Concertmaster Frank Huang to Make NY Philharmonic Solo Debut in June

New York Philharmonic Concertmaster Frank Huang will make his Philharmonic solo debut leading and performing Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, as well as leading Grieg's The Last Spring, Thursday, June 2, 2016, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, June 3 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, June 4 at 8:00 p.m.

Leonid Desyatnikov's arrangement of Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires incorporates the "opposite" musical material from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons - for example, quotations from Vivaldi's Spring are incorporated in Piazzolla's Autumn, since Italy, in the Northern Hemisphere, experiences spring while Argentina, in the Southern Hemisphere, experiences autumn.

"Vivaldi's The Four Seasons are masterpieces, and I'm always amazed by how he was able to create such vivid musical descriptions of each season," said Concertmaster Frank Huang. "Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires are maybe less well known, but these tango-inspired pieces are equally captivating, full of sultry melodies, fiery rhythmic sections, and even quotes from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons."

Speaking about newly appointed Concertmaster Frank Huang, Alan Gilbert said: "There is a subtlety to the art of being a great concertmaster. He or she must be a great instrumentalist - a soloist, a technical wizard - while also being a strong leader and a strong follower, a strong consensus builder, and, at times, a forceful presence. Happily, Frank Huang fits the description."

Related Events

Philharmonic Free Fridays
The New York Philharmonic is offering 100 free tickets for young people ages 13-26 to the concert Friday, June 3 as part of Philharmonic Free Fridays. Information is available at nyphil.org/freefridays. Philharmonic Free Fridays offers 100 free tickets to 13-26-year-olds to each of the 2015-16 season's 15 Friday evening subscription concerts.

Pre-Concert Insights
Composer Daniel Felsenfeld will introduce the program. Pre-Concert Insights are $7, and discounts are available for three (3) or more talks and for students. They take place one hour before these performances in the Helen Hull Room, unless otherwise noted. Attendance is limited to 90 people. Information: nyphil.org/preconcert or (212) 875-5656.

Single tickets for this performance start at $33. Pre-Concert Insights are $7 (visit nyphil.org/preconcert for more information). 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 $16 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.)