Ages 2-102 Symphony Show

The Queen’s Cartoonists present their most popular concert program, fully expanded for a symphony orchestra. Watch classic animated characters come to life with the support of the musicians, reflecting the original symphonic quality of the films. The musicians are synchronized to the original films projected behind the orchestra, matching the energy of the cartoons and leading the audience through a world of virtuosic musicianship, multi-instrumental mayhem, and comedy.

 

Projections of animated films dazzle the audience, while the band re-creates original soundtracks note-for-note, or writes their own fresh compositions to modern pieces, all the while breathing new life into two uniquely American forms of art: jazz and animation. Tying everything together is the TQC brand of comedy - anecdotes about the cartoons and the composers, stream-of-consciousness humor, and elements of a musical circus.

 

Watch your favorite classic cartoon characters interact with the musicians on stage and expect the unexpected from the Golden Age of Animation, cult cartoon classics, and modern animated films. Inspired by the cross-roads of jazz, classical music, and cartoons, TQC features Jazz Age composers like Raymond Scott, Carl Stalling, and Duke Ellington, alongside classical giants like Mozart, Rossini, and Strauss.

 

Since their inception in 2015, the six musicians, hailing from four continents, all reside in Queens, New York, and are a uniquely creative part of the New York jazz scene. The band has presented their innovative concert experience to performing arts centers, clubs, and festivals all across North America and Europe. The Queen’s Cartoonists have opened for the New York Philharmonic and are the only artist in the 40-plus year history of the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City to sell out multiple all-ages shows. They have been featured in over 50 publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, NPR, and Mashable.

 

Highlights from 2022 include collaborations with the National Film Board of Canada and Aardman Studios, bringing the beloved films of Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep to audiences at the Edinburgh Film Festival. 

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