What a remarkable comeback.
Ian Forest, the subway busker who gained attention last year after a brutal attack by a stranger at Herald Square, has transitioned from performing underground to the NBA stage.
He recently played the national anthem on his electric cello before a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden.
During one of his performances, filmmaker Spike Lee approached him, gesturing enthusiastically, and told him, “You played it like a… well, you can imagine how that ended.”
Now 30, Forest also went viral when a malfunctioning earpiece left him unable to hear his playing. “I totally panicked,” he recalled. “I thought I was hitting all the wrong notes but people just kept cheering.” It was quite the surprise for him.
He’s also played songs like Rihanna’s “We Found Love” during halftime, calling it surreal to share a stage with basketball stars.
He explained, “When I do a sound check, that’s when players like [Jalen] Brunson are warming up. It’s kind of a wild moment.” Some fans even comment on his cello, remembering him and wishing him luck for his next performance. “Feels like I’m part of the Knicks family,” he said.
Originally from New Jersey, Forest spent part of his childhood on the Upper East Side and in Maryland. He returned to New York in 2017 to pursue a medical education at Sinai Mountain School of Medicine, all while participating in the MTA’s “Under New York” music program.
His talent didn’t go unnoticed; in 2019, Josh Groban, who was a subway rider, discovered him. “He heard me play and loved it, then his manager reached out for a Radio City show,” Forest shared.
A Yankees executive saw him perform at Radio City and reached out afterward.
Having recently graduated from medical school and secured a position at Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital in Maryland, he’s moved past the traumatic February 2024 subway incident.
Watching the footage of the attack still unsettles him. “It seems like the assailant was just waiting behind me while I played. Then, out of nowhere, bam,” he said, referring to 23-year-old Amilla Hunter. She’s been arrested and is facing trial.
Just a month after the attack, Forest launched an initiative for subway performer safety, continuing to entertain commuters as well as dedicated Knicks fans.
He recalls an encounter with Larry David while performing, where the comedian commented, “What a sound you’re making.” Forest’s wife captured it on video, and she couldn’t believe it either. “It’s insane that Larry David likes your music,” she said.
