Cellist Seth Parker Woods to Make NY Philharmonic Debut In NY Premiere Of Nathalie Joachim's Had To Be

On October 17 and 18, 2024 at 7:30pm, the New York Philharmonic will present two-time GRAMMY-nominated cellist Seth Parker Woods in his NY Phil debut, as he performs in the New York premiere of Nathalie Joachim's cello concerto Had To Be. Praised by The Guardian as "a cellist of power and grace" who possesses "mature artistry and willingness to go to the brink," Woods joins the New York Philharmonic and conductor Thomas Wilkins in a program titled Afromodernism: Music of the African Diaspora, a celebration of African diasporic influences in vibrant synthesis with other cultures. Along with Joachim's piece - performed by Woods in its world premiere at this year's Spoleto Festival USA - the program features Carlos Simon's Four Black American Dances, an homage to African-American dance traditions; David Baker's Kosbro, a dynamic exploration of rhythm and movement; and William Grant Still's Autochthonous Symphony, which depicts, in the composer's words, "the fusion of musical cultures in North America." Before the concert on October 18, Woods participates in a pre-concert talk - accessible to all ticketholders for that concert - beginning at 6:00pm He will join Nathalie Joachim, Barnard College professor Monica L. Miller and Harvard University professor Carol Oja in a conversation moderated by Juilliard professor Fredara Hadley.

These concerts represent the centerpiece of the NY Phil's exploration of Afromodernism, which centers the work of Black creators and examines the influence that the arts and cultures of contemporary Africa and the African diaspora have had on modern arts movements - from music to fashion and more - through performances and a suite of complementary presentations.

Joachim's work Had To Be, co-commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, Spoleto Festival USA, Orchestre Métropolitain and Chautauqua Institution, is her first composition for full orchestra and soloist. Composed specifically for Woods, this concerto in three movements honors the evolution of Black diasporic fashion, spotlighting the "Black dandyism" movement known for infusing striking African influences to upend and reinvent conventional Western menswear and aesthetics of individualism. Woods - an artist known for his sense of style and a fixture on "best dressed" lists - becomes both a visual and musical representation of the theme. Among its other motifs, the work reflects influences from the celebratory funeral marches of the Caribbean to African-American faith traditions and the jazz music of early 20th-century Harlem. Born in Brooklyn, of proudly Haitian heritage, Joachim carries elements of her own life story into this work and the NY Phil's focus on the African diaspora.

Woods begins the new season following a momentous 2023-2024, which brought a 2024 GRAMMY nomination for the album release of his original program Difficult Grace on Cedille Records. In Summer 2024, he performed the East Coast premiere of Rebecca Saunders' cello concerto Ire at The Next Festival of Emerging Artists, and in Spring 2025, he makes his LA Philharmonic debut in the world premiere of Chrysalis, a new cello concerto written for him by Julia Adolphe. He is also featured as a soloist on the fourth release of WildUp's GRAMMY-nominated Eastman Project: Eastman Vol. 4: The Holy Presence, an exploration of composer Julius Eastman's works on religious themes, released in June 2024 on New Amsterdam Records.

Program Information
New York Philharmonic Presents Afromodernism: Music of the African Diaspora
Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 7:30pm
Friday, October 18, 2024 at 7:30pm (pre-concert talk at 6:00pm)
Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall | New York, NY
Link: www.nyphil.org/concerts-tickets/2425/wilkins-woods/

Program:
Carlos Simon - Four Black American Dances
Nathalie Joachim - Had To Be [New York Premiere]
David Baker - Kosbro
William Grant Still - Symphony No. 4, Autochthonous

Seth Parker Woods, cello
Thomas Wilkins, conductor
New York Philharmonic

About Seth Parker Woods

Two-time GRAMMY-nominated cellist Seth Parker Woods has established his reputation as a versatile artist and innovator across multiple genres. As The New York Times wrote, "Woods is an artist rooted in classical music, but whose cello is a vehicle that takes him, and his concertgoers, on wide-ranging journeys." Also at the forefront of fashion, Woods has topped "Best Dressed" lists in Variety, Texas Monthly and OC Register. Woods has served on the faculty of the Thornton School of Music at The University of Southern California since 2022, and was appointed to the Robert Mann Chair in Strings and Chamber Music in 2024.

Among the highlights of his 2024-2025 season, Woods performs in the world premiere of Nathalie Joachim's new cello concerto, Had to Be, at Spoleto Festival USA, later performing its New York premiere in his debut with the New York Philharmonic. He performs the East Coast premiere of Rebecca Saunders' cello concerto Ire as 2024 Guest Artist with The Next Festival of Emerging Artists, and makes his Los Angeles Philharmonic debut in the world premiere of a new cello concerto by Julia Adolphe. A core member of the music collective Wild Up, Woods performs as a soloist in the fourth release of Wild Up's GRAMMY-nominated Eastman Project: Eastman Vol. 4: The Holy Presence, released June 2024 on New Amsterdam Records. In a second new release due out this season on New Focus Recordings, Woods is featured alongside flutist Claire Chase on a recording of music by Anna Thorvaldsdottir.

During the 2023-2024 season, Woods brought his GRAMMY-nominated, autobiographical tour-de-force Difficult Grace to San Diego and Philadelphia, following the world premiere at 92NY and performances at UCLA and Chicago's Harris Theater last season. Difficult Grace was released as an album on Cedille Records in 2023 and was nominated for the 2024 GRAMMY Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo. Woods also performed the Boston premiere of Anna Thorvaldsdottir's UBIQUE at Harvard University and featured in performances with GRAMMY Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn at Konzerthaus Dortmund in Germany. With American Modern Opera Company (AMOC), Woods toured a new version of John Adams' El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered.

In addition to solo performances, Woods has appeared with the Atlanta and Seattle Symphonies, in chamber music with Hilary Hahn and pianist Andreas Haefliger, and with European ensembles including ICTUS Ensemble, Ensemble L'Arsenale, zone Experimental, Basel Sinfonietta, and Ensemble LPR. A fierce advocate for contemporary arts, Woods has collaborated with artists representing the classical, popular music, and visual art worlds. He was nominated for a 2023 GRAMMY Award as a member of Wild Up.

In recent years, Woods has appeared in concert at the Royal Albert Hall - BBC Proms, Aspen Music Festival, The Isabella Gardner Museum, The Wallis Annenberg Center, Das Haus (Brussels), and Musée d'art Moderne et Contemporain (Strasbourg), among many other venues. Woods' debut solo album, asinglewordisnotenough (Confront Recordings-London), has garnered great acclaim since its November 2016 release.

In addition to his post at The University of Southern California, Woods serves on the artist faculty of the Music Academy of the West each summer. He holds degrees from Brooklyn College and Musik Akademie der Stadt Basel, as well as a PhD from the University of Huddersfield. He previously served as Artist in Residence with Kaufman Music Center and the Seattle Symphony and was named honoree of the 2023 Seattle Symphony's 25th Anniversary Silver Gala and recipient of the 2022 Chamber Music America Michael Jaffee Visionary Award.

Learn more at www.sethparkerwoods.com.

Photo Credit: Ben Gibbs