Conductor Andris Nelsons To Make NY Philharmonic Debut, Feb. 10-12

Andris Nelsons will make his New York Philharmonic conducting debut leading the Orchestra in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3, with Jonathan Biss as soloist, and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5, Thursday, February 10, 2011, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, February 11, at 11:00 a.m., and Saturday, February 12, at 8:00 p.m.

Mr. Nelsons will also conduct the Saturday Matinee Concert on February 12, 2011, at 2:00 p.m., leading Beethoven's Piano Concerto 3 with Mr. Biss. The program will open with Mozart's Quintet for Piano and Winds, K.452, performed by Mr. Biss with Philharmonic Principal Oboe Liang Wang, Acting Principal Clarinet Mark Nuccio, Principal Bassoon Judith LeClair, and Principal Horn Philip Myers.

Andris Nelsons, music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, is a native of Riga, Latvia, who began his career as a trumpeter in the Latvian National Opera Orchestra. Since then, he has won wide acclaim for his work with orchestras, opera productions, and in prize-winning recordings. His newest - R. Strauss's An Alpine Symphony - will be released in early 2011.

Jonathan Biss, who has performed with the Philharmonic 15 times, notes: "I think, of all the Beethoven concertos, number three is probably the one I've played the most. Even though I've been living with it on and off for many years, every time I play it, it still is a thrill to play. I think it's one of most dramatic works; certainly of the five piano concertos, it's set apart by its drama."