NY Philharmonic Begins The 171st Season, 9/19-9/27

For the sixth consecutive year, the Philharmonic and its Global Sponsor, Credit Suisse - whose partnership began at the start of the 2007 season - will offer a Free Dress Rehearsal of the Opening Night concert Wednesday, September 19, 2012, at 9:45 a.m. General admission tickets will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis starting that morning at 8:00 a.m. on Lincoln Center's Josie Robertson Plaza. Previous seasons' Free Dress Rehearsals have drawn thousands of music lovers to Avery Fisher Hall. Classical 105.9 FM WQXR, the Radio Station of the New York Philharmonic, will broadcast live from the Josie Robertson Plaza the morning of the Free Dress Rehearsal, featuring live interviews with musicians and fans.

The launch of the Philharmonic's 2012–13 season continues with the Opening Gala, headlined by violinist Itzhak Perlman Thursday, September 27, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. and presented by Breguet, the exclusive timepiece of the New York Philharmonic. The program opens and closes with Respighi's monumental Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome and features Mr. Perlman as soloist in Rimsky-Korsakov's Fantasy on Russian Themes, Massenet's Méditation from Thaïs, Glazunov's orchestration of Tchaikovsky's Scherzo from Souvenir d'un lieu cher, John Williams's Theme from Schindler's List, and Sarasate's . The program will be telecast nationally on Live From Lincoln Center on a tape-delayed basis on PBS stations at 8:00 p.m. [check local listings].

"Leif Ove Andsnes is a very serious, though never austere, performer," Alan Gilbert said. "He plays a piece such as Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto with both stylistic rigor and contemporary whimsy. It's fresh and inspiring. I love that he asked us to combine the Beethoven concerto with Kurtág's ... quasi una fantasia ... , a chamber work that involves spatial elements. Leif Ove perceives important and meaningful connections between the two works that will take our audience on a fascinating journey." The Music Director described The Rite of Spring, which marks its centennial in May 2013, as "an iconic piece, one that changed the course of music in the 20th century, and a thrill and a joy every time you play it. The challenges are to make it as fresh and provocative as it was when it was premiered and to make the story it tells come alive pictorially. The New York Philharmonic is the perfect orchestra to do that because the musicians are capable of playing the most gossamer, delicate sounds and the most brutal, rough, aggressive sounds, all of which you need for The Rite of Spring.

"The Opening Gala is going to be an exciting concert," Alan Gilbert added. "We're always happy when Itzhak Perlman performs with us, and he will surely bring the necessary aplomb to the virtuosic pieces he'll be playing. The program begins and ends with two gorgeous, colorful pieces by Respighi: Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome. They are virtuosic and exciting, and the New York Philharmonic plays them better than anybody."

The black-tie Opening Gala on Thursday, September 27, 2012, will include a pre-concert champagne reception from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., the concert, and a dinner immediately following the concert. Opening Gala Co-Chairmen are SungEun Han-Andersen and G. Chris Andersen and Ronald and Christie Ulrich. The Executive Vice Chairmen are Agnes and Gerald L. Hassell and Marc A. Hayek. The Opening Gala is presented by Breguet. The Gala is generously underwritten by BNY Mellon and Credit Suisse.

Related Events

Free Dress Rehearsal

The Philharmonic and Credit Suisse will offer a Free Dress Rehearsal of the Opening Night concert Wednesday, September 19, 2012, at 9:45 a.m. General admission tickets will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis starting that morning at 8:00 a.m. on Lincoln Center's Josie Robertson Plaza. Classical 105.9 FM WQXR will broadcast live from the Josie Robertson Plaza the morning of the Free Dress Rehearsal, featuring live interviews with musicians and fans.

Leif Ove Andsnes: The Beethoven Journey

On Saturday, September 22, 2012, at 1:00 p.m., WQXR will present Leif Ove Andsnes in his only New York solo appearance at The Greene Space. Set in the station's intimate performance studio, Andsnes will join WQXR host Jeff Spurgeon to discuss Beethoven's music and perform Sonatas No. 21, Op. 53 ("Waldstein") and No. 22, Op. 54. Tickets are $20, available at www.thegreenespace.org.

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