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“…suggested that beauty of sound – reflecting the world’s physical beauty – can exist within a harsh cultural moment, as expressed in aggressive chords and semiquavers.”

“Like all Sybarite5 pieces, the more you hear it, the deeper it gets. A richly satisfying album.”

“The selections span more than a century, but all are marked by the same spirit of inquisitiveness and discovery that make it impossible to look away – or to leave bored.”

“A mix of arrangements, improvisations, and new commissions, the disc is as unpredictable as it is refreshing: an invigorating blend of diverse repertoire, top-notch musicianship, virtuosity, and surprisingly reflective turns.”

“They did a wonderful job of presenting the music by explaining the intention behind it before starting the songs, which made it easier to follow the musical narratives across crescendos, highs and lows, frenzied excitement and bitter sorrow … The songs were so skillfully presented, diverse in type and engagingly played that I was gripped from beginning to end, something hard to do with only instrumentals.”

“I love the energy of these performances by the New York string quintet, which presents its first new studio album in years. It was worth the wait...”

“The music the group's making and the releases it's producing are all that's required to argue for the outfit's vitality and ongoing existence.”

“Collective Wisdom is the first album by eclectic string quintet Sybarite5 in five years, and the debut of the band’s new line-up. It’s chock full of strong sounds, from new pieces by composer-performers Jessica Mayer and Curtis Stewart to arrangements of selections by Komitas and Punch Brothers.”