A Chamber music collective
Rooted in Expansion
ABout the Ensemble
Founded in 2022 by cellist Molly von Gutzeit (Aronson), Ensemble Mycelium is a chamber music collective dedicated to the performance of new and existing works, expanding the presentation of their field and engaging new audiences through an interconnection of multi-disciplinary mediums. With a versatile roster of highly sought after artists that have performed on stages across the world, Ensemble Mycelium has consistently championed the premiere of new compositions. The ensemble maintains ongoing collaborations with Composer-in-Residence Nick Virzi, composer Anne-Marie Keane, and AVID Dance.
Receiving creation grants from the Queens Council for the Arts, SMDT, Choreographer-in-Residence Billy Blanken, and Virzi collaborated to create Riverdaughter, a multidisciplinary work combining solo cello, electronics, dance, and film which premiered at the Queensboro Dance Festival. The ensemble completed a northeast tour, premiering the concert trio “Awaiting the Next Rebirth,” by Virzi featuring soprano, cello, and percussion, with a residency at Connecticut College. In collaboration with AVID Dance, Ensemble Mycelium premiered trio works by Asher Komor “Adagio & Coda” and Anne-Marie Keane “Human (2025)” and “Untamed Woman (2024)” at Symphony Space Peter Jay Sharpe Theatre. Expanding their musical horizons, they recorded a studio and video album of Keane’s chamber ballet score for viola, cello, voice, and piano.
Ensemble Mycelium has been the featured musical performer for the Australian American Association and has presented a program called Sinister Soirée in collaboration with the Classical Keys Concert Series, blending live music with silent horror film projections. They have also appeared in the Saratoga Salon Series alongside painter Gerald Stulc and Skidmore Poetry professors, showcasing a multidisciplinary approach to performance.
To contact us for further inquiries
please email at
Ensemble.Mycelium@gmail.com
Newest Releases!
Recent Performances
September 13, 2025: Queensboro Dance Festival with Sheep Meadow Dance Theatre - Flushing, NY
New York Premiere: Riverdaughter by Nick Virzi
August 29, 2025 : Connecticut College Residency with soprano Einat Aronstein & percussionist Oded Geizhals -New London, CT
August 28, 2025: Water’s Edge Concert - “ Dialogues”with soprano Einat Aronstein & percussionist Oded Geizhals - Rye, NY
August 27, 2025: Summer Camp Series - “Dialogues” with soprano Einat Aronstein & percussionist Oded Geizhals - Brooklyn, NY
World Premiere: Awaiting the Next Rebirth by Nick Virzi for Soprano, Cello & Percussion
June 26 & 27, 2025: "AVID Dance “Boundless” with Laura Sahin, viola, Molly von Gutzeit, cello Taisiya Pushkar, piano, Masha Polishchuk & Soo-Yeon Kim, violins - Symphony Space New York, NY
World Premiere: “Human.” for viola, cello, piano, and electronics by Anne-Marie Keane
April 5 & 6, 2025: Ensemble Mycelium/Sheep Meadow Dance - Arts on Site New York, NY
World Premiere: (The Dying) Swan by Camille Saint-Saens, arr. Molly Aronson with sound design by Nick Virzi
2026-2027 Roster
Taisiya Pushkar - Pianist
Described as 'a graceful pianist', with an 'impeccable sense of timing', Taisiya Pushkar enjoys a vibrant career as a collaborative pianist. Having performed extensively in Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium, Israel, Canada and the United States as a recitalist and in collaboration with many leading singers and instrumentalists, Taisiya is in demand as a dynamic performer and a sensitive collaborator. She is currently the official pianist of Melodia Women's Choir of NYC and the first full-time collaborative pianist of Young People's Chorus of NYC.
Laura Manko Sahin - Violist
Laura Manko Sahin has performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player throughout the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. Following her concerto debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 2005, she has soloed with the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra, New England Repertory Orchestra, Oure Pleasure Singers, and University of North Carolina School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra. Laura was formerly the Principal violist of the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra and violist of the Boston Harp Trio. She currently is a substitute with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Molly von Gutzeit - Cellist, Arranger & Founder
With a passion for collaboration and expansion, cellist Molly von Gutzeit looks to bring people together through the arts. Finding common ties between disciplines, she works with esteemed visual artists, dancers and choreographers, writers, filmmakers, actors, and composers to discover innovative takes on presenting classical music and the arts. She enjoys a varied career as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, and educator, performing across the U.S. and internationally.
Nick Virzi - Composer
Nick Virzi is a composer whose work includes acoustic, electronic, and electro-acoustic music, as well as intermedia pieces and multichannel installations. His pieces explore the relationships between humans and the natural world, numerology and rhythmic structure, and ethnography and identity. Nick’s music has been performed by Séverine Ballon, Tony Arnold, the JACK Quartet, Splinter Reeds, Ensemble Liminar, Distractfold, the Ekmeles Vocal Ensemble, the TAK Ensemble, Ensemble Dal Niente, and Wild Up. He completed the H&S Dean’s Fellowship at Stanford, and was a Lecturer in the Department of Music and the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA).
Past Performers
& Collaborators:
Violin: Edward W. Hardy, Masha Polishuck, Soo-Yeon Kim, Lauren Cauley Calal
Viola: Benni von Gutzeit
Piano: Kyle Walker, Daniel Colalillo
Percussion: Oded Geizhals
Flute: Asher Komor
Composition: Nick Virzi, Oded Geizhals, Anne-Marie Keane, Asher Komor
Dance: Sheep Meadow Dance Theatre, Billy Blanken (Choreographer), AVID Dance
Visual Art: Gerald Stulc
The Australian American Association
