Play Out is an organization that produces engaging, interactive concerts for families.
With multi-generational audiences in mind, Play Out concerts are equal parts thoughtful, educational, and entertaining. Crafted and hosted by Caitlin Sullivan, Play Out offers a unique opportunity to channel the imagination, tap into creative thinking, and develop a personal connection to music - for fresh ears and seasoned listeners alike.
Play Out concerts focus on a wide range of classical, contemporary, and cross-genre music, and are performed by some of the most highly sought-after musicians in New York City and beyond. Additionally, Play Out collaborates with other spectacular artists in many fields, including poets, writers, dancers, illustrators, animators, and more.
“Play Out is personal to me — it’s a reminder of my own music education growing up, when my teachers and mentors enthusiastically encouraged me to play out, to make my unique musical voice heard and expressed to its fullest.
Expressing oneself, along with deep listening and a love of learning, is essential for living a healthy and connected life. My goal is to share these principles with others through the interactive concert experience.”
photo by Whitney Browne
About the Founder:
Caitlin Sullivan is a cellist, producer, and educator based in New York City.
One of the earliest recipients of Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect Fellowship, Caitlin discovered her passion for arts advocacy, and has been nurturing her skill for developing interactive concert experiences ever since. She has visited schools, universities, hospitals, retirement homes, correctional facilities, museums, and concert spaces as a performer and teaching artist for numerous ensembles. She creates environments that encourage personal connections to classical music and beyond.
Currently the Director of Education Programming for The Knights, Caitlin has designed over a dozen interactive family concerts performed at the Clark Art Institute, Museum of Art and Design, Lighthouse Works on Fishers Island, as well as the Queens Theater and Brooklyn Children’s Museum as part of the WQXR Classical Kids Fair. She has overseen partnerships with USDAN Summer Camp for the Arts, the New York Philharmonic, and others.
As a cellist, Caitlin has performed with, recorded, and toured extensively with The Knights and the New York Philharmonic, making regular appearances at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall with these ensembles, as well as multiple concert tours throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Caitlin released her solo debut album, A Page From, on the New Amsterdam label, and a solo single, Quasi Una Sarabanda, with Long Echo Records. Composers who have written solo cello pieces for her include Mary Kouyoumdjian, Gabriel Kahane, Michelle Barzel Ross, and her husband, Nicholas Britell, with whom she has also recorded on his film and television scores. Caitlin was a featured soloist in Britell’s music with the San Fransisco Symphony, as part of their SoundBox Series.
photo by Michelle Ross