Annaleigh Ashford, Christopher Jackson, Laura Osnes and Aaron Tveit Headline New York Philharmonic's 2017 Holiday Season
By: BWW News Desk Nov. 02, 2017
The New York Philharmonic's 2017 holiday season presents classical and seasonal hallmarks, four Broadway stars singing Laureate Conductor Leonard Bernstein's musical theater highlights, and the beloved annual traditions of Holiday Brass and Handel's Messiah.
December 12-14 and 16, 2017, 7:30 p.m.; December 15, 2017, 11:00 a.m.: Handel's Messiah
Handel's celebrated and celebratory oratorio returns, conducted by Andrew Manze and sung by soprano Joélle Harvey, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano, tenor Ben Bliss (in his Philharmonic subscription debut), and bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams, as well as the Westminster Symphonic Choir, Joe Miller, director.
December 17, 2017, 3:00 p.m.: Holiday Brass
The 22nd annual Holiday Brass concert will feature the New York Philharmonic Brass and Percussion, presided over by conductor / host / former Principal Trumpet Philip Smith, performing holiday favorites and works from the brass canon, from the Baroque to the contemporary. This season they are joined by trumpet player Doc Severinsen, celebrating his 90th birthday year, as special guest soloist.
December 31, 2017, 8:00 p.m.: New Year's Eve: Bernstein on Broadway
New Year's Eve: Bernstein on Broadway will feature Bramwell Tovey leading Members of the New York Philharmonic and vocalists Annaleigh Ashford (Philharmonic debut), Christopher Jackson (Philharmonic debut), Laura Osnes, and Aaron Tveit (Philharmonic debut) singing songs from Bernstein's On the Town, Wonderful Town, West Side Story, and Candide - all of which were nominated for or won Tony Awards. The concert will be telecast nationally on Live From Lincoln Center on PBS stations at 9:00 p.m. (check local listings). The program continues the Philharmonic's celebrations of its Laureate Conductor's 100th birthday year, centered on Bernstein's Philharmonic: A Centennial Festival, October 25-November 14.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
HANDEL'S MESSIAH (December 12-16, 2017)
Andrew Manze is celebrated for his inspirational conducting, extensive and scholarly knowledge of repertoire, skillful communication, and boundless energy. He became principal conductor of Hannover's NDR Radiophilharmonie in the 2015-16 season; his contract has been renewed, for the second time, until the summer of 2021. In addition to a busy touring schedule within Germany and Austria, they toured China and South Korea in 2016 with András Schiff. In 2017-18 they tour the U.K. and return to the Far East in 2019. They have embarked on a recording series for Pentatone, initially focusing on Mendelssohn's orchestral works. As a guest Mr. Manze has relationships with orchestras including the Leipzig Gewandhaus, Munich Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, the Hallé, Camerata Salzburg, and the Scottish and Swedish chamber orchestras. He is also a regular guest at the Mostly Mozart Festival and has a close relationship with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, with which he is in the process of recording the complete Vaughan Williams symphonies for Onyx Classics. In 2017-18 he makes debuts with Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bamberg Symphony, NDR Elbphilharmonie, and the Melbourne Symphony, and returns to the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics. From 2006 to 2014, Mr. Manze was principal conductor and artistic director of the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, with which he made a number of recordings, including Beethoven's Eroica (Harmonia Mundi) and a cycle of Brahms symphonies (CPO). From September 2010 to August 2014 he was associate guest conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and he was principal guest conductor of the Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra from 2008 to 2011. After studying classics at Cambridge University, Mr. Manze focused on the violin and rapidly became a leading specialist in the world of historical performance practice. He became associate director of the Academy of Ancient Music in 1996, then artistic director of the English Concert from 2003 to 2007. As a violinist, he has released an array of CDs, many of them award-winners. Andrew Manze, a fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and visiting professor at the Oslo Academy, has contributed to new editions of sonatas and concertos by Mozart and J.S. Bach published by Bärenreiter and Breitkopf & Härtel. He also teaches, edits, and writes about music, and broadcasts regularly on radio and television. In November 2011 he received the Rolf Schock Prize in Stockholm. Andrew Manze made his New York Philharmonic debut leading Handel's Messiah in December 2013.
A native of Bolivar, New York, soprano Joélle Harvey is the recipient of a 2011 First Prize Award from the Gerda Lissner Foundation, a 2009 Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation, and a 2010 Encouragement Award (in honor of Norma Newton) from the George London Foundation. Ms. Harvey began the 2017-18 season in concert with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, performing Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915. She subsequently makes her Pittsburgh Opera debut as Susanna in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, and joins The English Concert as Almirena in Handel's Rinaldo.Additional concert appearances include a return to the New York Philharmonic for Handel's Messiah and an appearance with the Laguna Music Festival. In the summer of 2018 she returns to the Glyndebourne Festival Opera for her role debut as Cleopatra in David McVicar's production of Handel's Giulio Cesare, conducted by William Christie. Last season, Ms. Harvey joined the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Pat Nixon in John Adams's Nixon in China, and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera as Servilia in Mozart's La clemenza di Tito. In concert she appeared at the Mostly Mozart Festival for Mozart's Mass in C minor and Requiem, which she also sang with the Kansas City and Utah Symphony Orchestras. She also joined the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, Handel & Haydn Society for Handel's Messiah, the National and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras for Mahler's Das klagende Lied,and the London Symphony Orchestra and Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra for John Adams's El Niño. She also appeared in concert with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the North Carolina Symphony. She concluded the season with a return to Glyndebourne Festival Opera as Servilia in La clemenza di Tito, a role she also performed at the BBC Proms. Joélle Harvey made her New York Philharmonic debut in J.S. Bach's Magnificat in March 2013, conducted by Masaaki Suzuki; she most recently appeared with the Orchestra for Handel's Messiah in December 2013, conducted by Andrew Manze.
Jennifer Johnson Cano is noted for her commanding stage presence and profound artistry with a warm, velvety timbre. Winner of a 2012 Richard Tucker Career Grant and 2014 George London Award, she joined the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at The Metropolitan Opera in 2008 and was the First Prize winner of the 2009 Young Concert Artist International Auditions. Ms. Cano has given more than 100 performances at The Metropolitan Opera, with recent roles including Bersi in Giordano's Andrea Chenier, Emilia in Verdi's Otello, Hansel in Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, Meg Page in Verdi's Falstaff, Mercedes in Bizet's Carmen, Nicklausse in Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, and Wellgunde and Waltraute in Wagner's Ring Cycle. Other appearances include Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni with the Boston Lyric and Arizona Operas, the title role in Bizet's Carmen with Boston Lyric Opera, Orfeo in Gluck's Orfeo et Eurydice with Des Moines Metro Opera, Diana in Cavalli's La Calisto with Cincinnati Opera, and Marguerite in Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust with the Tucson Symphony. She has worked with conductors including Marin Alsop, Andrew Davis, Manfred Honeck, James Levine, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Robert Spano, Osmo Vänskä, and Franz Welser-Möst. Last season, she made her European debut performing John Adams's El Niño on tour with Mr. Adams and the London Symphony Orchestra in London and Paris, and with Markus Stenz and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic at Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw. In 2017-18 Ms. Cano portrays Orfeo with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and The Sharp Eared Fox in Janá?ek's The Cunning Little Vixen in concert with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and The Cleveland Orchestra in Cleveland, Vienna, and Luxembourg. Orchestral engagements include Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on tour with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Handel's Messiah with the New York Philharmonic and Colorado Symphony Orchestra; Bernstein's Jeremiah Symphony with the Atlanta, Phoenix, and Charlotte symphony orchestras; Mozart's Requiem with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra; and Brahms's Alto Rhapsody and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Johnson Cano made her New York Philharmonic debut in November 2010 in Mendelssohn's Elijah, conducted by then Music Director Alan Gilbert; she most recently appeared with the Orchestra in July 2017 during its Bravo! Vail residency, performing Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 led by Alan Gilbert.
In the 2017-18 season American tenor Ben Bliss will sing the role of Ferrando in Mozart's Così fan tutte at The Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, and Oper Frankfurt. He also makes his Opera Philadelphia house debut as Tamino in Mozart's The Magic Flute, and sings the role of Cassio in Verdi's Otello with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he also returns to Santa Fe Opera in his role debut as Robert Wilson in John Adams's Dr. Atomic in a production directed by Peter Sellars, and performs Handel's Messiah with the New York Philharmonic. Ben Bliss's 2016-17 season included a U.S. recital tour with pianist Lachlan Glen, with stops at Carnegie Hall, the Folly Theater in Kansas City as part of the Harriman-Jewell series, and the Theater of the Arts at the University of District of Columbia as part of the Vocal Arts DC Emerging Artists series. Mr. Bliss's operatic appearances included returns to The Metropolitan Opera, first as Tamino and then as Steuermann in Wagner's The Flying Dutchman, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Other opera appearances included Belmonte in Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio with Atlanta Opera; Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress in his role and house debuts with Boston Lyric Opera; and Camille, the Count de Rosillon, in Lehár's The Merry Widow in concert for his house and role debut with the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. Ben Bliss appeared with the New York Philharmonic in three performances of Bernstein's West Side Story Concert Suite No. 1 in summer 2015: in the Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer; during the Orchestra's Bravo! Vail residency; and at the Santa Barbara Bowl as part of the New York Philharmonic Global Academy residency at the Music Academy of the West.
Bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams enjoys a vibrant career on both the opera and concert stage, and is graced with a vocal versatility that allows him to present a repertoire ranging from the classics of Bach, Gluck, Handel, and Mozart through to more recent masters such as Britten, Debussy, Stravinsky, and Wagner. His concert repertoire includes Bach's St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion, Brahms's A German Requiem, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Britten's War Requiem, Haydn's Die Jahreszeiten, Janá?ek's Glagolitic Mass, Mahler's Eighth Symphony, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Schoenberg's Gurrelieder, and Walton's Belshazzar's Feast. He has collaborated with conductors including David Afkham, Herbert Blomstedt, Teodor Currentzis, Colin Davis, Philipe Herreweghe, Paul McCreesh, Marc Minkowski, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Hervé Niquet, Vasily Petrenko, David Robertson, Ulf Schirmer, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Edo de Waart. Highlights of his 2017-18 season include Telramund in Wagner's Lohengrin at La Monnaie in a new production by Olivier Py conducted by Alain Altinoglu, Golaud in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande directed by René Koering and led by Yves Abel for Ópera de Oviedo, Méphistophélès in Gounod's Faust at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris conducted by Christophe Rousset, Escamillo in Bizet's Carmen in a Kasper Holten production conducted by Paolo Carignani and Jordan de Souza at the Bregenzer Festspiele, and fully staged performances of Janá?ek's The Cunning Little Vixen with Franz Welser-Möst leading The Cleveland Orchestra. On the concert stage, Andrew Foster-Williams joins the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Gounod's St. Cecilia Mass, the Sydney Symphony for Walton's Belshazzar's Feast and Bach's Ich habe genug, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic for a concert and recording of Vaughan Williams's A Sea Symphony. International performances of Handel's Messiah bring the artist to the New York Philharmonic and to Montréal's Orchestre Métropolitain. Andrew Foster-Williams has previously appeared twice with the Philharmonic: for Handel's Messiah in December 2010 and Mozart's Requiem in November 2011, both led by Bernard Labadie.
Recognized as one of the world's leading choral ensembles, the Westminster Symphonic Choir is composed of students at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. It has recorded and performed with major orchestras under many internationally acclaimed conductors for the past 84 years, and the choir has sung more than 500 performances with the New York Philharmonic alone. In addition to the Philharmonic's performances of Messiah, the ensemble's 2017-18 season includes Holst's The Planets with The Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Cristian M?celaru; the World Premiere of Tod Machover's Philadelphia Voices with The Philadelphia Orchestra, led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin; Mozart's Mass in C minor with Orchestra of St. Luke's, led by Pablo Heras-Casado; Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, led by Rossen Milanov; and Walton's Belshazzar's Feast, led by Joe Miller. Recent seasons have included performances of Bernstein's Mass with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Villa-Lobos's Choros No. 10 with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela and Gustavo Dudamel, and Christopher Rouse's Requiem with the New York Philharmonic and then Music Director Alan Gilbert. Westminster Choir College is a division of Rider University's Westminster College of the Arts, which has campuses in Princeton and Lawrenceville, New Jersey. A professional college of music with a unique choral emphasis, Westminster prepares students for careers in teaching, sacred music, and performance. The Westminster Symphonic Choir made its Philharmonic debut in January 1959 in Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius conducted by John Barbirolli; its most recent appearances were in May 2017 in Schoenberg's A Survivor from Warsaw and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, led by Alan Gilbert. Joe Miller is conductor of two of America's most renowned choral ensembles - the Westminster Choir and the Westminster Symphonic Choir - and is director of choral activities at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. Dr. Miller also serves as artistic director for choral activities for the Spoleto Festival USA and director of the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir. His 2017-18 season with the Westminster Choir includes a concert tour of the Midwest, performances and broadcasts at its home in Princeton, its annual residency at the Spoleto Festival USA, and the release of a new recording. As conductor of the Westminster Symphonic Choir, Dr. Miller has collaborated with some of the world's leading orchestras and conductors, earning him critical praise. He is also founder and conductor of the Westminster Summer Choral Festival Chamber Choir, a program that offers professional-level choral and vocal artists the opportunity to explore challenging works for one week each summer on the Westminster campus in Princeton.
HOLIDAY BRASS (December 17, 2017)
Philip Smith joined the New York Philharmonic as Co-Principal Trumpet in 1978, became Principal Trumpet, The Paula Levin Chair, in 1988, and retired from that position at the end of the 2013-14 season, completing 36 years of service to the Orchestra. He joined the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia as the William F. and Pamela P. Prokasy Professor in the Arts in August 2014. In addition to teaching his trumpet studio, he is the bandmaster of the UGA British Brass Band, a member of the faculty Georgia Brass Quintet, and the coach of the Bulldog Brass Society. He has made appearances internationally as a soloist, and with the Philharmonic he performed with conductors Zubin Mehta, Kurt Masur, Lorin Maazel, Alan Gilbert, Erich Leinsdorf, Leonard Bernstein, Neeme Järvi, and Bramwell Tovey. Mr. Smith has also appeared with many symphonic wind ensembles, including the U.S. "President's Own" Marine Band, the West Point Academy Band, and many major university ensembles. As a conductor of brass bands and ensembles, recent guest appearances include the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Brass and Percussion and National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain 2016 Summer Course. He has led the Philharmonic's annual Holiday Brass Concert, and he conducted Members of the Philharmonic at the dedication of the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City on May 15, 2014. Mr. Smith has served on the faculties of The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music, appeared as recitalist and clinician at numerous International Trumpet Guild conferences, and been an adjudicator for the Prague Spring International Trumpet Competition, Ellsworth Smith International Trumpet Solo Competition, 25th Anniversary National Trumpet Competition (USA), Osaka (Japan) International Chamber Music Competition, and Eric Aubier International Trumpet Competition in Rouen, France. In 2005 he was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, and in 2006 he was given the International Trumpet Guild Honorary Award.
Doc Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, in 1927, and was nicknamed "Little Doc" after his father, Dr. Carl Severinsen, a dentist and gifted amateur violinist. He was asked to join the high school band at age seven, won the Music Educator's National Contest at twelve, and was hired to go on the road with the Ted Fio Rito Orchestra in high school. After serving in the Army during World War II he landed a spot with the Charlie Barnet Band, and in the late 1940s toured with the Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman bands. Mr. Severinsen arrived in New York City in 1949 to become a staff musician for NBC, and in 1962 he was invited to join The Tonight Show Band as first trumpet. Five years later he took over as music director for The Tonight Showand stayed with the show until Johnny Carson retired from late-night television in 1992. Today Doc Severinsen tours regularly with his own big band and continues to perform with symphony orchestras and big bands all over the country. Over the years he has been principal pops conductor with the Phoenix, Milwaukee, Colorado, and Pacific symphony orchestras; Minnesota Orchestra; and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. With more than 30 albums to his credit, Mr. Severinsen has recorded everything from big band and jazz-fusion to classical works. He received a 1987 Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Big Band for his recording Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band - Volume I. Doc Severinsen currently works with the S.E. Shires Company in Massachusetts, whose line of trumpets includes the S.E. Shires Severinsen Destino III, a model developed under Doc Severinsen's supervision.
NEW YEAR'S EVE: BERNSTEIN ON BROADWAY (December 31, 2017)
Grammy and Juno award-winning conductor/composer Bramwell Tovey was appointed music director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in 2000. Under his leadership the VSO has toured China, Korea, Canada, and the United States. Mr. Tovey is also the artistic adviser of the VSO School of Music, a state-of-the-art facility and recital hall which opened in downtown Vancouver in 2011. In 2018, the VSO's centenary year, he will become the orchestra's music director emeritus. The 2017-18 season in Vancouver includes tours in the fall and spring showcasing the orchestra in their home state as well as key east coast Canadian cities. Other engagements will take Mr. Tovey to the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Houston, Toronto, and Melbourne symphonies, as well as returns to summer festivals in Vail, Tanglewood, and the Hollywood Bowl. An active composer, Bramwell Tovey won the 2003 Juno Award for Best Classical Composition for his choral and brass work Requiem for a Charred Skull. Past commissions include the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, and Calgary Opera, which premiered his first full length opera, The Inventor, in 2011 (a recording of which by the VSO with UBC Opera and the original cast has been released on Naxos). In 2014 his trumpet concerto, Songs of the Paradise Saloon, was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and The Philadelphia Orchestra with Alison Balsom as soloist in both concerts. A talented pianist as well as conductor and composer, he has appeared as soloist with many major orchestras including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics and Sydney, Melbourne, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Toronto, and Royal Scottish National symphony orchestras. In the summer of 2014 he played and conducted Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and in Saratoga with The Philadelphia Orchestra. He has performed his own Pictures in the Smoke with the Melbourne and Helsingborg Symphonies and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Mr. Tovey was music director of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra from 1989 to 2001, and music director of the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg from 2002 to 2006. Bramwell Tovey is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London and Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, and holds honorary degrees from the universities of British Columbia, Manitoba, Kwantlen, and Winnipeg. In 2013 he was appointed an honorary Officer of the Order of Canada for services to music. Mr. Tovey made his New York Philharmonic debut leading a Young People's Concert in October 2000, and he led his first subscription concert in March 2002, comprising works by Haydn, Stravinsky, Webern, and Mozart. Most recently he conducted an all-American program during the Orchestra's July 2017 Bravo! Vail residency.
Annaleigh Ashford was seen earlier this year as Dot in Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, and as Helena in The Public Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. She won the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards for her portrayal of Essie in You Can't Take It With You. Other Broadway credits include Sylvia in Sylvia, the original Lauren in Cyndi Lauper's Kinky Boots (Clarence Derwent Award; Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle nominations), Glinda in Stephen Schwartz's Wicked, Jeannie in Galt MacDermot's Hair, and the original Margot in Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin's Legally Blonde the Musical. Off-Broadway credits include Dot in Sunday in the Park with George at City Center's Encores!, Maureen in Jonathan Larson's Rent, and Marcie in Pasek & Paul's Dogfight. On television, Ms. Ashford played Betty on Showtime's critically acclaimed Masters of Sex. Other television and film credits include Columbia in The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Fox, Nurse Jackie, The Big C, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Smash, Unicorn Store, Sex and the City, Better Off Single, Top Five, Rachel Getting Married, and Frozen. Her critically acclaimed solo show, Annaleigh Ashford: Lost in the Stars Live at 54 Below, was released by Broadway Records in 2016. Ms. Ashford recently completed work on Ryan Murphy's highly anticipated 2018 FX miniseries American Crime Story: Versace, as well as The Woody Allen Summer Project and the movie Second Act with Jennifer Lopez. These performances mark Annaleigh Ashford's New York Philharmonic debut.
Christopher Jackson is a Tony Award-nominated actor as well as a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning songwriter / composer best known for starring as George Washington in Lin-Manuel Miranda's critically acclaimed, award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton. Mr. Jackson's Broadway credits include Todd Kreidler's Tupac Shakur musical Holler if Ya Hear Me, After Midnight, The Bronx Bombers (Derek Jeter), Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights (Benny), David Bryan and Joe DiPietro's Memphis(Delray Farrell), and Elton John's The Lion King (Simba). Off-Broadway credits include Bronx Bombers (Primary Stages), The Jammer (Atlantic Theater Co.), Lonely, I'm Not (Second Stage), In the Heights (37 Arts), and Cotton Club Parade (City Center's Encores!). Mr. Jackson can currently be seen starring in the hit CBS drama Bull as Chunk, a stylist who prepares defendants for trial. He also recorded an original song written by Lin-Manuel Miranda for the 2016 Disney film Moana. In film and television, he has appeared in Freestyle Love Supreme (Pivot Network), Person of Interest, A Gifted Man, Fringe, Gossip Girl, Tracers, and Afterlife. He was also the composer / songwriter for Sesame Street (six Emmy nominations and one win) and co-music supervisor and writer for The Electric Company (PBS). Mr. Jackson won an Emmy Award for his song with Will.I.Am, "What I Am." In 2010 he released his first solo album, In the Name of Love, with Yellow Sound Lab Records and is currently working on his second album. He also has several musical projects in development for the musical stage. These performances mark Christopher Jackson's New York Philharmonic debut.
Laura Osnes just completed a starring run in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Bandstand (Drama Desk, Drama League nominations), featuring music by Richard Oberacker. Other Broadway credits include Cinderella in Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella (Drama Desk Award; Tony, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, Astaire nominations); Bonnie Parker in Frank Wildhorn's Bonnie and Clyde (Tony Award nomination), after creating the role at Asolo Repertory Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse (San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award); Hope Harcourt in the Tony Award-winning revival of Cole Porter's Anything Goes (Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Astaire Award nominations); Nellie Forbush in Lincoln Center Theater's production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific; and Sandy in the most recent revival of Warren Casey's Grease. Other New York / regional credits include the Gershwins' Crazy for You (Manhattan Concert Productions); The Blueprint Specials; Weill's The Threepenny Opera (Drama Desk Award nomination) at the Atlantic Theater Company; City Center's Encores! productions of The Band Wagon, Randy Newman's Faust, and Rodgers & Hammerstein's Pipe Dream; Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music in concert at Carnegie Hall; Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel opposite Steven Pasquale at Lyric Opera of Chicago; and Broadway: Three Generations at the Kennedy Center. On television, she has been seen on the CBS series Elementary, in the HBO pilot The Miraculous Year, the New York Philharmonic's Sondheim: The Birthday Concert in March 2010, HBO's documentary Six by Sondheim, and the Kennedy Center Honors salutes to Barbara Cook (2011) and Dustin Hoffman (2012). Her many concerts and cabaret appearances include performances with Michael Feinstein, the New York Philharmonic, New York Pops, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Boston Pops, and San Francisco and National Symphony Orchestras, and appearances at venues including Carnegie Hall, Café Carlyle, 54 Below, Lincoln Center, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, The Smith Center in Las Vegas, and Minneapolis's Orchestra Hall. In addition to being heard on several cast recordings, Laura Osnes has two solo albums, Dream a Little Dream: Live at the Café Carlyle and If I Tell You: The Songs of Maury Yeston. Laura Osnes made her New York Philharmonic debut in Sondheim: The Birthday Concert in March 2010; she most recently appeared with the Orchestra in A Broadway Romance, alongside Santino Fontana and conducted by Ted Sperling, in February 2015.
American theater, television, and film actor Aaron Tveit is currently starring in the CBS comic-thriller BrainDead as Gareth, a Republican operative, opposite Mary Elizabeth Winstead. He recently appeared as Danny Zuko in the television special Grease: Live opposite Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens; Stereotypically You alongside Lewis Black, Kal Penn, and Lauren Miller; and in the 2016 film Undrafted with Chace Crawford and Tyler Hoechilin. Mr. Tveit starred on Broadway in Marc Shaiman's Catch Me If You Can as Frank Abagnale Jr., and also created the role of Gabe in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical Next to Normal, with music by Tom Kitt, which he developed Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theater and debuted on Broadway. He is featured on the cast recordings for both shows. He also appeared in the Broadway productions of Stephen Schwartz's Wicked and Shaiman's Hairspray, and starred in the national tours of Hairspray and Jonathan Larson's Rent. In May 2013 he sold out six shows at NYC's 54 Below in record time. Aaron Tveit has received numerous honors for his theater work, including the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance in Next to Normal and the Actors Equity Association Clarence Derwent Award for Most Promising Actor. Nominations include Distinguished Performance from the Drama League, Best Male Dancer from the Fred and Adele Astaire Awards, and Outstanding Featured Actor from the Outer Critics Circle Awards, all for his work in Catch Me If You Can. Mr. Tveit appeared as Enjolras in the film Les Misérables alongside Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, and Russell Crowe. His other film credits include Premium Rush, Howl, and Ghost Town. Television credits include Graceland and numerous guest starring roles on The Good Wife, Body of Proof, Ugly Betty, and Law and Order: SVU. These performances mark Aaron Tveit's New York Philharmonic debut.
Single tickets for Holiday Brass start at $59. Single tickets for Messiah start at $32. Single tickets for New Year's Eve start at $105. Tickets may be purchased online at nyphil.org or by calling (212) 875-5656, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Tickets may also be purchased at the David Geffen Hall Box Office. The Box Office opens at 10:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and at noon on Sunday. On performance evenings, the Box Office closes one-half hour after performance time; other evenings it closes at 6:00 p.m. A limited number of $18 tickets for select concerts may be available through the internet for students within 10 days of the performance, or in person the day of. Valid identification is required. To determine ticket availability, call the Philharmonic's Customer Relations Department at (212) 875-5656. (Ticket prices subject to change.)
Pictured: (from top left) Annaleigh Ashford, Christopher Jackson, Laura Osnes, Aaron Tveit. Credits: Christopher Jackson by Jenny Anderson, Laura Osnes and Aaron Tveit by Nathan Johnson.
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