New York Philharmonic 2008/09 Season Lorin Maazel—A Grand Finale FACT BOOK
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[New York Philharmonic]
The Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc. lorin maazel, Music Director paul b. guenther, Chairman zarin mehta, President and Executive Director Avery Fisher Hall 10 Lincoln Center Plaza New York, NY 10023-6970 Main Phone: (212) 875-5900 2
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Contents
The New York Philharmonic, in its 167th season, celebrates its partnership with Credit Suisse, the Orchestra’s first-ever and exclusive Global Sponsor. This unique collaboration with one of the world’s leading banks is critical in supporting the Philharmonic’s essential mission — to bring great music to audiences at home and around the world — and to enhance further its role as a cultural ambassador of New York and of the United States of America. The Orchestra applauds Credit Suisse’s commitment to excellence and innovation, a vision the two organizations share historically and in the 2008–09 season, Lorin Maazel — A Grand Finale. For more information about Credit Suisse, please go to www. credit-suisse.com.
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2008–09 season overview By the Numbers Lorin Maazel — A Grand Finale Bernstein: The Best of All Possible Worlds Premieres and Commissions Tours and Other U.S. Travel Other Highlights Seasonal Concerts
6 on the podium Lorin Maazel: A Look Back Music Director Designate Alan Gilbert 2008–09 Guest Conductors Former Music Directors and Advisors 8
about the orchestra The Orchestra Hail and Farewell Philharmonic Musicians in the Solo Spotlight Chamber Music
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m edia nyphil.org Podcasts Recorded Sound On the Air The Pyongyang Concert
12 who’s who Music Director Chairman President and Executive Director 14
l ifelong learning Hosted Concerts Insights Series Pre-Concert Talks Other Events For All Ages Philharmonic in the Schools Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence at the New York Philharmonic
16 premieres and commissions The Maazel Years Notable 20th Century Notable 19th Century 18 new york philharmonic history The Philharmonic in Brief Historic Highlights 20 resources Archives Volunteer Council Portrait Gallery
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[2008–2009 Season Overview] Lorin Maazel — A Grand Finale
Bernstein: The Best of All Possible Worlds
The New York Philharmonic’s 2008–09 season is titled Lorin Maazel — A Grand Finale. During this yearlong celebration of the Music Director in his valedictory season with the Orchestra, he will conduct 46 concerts over 14 subscription weeks. His programs include a wide variety of orchestral and operatic masterpieces, as well as new compositions.
The Philharmonic and Carnegie Hall collaborate to spearhead a citywide festival that marks the 50th anniversary of the start of Leonard Bernstein’s tenure as Music Director, the 65th anniversary of his famous Philharmonic 1943 debut at Carnegie Hall, and his 90th birthday year. For details visit bernsteinfestival.org. The Philharmonic’s contributions (all at Avery Fisher Hall unless otherwise indicated) include: • Leonard Bernstein: American Original—How a Modern Renaissance Man Transformed Music and the World During His Philharmonic Years, 1943–1976 (a book, below, published by HarperCollins). A visually rich look at his life, times, and orchestra by his brother, Burton Bernstein; Barbara Haws, Philharmonic Archivist/Historian; and other contributors.
Lorin Maazel’s 2008–09 Season Highlights
Lorin Maazel
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By the Numbers Subscription Concerts 33 weeks 118 concerts, including 12 Friday Matinees 4 Saturday Matinees 4 Young People’s Concerts 27 Open Rehearsals Non-Subscription Concerts Summertime Classics (schedule to be announced) Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer (schedule to be announced) 2 tours 1 residency 9 area concerts Conductors 1 Music Director 1 Music Director Designate 1 Associate Conductor 18 guests, including 3 debuts
Guest Artists 79 soloists, including 33 debuts 7 ensembles (1 percussion, 1 brass quintet, and 5 choruses) Chamber Music Concerts 6 Philharmonic Ensembles at Merkin Concert Hall 2 Metropolitan Museum of Art 1 92nd Street Y 1 CUNY–Staten Island 1 New York Now in Bryant Park 1 Make Music New York 9 Very Young People’s Concerts at Merkin Concert Hall The Orchestra 106 contracted musicians 54 men 44 women 7 vacancies 52-week contract
• World Premiere–New York Philharmonic Commissions – Steven Stucky (World, August 28; U.S., September 18–20 and 23) – Bernard Rands (October 1–2) – Aaron Jay Kernis (June 4, 6, and 9) • The complete Bach Brandenburg Concertos (throughout the season) • R. Strauss’s opera Elektra, in concert (December 4, 6, 9, and 13) • Performances at Carnegie Hall – Encore of Ravel’s One-Act Opera, L’Enfant et les sortilèges and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé (complete ballet) (February 17) – Works by Barber, Gershwin, and Stravinsky (February 18) • Performances of his own works – Music for Flute (September 25–27) – Monaco Fanfares and Farewells (June 17–18 and 20) • Britten’s War Requiem (June 11–13) • Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, Symphony of a Thousand (June 24–27)
• Bernstein’s three symphonies – Symphony No. 2, The Age of Anxiety: Lorin Maazel, conductor; Joyce Yang, piano (September 25–27) – Symphony No. 1, Jeremiah: David Robertson, conductor; Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano (October 30–November 1) – Symphony No. 3, Kaddish: New York Philharmonic presents the Juilliard Orchestra, Alan Gilbert, conductor (November 24) • New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concert titled Capitals of Music: Bernstein’s New York Jamie Bernstein, host; Delta David Gier, conductor (October 18) • All-Bernstein Concert at Carnegie Hall Alan Gilbert, conductor; Glenn Dicterow, violin; Ana María Martínez, soprano; Paul Groves, tenor; and others (November 14)
Music Director Designate Alan Gilbert, who will lead Peter Lieberson’s The World in Flower
Premieres and Commissions During the 2008–09 season the New York Philharmonic will premiere four works commissioned by the Orchestra. • Steven Stucky’s Rhapsodies for Orchestra. World Premiere at the BBC Proms in London, August 28, U.S. Premiere September 18–20 and 23, Lorin Maazel, conductor. Mr. Stucky has said: “Rhapsodies for Orchestra spotlights many of the superb solo players of the New York Philharmonic. Extended passages of ‘rhapsodic’ solo playing — virtuosic and rapturous — gradually merge into an ecstatic mass of sound in which the entire orchestra celebrates.” • Bernard Rands’s CHAINS LIKE THE SEA. World Premiere October 1–2, Lorin Maazel, conductor. This work’s two movements are titled “the Sabbath rang slowly” and “rivers of windfall light.” Mr. Rands has said: “The three quotations, used as titles, are from Dylan Thomas’s poem Fern Hill. Although they are somewhat abstract images, they are, at the same time, beautifully evocative. It is this latter quality for which I have tried to invent/ compose musical images and sound-world analogies.” • Peter Lieberson’s The World in Flower. World Premiere May 7–9, Music Director Designate Alan Gilbert, conductor; Steven Stucky, host; Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-soprano; Russell Braun, baritone; New York Choral Artists, Joseph Flummerfelt, director. Of the texts, by Rainer Maria Rilke, Pablo Neruda, Rumi, Walt Whitman, and others, Mr. Lieberson has said: “They embody similarities in spiritual realizations from many traditions. I chose the texts for their profound understanding and sympathy for humanity, and for their passion and exuberance for this mysterious human life.” • Aaron Jay Kernis’s new work for trumpet and orchestra. World Premiere June 4, 6, and 9, Lorin Maazel, conductor; Philip Smith, trumpet. Mr. Kernis has said that his new work “will relate — in ways to be determined — to specific instances of reference to the trumpet (and other related instruments) in the Bible. It will be very exciting and challenging to work in what for me is a new medium of orchestra without strings.”
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[2008–2009 Season Overview] Tours
Other Highlights Holiday Brass New York Philharmonic Principal Brass and Canadian Brass (December 14) [below]
Tour of Europe 2008 August 28–September 12 Music Director Lorin Maazel and the New York Philharmonic undertake a 9-city, 14-concert tour of Europe, launching Mr. Maazel’s valedictory season with the Orchestra. Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet will be the soloist in several of the concerts. The Orchestra will perform at distinguished festivals — London’s BBC Proms, Frankfurt’s Rheingau Music Festival, Hamburg’s Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Lucerne Festival, and Bonn’s Beethovenfest — as well as in Essen, Paris, Stuttgart, and Baden-Baden. This visit marks the Orchestra’s first tour of Europe under the aegis of Credit Suisse, Global Sponsor of the New York Philharmonic.
Opening Day, 2007
Free Dress Rehearsal prior to Opening Night Concert (September 17) Milestone celebrations, to include: • The 100th anniversary of the U.S. premiere of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Resurrection. Gilbert Kaplan, conductor, in his Philharmonic debut; Christiane Oelze, soprano; Janina Baechle, mezzo-soprano; Westminster Symphonic Choir, Joe Miller, director (December 8)
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Winter U.S. Tour 2009 February 21–March 9 Music Director Lorin Maazel’s final New York Philharmonic tour will traverse the United States, from Atlanta, West Palm Beach, Sarasota, Miami, San Juan, and Chapel Hill to Ann Arbor and Chicago. This marks the Orchestra’s first U.S. tour with Credit Suisse, Global Sponsor of the New York Philharmonic. Details to be announced.
Other U.S. Travel The Philharmonic will return to Colorado for the Orchestra’s seventh annual residency at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival (July; details to be announced).
Seasonal Concerts
Other travel outside of New York City will bring the musicians to • A visit to the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, Pa. (October 3), and to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. (October 4) • Carnegie Hall (November 14, February 17–18) • Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, Brookville, N.Y. (January 17 and June 19) • New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, N.J. (June 5) • Bethel Woods Center for the Performing Arts, Bethel, N.Y. (July 11)
Carter
• Day of Carter, celebrating the 100th birthday of American composer Elliott Carter (December 13; details to be announced) • 200th Birthday of Mendelssohn, with an all-Mendelssohn program. Music Director Emeritus Kurt Masur, conductor; Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin; Jorma Silvasti, tenor; Albert Dohmen, bass-baritone; the Westminster Symphonic Choir; and others to be announced (February 4–7)
Mendelssohn
Handel
• Handel’s 250th Anniversary, with an all-Handel program. Nicholas McGegan, conductor; Christine Schäfer, soprano (March 26–28) All-Spanish program, including Falla’s opera La vida breve in concert. Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, conductor, with an all-Spanish cast (October 16–18 and 21)
Handel’s Messiah Ton Koopman, conductor, in his Philharmonic debut (December 17–20) New Year’s Eve Lorin Maazel, conductor, leading an evening of opera favorites (December 31) 5
Summertime Classics, conducted and hosted by Bramwell Tovey (June–July) [above] Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer (July) [below]
[On the Podium]
Former Music Directors and Advisors*
Lorin Maazel: A Look Back
Guest Conductors
Marin Alsop Andrey Boreyko Lionel Bringuier* Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos Gustavo Dudamel Charles Dutoit Alan Gilbert meeting the New York Christoph Eschenbach press for the first time as Music Delta David Gier Director Designate in July 2007 Alan Gilbert Gilbert Kaplan* Ton Koopman* Kurt Masur Nicholas McGegan Zubin Mehta In January 2009 the New York PhilLudovic Morlot harmonic will announce the programRiccardo Muti ming for 2009–10, Alan Gilbert’s debut David Robertson season as the Orchestra’s Music Director. Esa-Pekka Salonen A native New Yorker, Mr. Gilbert is * Philharmonic Debut currently principal guest conductor of Associate Conductor Hamburg’s NDR Symphony Orchestra, (The Arturo Toscanini Chair) and recently completed his tenure as Xian Zhang chief conductor and artistic advisor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Since making his Philharmonic debut in October 2001, Mr. Gilbert’s relationship with the Orchestra has grown, leading to this new appointment.
Bernstein
Mahler
Toscanini
Hill
Music Director Designate Alan Gilbert
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With Zarin Mehta (right) greeting the press after the concert at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre in 2008
Lorin Maazel became Music Director of the New York Philharmonic in September 2002, 60 years after making his debut with the Orchestra at Lewisohn Stadium, then the Orchestra’s summer venue. By the end of his tenure as Music Director, he will have conducted 10 World Premiere–New York Philharmonic Commissions — including John Adams’s Pulitzer Prize–winning On the Transmigration of Souls, the CD of which received three Grammy Awards — as well as cycles of works by Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky. He has conducted every Opening Night Concert at the Philharmonic during his tenure, and will have led eight concerts broadcast nationally on Live From Lincoln Center. On September 11, 2002, Mr. Maazel led Philharmonic brass and percussion players in Battery Park at the evening’s ceremonial lighting of an Eternal Flame memorial in remembrance of September 11, 2001. On December 7 of the same year, he conducted the New York Philharmonic’s 160th Birthday Concert. Mr. Maazel, who has received high critical praise for his performances of Mahler symphonies, will have conducted all of them by the end of the 2008–09 season. Other highlights of past performances include
Leading Members of the Philharmonic on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater in 2003
Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette in October 2003; Verdi’s Requiem in spring 2006; and Ravel’s one-act opera, L’Enfant et les sortilèges, in October 2006, which he will reprise with the Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall on February 17, 2009. The Philharmonic joined with Mr. Maazel on March 1, 2005, to celebrate his 75th birthday with a program of his own compositions — including Monaco Fanfares in its U.S. premiere, which he conducts again in the 2008–09 season. In a break from traditional venues, Mr. Maazel conducted Members of the New York Philharmonic in the Overture to Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater on September 29, 2003, on The Late Show with David Letterman. Lorin Maazel led the Orchestra’s inaugural performances in the DG Concerts series — a groundbreaking initiative to offer downloadable New York Philharmonic concerts exclusively on iTunes. He has taken the Orchestra on numerous international tours and residencies, including the historic visit to Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in February 2008 — the first performance there by an American orchestra, and an event watched around the world.
Music Director Emeritus
1978–1991 Zubin Mehta 1971–1977 Pierre Boulez 1969–1970 George Szell 1958–1969 Leonard Bernstein
1969–1990, Laureate Conductor
1949–1958 Dimitri Mitropoulos 1949–1950 Leopold Stokowski 1947–1949 Bruno Walter 1943–1947 Artur Rodzinski 1936–1941 John Barbirolli 1928–1936 Arturo Toscanini
Alan Gilbert’s Season Highlights • Two concerts in Carnegie Hall during the citywide festival Bernstein: The Best of All Possible Worlds – An all-Bernstein evening at Carnegie Hall (November 14) – A concert by the Juilliard Orchestra, presented by the Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall, with works by Bernstein and Beethoven (November 24) • A program of works by Dvorˇák and Martinu ˚, as well as Saint-Saëns’s Violin Concerto No. 3 with Joshua Bell (April 30, May 1–2, and 5) • Three Hear & Now concerts featuring Peter Lieberson’s The World in Flower, a World Premiere–New York Philharmonic Commission (May 7–9)
1991–2002 Kurt Masur
1922–1930 Willem Mengelberg 1911–1923 Josef Stransky Mehta
1909–1911 Gustav Mahler 1906–1909 Wassily Safonoff 1902–1903 Walter Damrosch** 1898–1902 Emil Paur 1891–1898 Anton Seidl 1877–1891 Theodore Thomas 1876–1877 Leopold Damrosch** 1855–1876 Carl Bergmann 1848–1865 Theodore Eisfeld
Salonen
Alsop
1842–1847 Ureli Corelli Hill * In some years there was no designee for
these positions ** Conducted the New York Symphony Society, founded by Leopold Damrosch in 1877, which merged with the New York Philharmonic in 1928
Dudamel
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[About the Orchestra]
Hail and Farewell
Peter Kenote Barry Lehr Kenneth Mirkin Judith Nelson Robert Rinehart The Mr. and Mrs. G. Chris Andersen Chair Cellos Carter Brey Principal The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Chair Eileen Moon* The Paul and Diane Guenther Chair Qiang Tu The Shirley and Jon Brodsky Foundation Chair Evangeline Benedetti
2008–2009 Season 8
LORIN MAAZEL Music Director Xian Zhang, Associate Conductor, The Arturo Toscanini Chair Leonard Bernstein, Laureate Conductor, 1943–1990 Kurt Masur, Music Director Emeritus Violins Glenn Dicterow Concertmaster The Charles E. Culpeper Chair Sheryl Staples Principal Associate Concertmaster The Elizabeth G. Beinecke Chair Michelle Kim Assistant Concertmaster The William Petschek Family Chair Enrico Di Cecco Carol Webb Yoko Takebe Minyoung Chang Hae-Young Ham The Mr. and Mrs. Timothy M. George Chair Lisa GiHae Kim Kuan-Cheng Lu Newton Mansfield Kerry McDermott Anna Rabinova Charles Rex The Shirley Bacot Shamel Chair Fiona Simon Sharon Yamada
Elizabeth Zeltser Yulia Ziskel Marc Ginsberg Principal Lisa Kim* In Memory of Laura Mitchell Soohyun Kwon The Joan and Joel I. Picket Chair Duoming Ba Marilyn Dubow The Sue and Eugene Mercy, Jr. Chair Martin Eshelman Judith Ginsberg Myung-Hi Kim+ Hanna Lachert Daniel Reed Mark Schmoockler Na Sun Vladimir Tsypin Violas Cynthia Phelps Principal The Mr. and Mrs. Frederick P. Rose Chair Rebecca Young* Irene Breslaw** The Norma and Lloyd Chazen Chair Dorian Rence Katherine Greene The Mr. and Mrs. William J. McDonough Chair Dawn Hannay Vivek Kamath
Eric Bartlett The Mr. and Mrs. James E. Buckman Chair Elizabeth Dyson Valentin Hirsu Maria Kitsopoulos Sumire Kudo Ru-Pei Yeh Wei Yu Basses Eugene Levinson Principal The Redfield D. Beckwith Chair Jon Deak* Orin O’Brien William Blossom The Ludmila S. Hess and Carl B. Hess Chair Randall Butler David J. Grossman Satoshi Okamoto Michele Saxon Flutes Robert Langevin Principal The Lila Acheson Wallace Chair Sandra Church* Renée Siebert Mindy Kaufman
English Horn Thomas Stacy The Joan and Joel Smilow Chair Clarinets Stanley Drucker Principal The Edna and W. Van Alan Clark Chair Mark Nuccio* The Honey M. Kurtz Family Chair Pascual Martinez Forteza Stephen Freeman E-flat Clarinet Mark Nuccio Bass Clarinet Stephen Freeman Bassoons Judith LeClair Principal The Pels Family Chair Kim Laskowski* Roger Nye Arlen Fast Contrabassoon Arlen Fast Horns Philip Myers Principal The Ruth F. and Alan J. Broder Chair Erik Ralske Acting Associate Principal Thomas Jöstlein** R. Allen Spanjer Howard Wall Trumpets Philip Smith Principal The Paula Levin Chair Matthew Muckey* Ethan Bensdorf Thomas V. Smith Trombones Joseph Alessi Principal The Gurnee F. and Marjorie L. Hart Chair David Finlayson The Donna and Benjamin M. Rosen Chair Bass Trombone James Markey
Piccolo Mindy Kaufman
Tuba Alan Baer Principal
Oboes Liang Wang Principal The Alice Tully Chair Sherry Sylar* Robert Botti
Timpani Markus Rhoten Principal The Carlos Moseley Chair Joseph Pereira**+
Percussion Christopher S. Lamb Principal The Constance R. Hoguet Friends of the Philharmonic Chair Daniel Druckman* The Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Ulrich Chair Joseph Pereira+ Charles Settle++ Harp Nancy Allen Principal The Mr. and Mrs. William T. Knight III Chair Keyboard In Memory of Paul Jacobs Harpsichord Lionel Party Piano The Karen and Richard S. LeFrak Chair Harriet Wingreen Jonathan Feldman Organ Kent Tritle Librarians Lawrence Tarlow Principal Sandra Pearson** Orchestra Personnel Manager Carl R. Schiebler Stage Representative Louis J. Patalano Audio Director Lawrence Rock The New York Philharmonic uses the revolving seating method for section string players who are listed alphabetically in the roster.
Honorary Members of the Society Pierre Boulez Zubin Mehta Carlos Moseley * Associate Principal ** Assistant Principal + On Leave ++Replacement/Extra
Drucker
In 2008–09 Principal Clarinet Stanley Drucker celebrates his 60th anniversary with the Philharmonic, his final season before retiring. In honor of these milestones, he will appear as soloist with the Orchestra, led by Lorin Maazel, on June 4, 6, and 9, in Copland’s Clarinet Concerto — a work Mr. Drucker has previously played with the Philharmonic 59 times. He has made approximately 190 solo appearances with the Orchestra since joining it at age 19, while maintaining an active solo career in addition to his regular duties. Mr. Drucker has been twice nominated for Grammy Awards in the category of Best Instrumental Soloist/Classical with Orchestra, and has made numerous recordings. Stanley Drucker began clarinet studies at age 10 with Leon Russianoff, his principal teacher, and later attended the High School of Music and Art and The Curtis Institute of Music. He was appointed principal clarinet of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra at age 16, of the Adolf Busch Chamber Players at age 17, and of the Buffalo Philharmonic at age 18. He joined the New York Philharmonic on September 16, 1948, and was named Principal starting with the 1960–61 season. He is one of the few living orchestral musicians whose biography appears in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
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[About the Orchestra]
[Media] Chamber Music
Philharmonic Musicians in the Solo Spotlight
Another way to experience the artistry of the New York Philharmonic New York Philharmonic Ensembles Now in its 26th season, this chamber music series features Musicians from the Orchestra in a series of six Sunday afternoon concerts at 3:00 p.m. (at Merkin Concert Hall, October 26, November 16, January 25, February 15, March 15, and April 19)
Dicterow
Langevin
Myers
Smith
Stacy
In his final season as the Philharmonic’s Music Director, Lorin Maazel cele brates the virtuosity of the musicians in the Orchestra as soloists, including in the cycle of Bach’s six Brandenburg Concertos. Robert Botti (Brandenburg No. 1, November 25, 28–29) Sandra Church (Brandenburg No. 5, 10 October 1–2) Glenn Dicterow (Bernstein Serenade, November 14; Brandenburg No. 1, November 25, 28–29; Bruch Violin Concerto, March 13–14) Stanley Drucker (Copland Clarinet Concerto, June 4, 6, 9) Marc Ginsberg (Brandenburg No. 3, December 11–12) Mindy Kaufman (Brandenburg No. 4, June 4, 6, 9) Maria Kitsopoulos (Brandenburg No. 3, December 11–12) Lisa Kim (Brandenburg No. 3, December 11–12) Michelle Kim (Brandenburg No. 4, June 4, 6, 9) Sumire Kudo (Brandenburg No. 3, December 11–12) Robert Langevin (Maazel Music for Flute, September 25–27; Brandenburg No. 2, January 2–3, 6) Judith LeClair (Brandenburg No. 1, November 25, 28–29) Eileen Moon (Brandenburg No. 3, December 11–12) Philip Myers (Brandenburg No. 1, November 25, 28–29; Mozart Horn Concerto No. 2, December 11–12)
Lionel Party (Brandenburg No. 5, October 1–2) Cynthia Phelps (Brandenburg No. 6, November 20–22 and December 3 and 5; Brandenburg No. 3, December 11–12) Anna Rabinova (Brandenburg No. 5, October 1–2) Robert Rinehart (Brandenburg No. 3, December 11–12) Renée Siebert (Brandenburg No. 4, June 4, 6, 9) Philip Smith (Brandenburg No. 2, January 2–3, 6; New work for trumpet and orchestra, June 4, 6, 9) R. Allen Spanjer (Brandenburg No. 1, November 25, 28–29) Thomas Stacy (Telemann Concerto for Oboe d’Amore in A major, March 13–14) Sheryl Staples (Brandenburg No. 3, December 11–12; Brandenburg No. 2, January 2–3, 6) Sherry Sylar (Brandenburg No. 1, November 25, 28–29) Liang Wang (Brandenburg No. 1, November 25, 28–29; Brandenburg No. 2, January 2–3, 6) Rebecca Young (Brandenburg No. 6, November 20–22 and December 3 and 5; Brandenburg No. 3, December 11–12)
Metropolitan Museum of Art For the second consecutive year Philharmonic musicians join noted pianists for chamber music at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Sunday evenings at 8:00 p.m. (January 4, Yefim Bronfman; January 11, Olli Mustonen) 92nd Street Y The New York Philharmonic will again collaborate with the 92nd Street Y when violinist Nikolaj Znaider joins Musicians from the Orchestra. (Sunday, March 15, 3:00 p.m.)
nyphil.org
The Orchestra’s Website offers the most up-to-date information about the New York Philharmonic. In 2008–09 this includes video features that focus on two of Lorin Maazel’s initiatives. One examines the cycle of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos through performances by Philharmonic musicians and scholars. The other is a series that explores the creative process behind three of the Philharmonic commis-sions through interviews with the composers themselves. Website visitors can also watch and read interviews with musicians; listen to sound clips; view photo albums of the Orchestra’s tours and special activities; learn about the Orchestra’s history; order and exchange tickets in real time, and donate tickets (subscribers only); access complete program notes; visit Kidzone (nyphilkids.org); listen to archived radio broadcasts and downloads; purchase Philharmonic CDs and gift items; support the Orchestra; and more.
Podcasts
The Philharmonic’s free podcasts preview upcoming concerts with interviews and illustrative musical excerpts. The producer/hosts are Elliott Forrest, afternoon host of 96.3 FM WQXR; and Mark Travis, a producer for 98.7 FM WFMT, Chicago, and the WFMT Radio Network. The New York Philharmonic Podcast can be downloaded from nyphil.org/podcasts or directly from iTunes.
Cellist Ru-Pei Yeh and violist Vivek Kamath at Merkin Concert Hall
Recorded Sound
The Philharmonic has released 11 concerts — recorded live and available exclusively on iTunes — on DG Concerts. Also available are two CDs: one is all Richard Strauss; the other, works by Ravel and Stravinsky. Both are conducted by Lorin Maazel.
The Pyongyang Concert
On the Air
On the radio: The New York Philharmonic This Week Now in its fifth season, the 52-week national radio series is syndicated by Chicago’s WFMT Radio Network to more than 250 stations. In addition to complete performances, the two-hour programs include interviews with Philharmonic musicians and guest artists, and air in the New York metropolitan area on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m., on 96.3 FM WQXR. On the radio: BBC Radio 3’s Performance on 3 For the third season, broadcasts of concerts selected from the Orchestra’s 2008–09 performances will be produced and distributed by BBC Radio 3 in the U.K. with further distribution throughout Europe. On television: Live From Lincoln Center Since 1976 the New York Philharmonic has been an integral part of Live From Lincoln Center, aired on PBS. The tradition will continue in 2008–09 with the telecast of Opening Night (September 17) and New Year’s Eve (December 31), both conducted by Lorin Maazel.
The Pyongyang Concert presents the New York Philharmonic’s historic February 25–27 visit to North Korea. This international edition of the DVD contains the entire concert, and a documentary, “Americans in Pyongyang,” with information about the journey and interviews with Music Director Lorin Maazel, Philharmonic President and Executive Director Zarin Mehta, and musicians from the Orchestra. The DVD — which is produced by EuroArts, a Medici Arts company — has been released in both standard and Blu-ray formats, and may be purchased in the U.S. at record stores and at naxos.com.
nyphil.org
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[Who’s Who] Paul B. Guenther Chairman
Lorin Maazel Music Director Lorin Maazel became Music Director of the New York Philharmonic in September 2002, and will conclude his tenure at the end of the 2008–09 season. As Music Director he will have conducted ten World Premiere–New York Philharmonic Commissions, including the Pulitzer Prize– and Grammy Award–winning On the Transmigration of Souls by John Adams; Stephen Hartke’s Symphony No. 3; and Melinda Wagner’s Trombone Concerto. He has led cycles of works by Brahms, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky, and conducted the Orchestra’s inaugural performances in the DG Concerts series, a groundbreaking initiative to offer downloadable New York Philharmonic concerts exclusively on iTunes. Mr. Maazel has taken the Orchestra 12 on numerous international tours, including the historic visit to Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in February 2008 — the first performance there by an American orchestra. Other recent tours have included Asia 2008; the May 2007 Tour of Europe; the November 2006 visit to Japan and Korea; the Philharmonic Tour of Italy in June 2006, sponsored by Generali; the two-part 75th Anniversary European Tour to thirteen cities in five countries in autumn 2005; and residencies in Cagliari, Sardinia, and at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival in Colorado. Prior to his tenure as New York Philharmonic Music Director, Mr. Maazel served as music director of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (1993–2002)
and has held positions as music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (1988–96); general manager and chief conductor of the Vienna Staatsoper (1982–84); music director of The Cleveland Orchestra (1972–82); and artistic director and chief conductor of the Deutsche Oper Berlin (1965–71). He is also currently music director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, Spain. Mr. Maazel’s opera, 1984, received its world premiere in 2005 at London’s Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and was reprised at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala in 2008. The DVD has been released by Decca.
Paul B. Guenther was president of PaineWebber Group, Inc., the parent company of PaineWebber Incorporated, until his retirement in 1995. Since then he has focused on the nonprofit sector. He was appointed Chairman of the New York Philharmonic in September 1996. From 1998 to 2004 he served as chairman of Fordham University, where he continues as a board member. He also serves on the Board of Directors of The Guardian Life Insurance Company and its affiliate, RS Investments. Mr. Guenther earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Fordham
associations include Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, director; Columbia University Graduate School of Business, board of overseers; Lenox Hill Hospital, vice chairman; Frost Valley YMCA, chairman; Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, trustee; Cristo Rey New York High School, board of directors; and the Governor’s Committee on Scholastic Achievement, trustee. He is a former director of the Securities Industry Association and a former president and director of Columbia’s Graduate School of Business Alumni Association. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts.
Paul B. Guenther
Lorin Maazel and Zarin Mehta
University in 1962 and an M.B.A. in finance from the Columbia Graduate School of Business in 1964. In the same year, he began his career as a credit analyst with Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co. He joined PaineWebber Incorporated in 1966 as a securities analyst and served in a variety of positions. In 1984, when the company realigned its three principal subsidiaries into one, Mr. Guenther became chief administrative officer responsible for Administrative Services, Operations, and Systems. He assumed responsibility for the firm’s retail sales business in 1987 and for investment banking activities in mid-1988. In late 1988 he was named president of PaineWebber Incorporated, and in 1994, president of PaineWebber Group, Inc. Mr. Guenther was a 2005 recipient of an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Fordham University and the 1992 recipient of an honorary LL.D. from Concordia College. His organizational
Zarin Mehta President and Executive Director Zarin Mehta, one of the world’s leading arts administrators, was appointed Executive Director of the New York Philharmonic in September 2000, and President in June 2004. He has continually sought to enrich and broaden the musical experience of Philharmonic audiences both in the U.S. and abroad by fostering an active commissioning program and instituting innovative series of multimedia presentations. He has overseen major international Orchestra tours in Asia and throughout Europe — including the historic February 2008 concert in Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — helping to strengthen the Philharmonic’s role
as a worldwide cultural ambassador. Also under Mr. Mehta’s aegis, the Philharmonic welcomed its first-ever Global Sponsor, Credit Suisse. At home, Mr. Mehta has maintained the Philharmonic’s preeminent position in the cultural life of New York through the free, Annual Memorial Day Concerts at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine and the New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer. He has made outreach to young people a priority, continuing the famed Young People’s Concerts, expanding the Orchestra’s extensive educational activities, and introducing the Very Young People’s Concerts. On his watch the Orchestra reached a pioneering agreement to offer live 13 Philharmonic performances on the DG Concerts label exclusively on iTunes, and also became the first American symphony orchestra to have a regular presence on European radio through broadcasts on BBC Radio 3. Prior to the Philharmonic, the Bombay-born Mr. Mehta served as president and chief executive officer of Chicago’s Ravinia Festival (1990–2000); managing director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra; and a partner at Coopers & Lybrand in Canada. He is the son of the late violinist and Bombay Symphony Orchestra founder, Mehli Mehta, and the brother of conductor Zubin Mehta, former New York Philharmonic Music Director.
[Lifelong Learning] Other Events
Hosted Concerts
Inside the Music Multimedia presentations that delve into some of the season’s repretoire through film, conversation, and musical examples. The concerts start at 8:00 p.m. Hosts to be announced. Dvorˇák: Symphony No. 9, From the New World (October 10) Brahms: Serenade No. 1 (January 23) Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 (May 15) Hear & Now Explorations of contemporary works through discussions with composers, tartists, and conductors, hosted by Steven Stucky. Hear & Now programs begin onstage one hour before the announced concert time. Bernard Rands: CHAINS LIKE THE SEA (World Premiere–New York Philharmonic Commission) 14 (October 1–2) Elliott Carter: Of Rewaking (October 30–November 1) Avner Dorman: Spices, Perfumes, Toxins! (March 18–21) Peter Lieberson: The World in Flower (World Premiere–New York Philharmonic Commission) (May 7–9) Aaron Jay Kernis: New work for trumpet and orchestra (World Premiere– New York Philharmonic Commission) (June 4, 6, 9)
Insights Series
Five events connected with 2008-09 Philharmonic programs Dvorˇák in Search of America A multimedia program that traces Dvorˇák’s influence, and includes music by Dvorˇák, H.T. Burleigh, and jazz stylist Art Tatum. Joseph Horowitz, curator and host; Stephen Salters, baritone; and Steven Mayer, piano. (October 4, Gilder Lehrman Hall, The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue, 2:00 p.m.)
The Leonard Bernstein Scholarin-Residence at the New York Philharmonic
Bach
Dvor ˇák
Masur
Annual Erich Leinsdorf Lecture: The 21st-Century Music Director Conductor Marin Alsop’s insights and observations on what it means to lead a modern American orchestra. (October 20, Walter Reade Theater, 65th Street and Broadway, 6:00 p.m.)
Bernstein’s Interpretive Logic How did Bernstein’s logical approach to scores translate into passionate performances? Charles Zachary Bornstein, speaker. (November 4, Walter Reade Theater, Broadway at 65th St., 6:30 p.m.)
New York Philharmonic Offstage at Barnes & Noble Conversations with performers about music and their lives, hosted by Jeff Spurgeon of 96.3 FM WQXR. (At Barnes & Noble, 66th St. & Broadway)
The Genius of the Brandenburgs Musicians from the New York Philharmonic and The Juilliard School performing Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, in illustrative excerpts and then in its entirety. Thomas Forrest Kelly, curator and host. (December 7, Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, Rose Building, 65th Street at Amsterdam Avenue, 4:00 p.m.)
For All Ages
Felix Mendelssohn and the Leipzig Tradition Musicians from the Philharmonic join commentators to consider Mendelssohn in the context of his city and its musical traditions. James M. Keller, curator and host; Music Director Emeritus Kurt Masur and scholar R. Larry Todd. (February 2, Walter Reade Theater, 65th Street and Broadway, 6:30 p.m.) Music in Time of War An exploration of music composed in response to war, focusing on Britten’s War Requiem. James M. Keller, curator and host. (June 2, Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, Rose Building, 65th Street at Amsterdam Avenue, 6:30 p.m.)
Very Young People’s Concerts (ages 3–6) This season’s theme: “Antonín Dvorˇák and Friends.” Includes games, stories, and hands-on music-making with Philharmonic musicians. (At Merkin Concert Hall) “Allegro and Adagio” (April 26, 12:30 and 3:00 p.m.; April 27, 10:30 a.m.) “Forte and Piano” (May 10, 12:30 and 3:00 p.m.; May 11 at 10:30 a.m.) “Treble and Bass” (June 14, 12:30 and 3:00 p.m.; June 15, 10:30 a.m.) Young People’s Concerts (ages 6–12) This season’s theme: Capitals of Music. Each 2:00 p.m. concert is preceded by Kidzone Live!, an interactive music fair that begins at 12:45 p.m. Delta David Gier, conductor and host. “Bernstein’s New York” (hosted by Jamie Bernstein, October 18) “Ravel’s Paris” (November 22) “Mozart’s Vienna” (March 28) “Mussorgsky’s St. Petersburg” (May 2)
Pre-Concert Talks
One-hour insightful previews before every subscription concert. Kidzone Live!
Philharmonic in the Schools School Partnership Program (grades 3–5): A nationally recognized program serving 3,200 students in 15 New York City public schools. Fosters listening and performance skills, musical literacy, group work strategies, knowledge of cultural history, and a personal connection to music through study of musical works, concert attendance, and composition. Older students can participate in Very Young Composers, an after-school program that allows students (grades 4–5) to compose music to be performed by Philharmonic musicians. School Day Concerts (grades 3–12): Six Philharmonic concerts at Avery Fisher Hall for school groups, supported with curricular materials, recordings, and workshops for teachers.
Workshops for Visiting Ensembles (high school and college groups): Philharmonic musicians helping to hone skills in sectionals, master classes, clinics, and pre- and postconcert discussions. Conservatory Collaborations: Conductors’ Tables and Composers’ Tables in which conservatory students and graduates attend rehearsals and learn from renowned guest artists. Teacher Training: Professional development sessions for public school teachers that include concerts and symposia on musical education.
Learning Overtures: Philharmonic musicians and educators sharing educational approaches with international colleagues through classroom Musical Encounters (elementary through demonstrations and symposia. high school): For both classes and ensembles; includes a visit to an Open Kidzone: An award-winning interactive Rehearsal and a workshop at Avery Website (nyphilkids.org) offering Fisher Hall. sound clips, games, and information about instruments, composers, and Philharmonic Mentors (grades 6–12): Philharmonic musicians. Coaching by Philharmonic musicians, and interdisciplinary units of study for middle and high school students.
James M. Keller has been appointed the Leonard Bernstein Scholar-inResidence at the New York Philharmonic for the 2008–09 season. He will host Insight Series lectures, give Pre-Concert Talks, research the rich holdings of the Philharmonic’s Archives, and provide scholarly support to a variety of Philharmonic endeavors. The program honors and recognizes Leonard Bernstein, the Orchestra’s Music Director from 1958 to 1969 and subsequent Laureate Conductor. Mr. Keller is the Program Annotator of the New York Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony; he also contributes regularly to the programs of other leading classical music organizations around the world. In 1999 he was awarded the ASCAP–Deems Taylor Award for feature writing about music in Chamber Music magazine, where he is contributing editor. He has contributed music-related articles to several books, including Leonard Bernstein: American Original (HarperCollins). His book Chamber Music: A Listener’s Guide will be published in 2009 by Oxford University Press.
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[Premieres and Commissions]
Stucky
Lieberson
2006–07 season Daniel Börtz: Parodos* Hans Werner Henze: Sebastian im Traum*++ Hindemith: Piano Music with Orchestra (Piano: Left Hand)** Kaija Saariaho: Adriana Songs*++ Esa-Pekka Salonen: Piano Concerto•+ Melinda Wagner: Trombone Concerto•+ 2005–06 season John Harbison: Miłosz Songs for Soprano and Orchestra•+ Colin Matthews: Berceuse for Dresden•* Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: American Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra**
Rands
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Kernis
The Maazel Years
2004–05 season Jon Deak: The Roaring Mountain•+ Ross Edwards: Oboe Concerto* Wolfgang Rihm: Two Other Movements•+ Kaija Saariaho: Quatre Instants (orchestral version)*
2008–09 season Steven Stucky: Rhapsodies for Orchestra∙*+ Bernard Rands: CHAINS LIKE THE SEA∙+ Peter Lieberson: The World in Flower∙+ Aaron Jay Kernis: New work for trumpet and orchestra∙+ Tristan Murail: Gondwana*
Leonard Slatkin, Lang Lang, and Tan Dun
2007–08 season Huang Ruo: Announcement from Three Pieces for Orchestra** Marc Neikrug: Quintessence: Symphony No. 2•+ Tan Dun: Piano Concerto•+ [above] Debussy/Jarrell: Études*
Lorin Maazel and John Adams
Augusta Read Thomas: Gathering Paradise, Emily Dickinson Settings for Soprano and Orchestra•+ Mark-Anthony Turnage: Scherzoid•+
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 (1909)• Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (1908)* Mahler: Symphony No. 4 (1904)*
2003–04 season John Adams: Easter Eve 1945•+ Henri Dutilleux: Sur le même accord (Nocturne for Violin and Orchestra)* Stephen Hartke: Symphony No. 3•+ Poul Ruders: Final Nightshade•+ Mark-Anthony Turnage: A Quick Blast*
Notable 19th Century
2002–03 season John Adams: On the Transmigration of Souls•+ [below] Lukas Foss: Concertino, Passacaglia, Bachanalia, Passacaglia•+ Siegfried Matthus: Concerto for Two•+ Rodion Shchedrin: The Enchanted Wanderer•+ Bright Sheng: The Song and Dance of Tears (Tone Poem for Pipa, Sheng, Cello, Piano, and Orchestra)•+ Poul Ruders: Listening Earth*
The LP cover of the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, recorded within weeks of the work’s premiere
Notable 20th Century Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Symphony No. 3 (1993)•+ Messiaen: Éclairs sur l’au-delà... (1993)•+ Steve Reich: Tehillim (“Psalms”) (1982)• Pierre Boulez: Notations, I–IV (1980)* Druckman: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (1978)•+ John Corigliano: Clarinet Concerto (1977)•+ George Crumb: Star-Child (1977)• Elliott Carter: Concerto for Orchestra (1970)•+ Bernstein: Chichester Psalms (1965)• Copland: Connotations for Orchestra (1962)•+ Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (1961)• [above] Lukas Foss: Time Cycle (1960)• Schoenberg: Erwartung (1951)* Ives: Symphony No. 2 (1951)• Mahler: Symphony No. 6 (1947)* Stravinsky: Symphony in Three Movements (1946)• Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta (1937)*
Hindemith: Mathis der Maler Symphony (1934)* Ravel: Boléro (1929)* Gershwin: An American in Paris (1928)• Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F (1925)•
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, Pathétique (1894)* Dvor ˇák: Symphony No. 9, From the New World (1893)• R. Strauss: Death and Transfiguration (1892)* Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto (1889)* Brahms: Symphony No. 4 (1886)* Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 2 (1881)• Wagner: Die Walküre, Act I (1876)* Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet OvertureFantasy (1876)* Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique (1866)* Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (1846)* 17 Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 (1844)* Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 (1843)* [below] + New York Philharmonic Commission ++ Co-Commission • World Premiere * U.S. Premiere ** New York Premiere For the complete list, visit nyphil.org.
The score used for the Philharmonic’s performance of the U.S. premiere of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, with handwritten notes by Mahler and Toscanini
[New York Philharmonic History] The Philharmonic in Brief Founded in 1842, the New York Philharmonic is the oldest symphony orchestra in the United States and one of the oldest in the world. Since its inception, the Philharmonic has played a leading role in American musical life, championing the new music of its time and commissioning or premiering many important works, from Dvorˇák’s Symphony No. 9, From the New World (1893), and Gershwin’s An American in Paris (1928) to John Adams’s Pulitzer Prize–winning On the Transmigration of Souls (2002) and Tan Dun’s Piano Concerto (2008). Lorin Maazel became Music Director in 2002, succeeding Kurt Masur in a distinguished line of 20th-century musical giants that has included Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, and Pierre Boulez; Gustav Mahler, Bruno Walter, and Arturo Toscanini. Over the last century the Orchestra has become renowned around the globe, having appeared in 422 cities in 59 countries on five continents. In February 2008 the Philharmonic made a historic visit to Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — the first performance there by an American orchestra. Long a media pioneer, the Orchestra began radio broadcasts in 1922, and is currently represented by The New York Philharmonic This Week, syndicated nationally 52 weeks per year, streamed on the Orchestra’s Website, nyphil.org, and carried on XM Satellite Radio. The Orchestra’s concerts are also broadcast throughout Europe on BBC Radio 3. On television, in the 1950s and ’60s, the Philharmonic inspired a generation of music lovers through Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts, 18 telecast on CBS, and its presence on television has continued with annual appearances on Live From Lincoln Center, which began with that series’ inaugural episode in 1976. The Internet has expanded the Orchestra’s reach, and in 2006 the Philharmonic became the first major American orchestra to offer downloadable concerts, recorded live, which are available on the DG Concerts label, only on iTunes. Credit Suisse is the exclusive Global Sponsor of the New York Philharmonic.
2007: Credit Suisse becomes the firstever and exclusive Global Sponsor of the New York Philharmonic, creating an unprecedented level of corporate support for the Orchestra 2006: Philharmonic announces an agreement with Deutsche Grammophon, becoming the first American orchestra to offer live concert downloads on DG Concerts, exclusively through iTunes 2005: Philharmonic’s live recording of John Adams’s On the Transmigration of Souls receives three Grammy Awards, including Best Classical Album 2004: Philharmonic performs its 14,000th concert on December 18, a milestone unmatched by any other orchestra in the world, setting a Guinness World Record 2004: Philharmonic launches a 39-week concert-broadcast series, The New York Philharmonic This Week; in 2006 the series expands to 52 weeks per year 2003: Philharmonic receives the Trustees Award from The Recording Academy and is the first major symphony orchestra to perform as a headliner on the Grammy Awards telecast 2002: Lorin Maazel’s first performance as the Philharmonic’s Music Director 2001: Within a month of 9/11, Philharmonic musicians started giving chamber concerts in lower Manhattan for those who work and live near Ground Zero 1999: Orchestra premieres six “Messages for the Millennium,” all commissioned by Kurt Masur and the Philharmonic to celebrate the new millennium
2008
Historic Highlights 2008: New York Philharmonic travels to Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, for a 48-hour visit that includes a historic concert led by Music Director Lorin Maazel — an event watched around the world [above]
2007: Alan Gilbert is named Lorin Maazel’s successor as the New York Philharmonic’s Music Director beginning in 2009–10 [opposite page, left]
1998: Philharmonic performs for the first time in The Great Hall of the People, Beijing, China 1992: Philharmonic’s 150th Anniversary is celebrated at a December 7 concert with the three living Music Directors on the podium: Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta, and Kurt Masur
2007
1992: Kurt Masur conducts the Orchestra’s first free Memorial Day Concert at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine 1990: The Philharmonic and numerous soloists, conductors, and members of other orchestras perform a memorial concert, at Carnegie Hall on November 14, in tribute to Leonard Bernstein; on the program is his Candide Overture, played — without a conductor, for the first time — in his memory 1986: Philharmonic, led by Zubin Mehta, plays to the largest audience ever to attend a classical music concert — 800,000 people, in Central Park on July 5 — to mark the Statue of Liberty’s centennial 1982: Zubin Mehta conducts the Philharmonic at the White House in honor of Indira Gandhi 1976: Philharmonic performs on the first Live From Lincoln Center telecast 1965: Orchestra inaugurates free summer parks concerts in Central Park [above, second from right] 1964: New York Philharmonic becomes the first orchestra in the U.S. to work under a 52-week contract 1962: Philharmonic opens Lincoln Center in its new home, then named Philharmonic Hall; it was renamed Avery Fisher Hall in 1973
1965
1891
1961: Orchestra makes its first tour to Japan, Leonard Bernstein conducting, Seiji Ozawa assistant
1917: Philharmonic releases its first recording (A. Thomas, Raymond Overture), Josef Stransky, conductor
1959: Philharmonic embarks on its first tour to the Soviet Union, Leonard Bernstein conducting
1913: Philharmonic becomes the first American symphony orchestra to establish an endowment, through a bequest from the publisher Joseph Pulitzer
1957: Leonard Bernstein conducts the first televised Young People’s Concert 1950: Philharmonic makes its first television appearance 1943: Leonard Bernstein makes his historic Philharmonic conducting debut as a last-minute replacement for an ailing Bruno Walter; concert is broadcast nationally 1942: At the age of 12, Lorin Maazel makes his New York Philharmonic debut at Lewisohn Stadium 1930: Philharmonic is the first symphony orchestra to perform a coastto-coast radio broadcast 1928: New York Symphony and New York Philharmonic merge, to become The Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc. 1924: Conductor Ernest Schelling begins the long-running series of Philharmonic Young People’s Concerts 1922: Philharmonic is heard on the radio in the first broadcast by a major symphony orchestra; program conducted by Willem van Hoogstraten at Lewisohn Stadium
1908: Gustav Mahler conducts the U.S. premiere of his Symphony No. 2, Resurrection 1901: Andrew Carnegie is elected president of the Philharmonic 1891: Orchestra (specifically, the New York Symphony) gives the inaugural performance in Carnegie’s Music Hall [above] 1853: Philharmonic Society is incorporated 1844: Philharmonic inducts its first Honorary Member, the violin virtuoso Henri Vieuxtemps 1842: First concert by New York Philharmonic on December 7 at the Apollo Rooms on lower Broadway 1842: Philharmonic Society of New York founded on April 2; American Ureli Corelli Hill named first President
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[Resources] Lorin Maazel — A Grand Finale (March 6 through the end of the season) focuses on the extraordinary contributions of the Philharmonic’s current Music Director as he approaches the conclusion of his tenure with the Orchestra. The Archives also organizes other activities related to the New York Philharmonic, such as lectures and presentations. (Open for research by appointment, Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; call 212-8755930)
cr ed i t s All photos by Chris Lee except P. 3: book cover courtesy of HarperCollins; P. 5: Carter by Meredith Heuer, Holiday Brass by Michael DiVito; P. 7: Mehta by Wilfried Hoesl, Salonen by Mathew Imaging, Alsop by Kym Thomson, Dudamel by Silvia Lelli, Bernstein, Mahler, Toscanini, and Hill from New York Philharmonic Archives; P. 11 DVD cover courtesy of EuroArts, a Medici Arts company; P. 14 Masur by Christian Steiner, Kidzone Live! by Michael DiVito;
P. 15: classroom by Michael DiVito; P. 16: Stucky by Hoebermann Studio, Lieberson by Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Rands by Jack Mitchell, Kernis by Richard Bowditch; P. 17: album cover and score from New York Philharmonic Archives; P. 19: Central Park and Carnegie Hall from New York Philharmonic Archives; P. 20: score from New York Philharmonic Archives
design: Pure+Applied
Volunteer Council
The New York Philharmonic Volunteer Council, now in its 29th season, has more than 200 members and 20 different committees. The council serves the New York Philharmonic in diverse areas, including assistance to Orchestra and staff, participation in special events and educational activities, fund-raising through the Gift Kiosk, encouraging membership support at the Friends Table (located on the Grand Promenade of Avery Fisher Hall during concerts and Open Rehearsals), and silent auctions. In addition, volunteers are on duty at each concert to host the Patron Lounge.
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Bernstein’s markings on his score of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Resurrection
Archives
citywide Bernstein festival. Mendelssohn The Archives, a repository for more than in the English Speaking World (January 10– 160 years of Philharmonic history — March 1) marks the 200th anniversary including the papers, scores, and records of Felix Mendelssohn’s birth, in of its illustrious music directors — is conjunction with the Philharmonic’s one of the most important orchestral all-Mendelssohn program February 4–7. research collections in the world. Each year the Philharmonic presents a number of archival exhibitions in the Bruno Walter Gallery; the first of the season is Leonard Bernstein: American Original (September 17–January 10), which focuses on his rarely seen conducting scores from the Archives’s collections; it marks the 50th anniversary of his appointment as New York Philharmonic Music Director, and coincides with the The New York Philharmonic Portrait Gallery
Portrait Gallery
Next to the Bruno Walter Gallery, on the Grand Promenade level, is the Philharmonic Portrait Gallery, where Philharmonic musicians are showcased in a permanent gallery of portraits, most taken by photographer Chris Lee.
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