Empire Wild is a crossover trio of two cellos and guitar/piano/vocals founded by Ken Kubota, Brandon Ilaw, and Mitch Lyon.

Ken and Mitch bring all the cello has to offer - bowed, plucked, chopped, and more. Brandon can be found singing and playing anything he can get his hands on - often a cajón, sometimes a guitar or piano, maybe even some ankle bells.

All classically trained, the three musicians met at Juilliard and formed Empire Wild as a vehicle for their love of music exploration - fusing the sounds of pop, folk, Broadway, and more into their songwriting and composition.

Based in NYC, they have brought their signature mix of original music, inventive covers, and twists on the classical canon to audiences across the country.

Program highlights: Come Fly with Me - Billy May, Can't Take My Eyes Off of You - Frankie Valli, selections from Bach cello suites, Passied - Debussy