.
A Note From West End Church