David Robertson to Conduct Elgar, Holst & John Williams with New York Philharmonic, 5/26-28

David Robertson will return to the New York Philharmonic to conduct John Williams's Tuba Concerto, featuring Principal Tuba Alan Baer in his Philharmonic solo debut; Holst's The Planets; and Elgar's Introduction and Allegro.

"This piece has such a sound track quality to it; that's what really drew me into it," Alan Baer said. "E.T. is very visible. It could fit right into the movie. In the third movement you hear a lot of fanfare - like The Empire Strikes Back." Alan Baer will perform John Williams's Tuba Concerto on an F tuba he helped create. The New York Times recently wrote of Alan Baer's performance with the Philharmonic in Mahler's Symphony No. 6, led by Semyon Bychkov in February 2016.

John Williams's music will be heard earlier in the week when he is honored at the New York Philharmonic Spring Gala, A John Williams Celebration, May 24, 2016, with the Orchestra performing music from the Oscar-winning film composer's iconic scores, led by David Newman, along with clips from select films.

The Saturday Matinee Concert on May 28 at 2:00 p.m. opens with Prokofiev's Quintet - performed by Principal Associate Concertmaster Sheryl Staples, Associate Principal Viola Rebecca Young, Principal Bass Timothy Cobb, Principal Oboe Liang Wang, and Principal Clarinet Anthony McGill - followed by Holst's The Planets, conducted by David Robertson. The concert will be followed immediately by New York Philharmonic musicians performing original compositions by students in the Philharmonic's Very Young Composers program - created by Very Young Composers Founder and Director Jon Deak - led by Assistant Conductor Joshua Gersen. The children whose works will be featured hail from Afghanistan,

Syria, the Netherlands, and New York City. Audience members will be invited to contribute to organizations that benefit child refugees around the world: Doctors Without Borders, the International Rescue Committee, and the New York Philharmonic Education Fund.

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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 $30. 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.)