New York Philharmonic Has Announced Their 2020–21 Season

The New York Philharmonic has announced plans for the 2020-21 season, Jaap van Zweden's third as Music Director. Van Zweden once again conducts a wide range of repertoire, including four World Premieres, a US Premiere, and symphonic cornerstones. As in his first two seasons as Music Director, he continues to connect with New Yorkers through impactful projects, performances, and collaborations with other cultural institutions, and conducts the Orchestra on an Asian tour.

Music Director Jaap van Zweden said: "We are the orchestra of New York, and we are proud to be a vital part of this extraordinary city. It is fantastic that we can open our doors for everybody through Phil the Hall, Concerts in the Parks, and our other community programs - they are the backbone of this institution. In the 2020-21 season, the great musicians of the New York Philharmonic and I are eager to share with our beloved audience more premieres by women composers, some established and some from the next generation, through Project 19; an inspired staging of Kurtág's Fin de partie; and, of course, masterpieces like the Mozart Requiem and Mahler Nine. We look forward to welcoming everyone!"

President and CEO Deborah Borda stated: "For the New York Philharmonic's third season with Jaap van Zweden as Music Director, we have shaped programming around the hallmarks that defined his first two seasons: innovation and collaboration. We strive to innovate the concert experience - through the boldly staged production of the US Premiere of Kurtág's Fin de partie, for example - and collaborate with other musicians and organizations - including Chick Corea, Roomful of Teeth, and citywide partners for Project 19. Our goal is to challenge the status quo and best serve our fellow New Yorkers in the 21st century."

MUSIC DIRECTOR JAAP VAN ZWEDEN'S THIRD SEASON

Premieres and Commissions
Jaap van Zweden will lead four World Premieres commissioned by the New York Philharmonic: the Project 19 commissions by Jessie Montgomery, Caroline Shaw, and Joan Tower, as well as the premiere of a new work by The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence Chick Corea. Maestro van Zweden will also conduct the US Premiere of György Kurtág / Samuel Beckett's Fin de partie in a fully staged production directed by Claire van Kampen.

Concerts for the Community
For the third season, Jaap van Zweden and the New York Philharmonic invite their fellow New Yorkers to the low-cost Phil the Hall, April 30, 2021. Van Zweden will conduct the Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, in June 2021.

Additional Repertoire Highlights
Jaap van Zweden leads Mozart's Requiem, Brahms's Symphony No. 2, Bruckner's Symphony No. 7, Mahler's Symphony No. 9, and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10.

Jaap's 60th Birthday Celebration
The New York Philharmonic will celebrate Jaap van Zweden's 60th birthday with a one-night-only concert, December 16, 2020, featuring many of his friends and collaborators.

More information on Jaap van Zweden's third season is available at nyphil.org/jaap.

US PREMIERE OF GYÖRGY KURTÁG / SAMUEL BECKETT'S FIN DE PARTIE

Jaap van Zweden and the New York Philharmonic conclude the 2020-21 season with the US Premiere of György Kurtág / Samuel Beckett's Fin de partie (Endgame) in a fully staged production, June 10 and 12, 2021. The production will be directed by Claire van Kampen in her Philharmonic debut and feature bass-baritone Laurent Naouri as Hamm in his Philharmonic debut, baritone Rod Gilfry as Clov in his subscription debut, and mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges as Nell in her subscription debut. (The tenor in the role of Nagg will be announced at a later date.) Completed in 2017, the opera is considered to be the 93-year-old composer's magnum opus. It is based on Beckett's tragicomic play Fin de partie. At the urging of fellow composer Ligeti, Kurtág saw the play the year it opened, calling it "one of the strongest experiences in my life."

Director Claire van Kampen is also a pianist, composer, and early-music specialist. She served as director of theater music at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and historical music advisor and arranger of Tudor music on the BBC's Wolf Hall. She wrote the Tony- and Olivier Award-nominated play Farinelli and the King, about a castrato and his relationship with King Philip V of Spain. Of the upcoming production, she writes: "In the dystopian world of Beckett's Endgame we see the chessboard has divested itself of all but four characters: the 'King' - blind Hamm, who is unable to move; his servant, Clov - unable to sit; and Hamm's parents - legless, trapped in dustbins, who are as stranded pawns who have long ceased to have function and meaning, and are now resigned to commentary. Kurtág's music provides the timeless continuum for the eternal question, one that concerns us in the 21st century now more than ever: how will this universal game play out?"

These performances will be supplemented by two concerts exploring music by Kurtág and others inspired by Beckett: Sound ON: "Checkmate!" featuring Philharmonic musicians performing works by Kurtág and inspired by Beckett, June 11, 2021, and a program of chamber works by Kurtág and his influences performed by Musicians from the New York Philharmonic, co-presented with 92nd Street Y, May 2, 2021.

More information on György Kurtág / Samuel Beckett's Fin de partie is available at nyphil.org/findepartie.

PROJECT 19: SEASON TWO

Project 19 - the New York Philharmonic's celebration of the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment through 19 commissions by women composers - will continue with eight new works, by Du Yun, Mary Kouyoumdjian, Jessie Montgomery, Angélica Negrón, Caroline Shaw, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Joan Tower, and Melinda Wagner.

Jaap van Zweden opens the 2020-21 season with the World Premieres of the Project 19 commissions by Joan Tower, September 17 and 22, 2020, and Jessie Montgomery, September 24-26 and 29, 2020. Ms. Montgomery will also curate a new-music program as part of the Kravis Nightcap series at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, September 26, 2020. Philharmonic musicians will perform the Project 19 premieres by Mary Kouyoumdjian and Melinda Wagner on October 5, 2020, in a program titled "Be Prepared!" featuring music for prepared instruments as part of Sound ON at The Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Hannu Lintu makes his Philharmonic debut conducting the US Premiere of the Project 19 work by Anna Thorvaldsdottir, exploring large harmonic structures, co-commissioned with the Berlin Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and Iceland Symphony Orchestra, February 10-13, 2021. Ms. Thorvaldsdottir was named the Philharmonic's Kravis Emerging Composer in 2015.

Jaap van Zweden conducts the Project 19 commission by Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw, February 18-20 and 23, 2021, evoking the multisensory experience of cooking, featuring the vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth (of which Ms. Shaw is a member) as part of its two-week takeover. Ms. Shaw will also curate a Nightcap concert, February 20, 2021, featuring Roomful of Teeth.

Philharmonic musicians will perform the Project 19 commissions by Angélica Negrón (alongside Roomful of Teeth) on February 8, 2021 (Sound ON: "Bite Me!") and by Du Yun on June 11, 2021 (Sound ON: "Checkmate!").

To extend the reach of Project 19 and further conversations about representation in classical music and beyond, the New York Philharmonic has partnered with the Academy of American Poets, Catalyst, The Juilliard School, Kaufman Music Center's Special Music School High School (M. 859), League of Women Voters of the City of New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and New-York Historical Society.

Project 19 was launched in February 2020 with premieres by Joan La Barbara, Tania León, Nicole Lizée, Paola Prestini, Ellen Reid, and Nina C. Young. The Orchestra premieres the commissions by Olga Neuwirth and Sarah Kirkland Snider in May-June 2020.

More information on Project 19 is available at nyphil.org/project19.

THE MARY AND JAMES G. WALLACH ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE CHICK COREA

Pianist and composer Chick Corea has been named The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence for the 2020-21 season. He will open the Philharmonic's subscription season performing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24 - with his own improvised, jazz-inflected cadenzas - led by Jaap van Zweden, September 17 and 22, 2020. He will also perform Chick and Friends, a collaborative concert featuring guest artists and Philharmonic musicians (date and location to be announced at a later date). Mr. Corea's Trombone Concerto - a Philharmonic co-commission capturing his experiences as a young musician in New York - will be premiered with Principal Trombone Joseph Alessi as soloist, led by Jaap van Zweden, June 3-5, 2021. Mr. Corea will curate a post-concert Nightcap on June 5, 2021.

Chick Corea's residency will mark his return to the Philharmonic since his debut in 1996, when he performed Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 led by Bobby McFerrin. The World Premiere of his Trombone Concerto will be the first work by Mr. Corea to be performed by the Philharmonic.

More information on Chick Corea's residency is available at nyphil.org/chickcorea.

ROOMFUL OF TEETH TAKEOVER

The New York Philharmonic will present the Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth in a two-week takeover, February 8-23, 2021, culminating in a World Premiere by Roomful of Teeth member Caroline Shaw - commissioned by the Philharmonic as part of Project 19 - conducted by Jaap van Zweden, February 18-20 and 23, 2021.

Roomful of Teeth will begin its two-week takeover performing works with nonsense lyrics that sound communicative but aren't, including the premiere of the Project 19 commission by Angélica Negrón and music by Ligeti and others, in Sound ON: "Bite Me!" February 8, 2021. The ensemble will curate a Nightcap concert, February 13, 2021, and perform in the Nightcap concert curated by Caroline Shaw, February 20, 2021.

More information on Roomful of Teeth's two-week takeover is available at nyphil.org/teeth.

CONCERTS FOR THE COMMUNITY

For the third consecutive season, Jaap van Zweden and the New York Philharmonic invite their fellow New Yorkers to Phil the Hall, a low-cost performance led by the Music Director at David Geffen Hall, April 30, 2021.

The Philharmonic will present its Annual Free Memorial Day Concert at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine on May 31, 2021.

The New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, will return for its 56th season, conducted by Music Director Jaap van Zweden in June 2021, bringing free Philharmonic concerts to all five New York City boroughs.

Details for all concerts for the community will be announced at a later date.

NIGHTCAP and SOUND ON
HOSTED BY NADIA SIROTA, THE MARIE-JOSÉE KRAVIS CREATIVE PARTNER

Nightcap and Sound ON, the two new-music series introduced in Jaap van Zweden's inaugural season, return in the 2020-21 season. The Marie-Josée Kravis Creative Partner Nadia Sirota will again serve as host of both series and curator of Sound ON. Sirota is a viola soloist and member of the ensemble yMusic. A leader in the new-music community, she won a Peabody Award as host and producer of the podcast Meet the Composer, and in 2019 she launched a new podcast and concert series, Living Music with Nadia Sirota.

Nightcap at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse
The Kravis Nightcap series presents six late-night, cabaret-style concerts curated by composers and performers who engage in conversation about the music with host Nadia Sirota. Taking place at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse after select subscription programs, the concerts explore themes related to those Philharmonic concerts in a casual setting. Curators for the 2020-21 season will include Jessie Montgomery on September 26, 2020; Branford Marsalis on November 14, 2020; Roomful of Teeth on February 13, 2021; Caroline Shaw on February 20, 2021; Michael Tilson Thomas on May 15, 2021; and Chick Corea on June 5, 2021.

Sound ON at The Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center
The GRoW @ Annenberg Sound ON series - three evening chamber concerts at The Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center - presents contemporary chamber repertoire performed by Philharmonic musicians. The concerts dive deeper into the season's key initiatives and explore the music of our time through the performer's lens. Host and curator Nadia Sirota leads conversations with the musicians, exploring what they love about the works they are performing - what is difficult, new, and unexpected. The 2020-21 Sound ON concerts are: "Be Prepared!" on October 5, 2020, featuring music for prepared instruments, including the Project 19 commissions by Mary Kouyoumdjian and Melinda Wagner and works from the 20th and 21st centuries; "Bite Me!" on February 8, 2021, featuring Roomful of Teeth during its two-week takeover performing works with nonsense lyrics that sound communicative but aren't, including the premiere of the Project 19 commission by Angélica Negrón and music by Ligeti and others; and "Checkmate!" on June 11, 2021, tied to the US Premiere of György Kurtág / Samuel Beckett's Fin de partie with music by Kurtág and others inspired by Beckett, and the Project 19 premiere by Du Yun.

More information on the two new-music series is available at nyphil.org/nightcap and nyphil.org/soundon.

THE ART OF THE SCORE

The Art of the Score - with Alec Baldwin as Artistic Advisor - will return for its eighth annual season, featuring the New York Philharmonic performing four movie scores live to the complete films. More information is available at nyphil.org/artofthescore.

Casablanca in Concert, with Vinay Parameswaran making his Philharmonic debut conducting Max Steiner's Oscar-nominated score live to film in its New York Premiere screening, November 4-5, 2020

Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert, with Vinay Parameswaran conducting John Williams's Oscar-nominated score live to film in its New York Premiere screening, November 6-7, 2020

Home Alone in Concert, in celebration of the film's 30th anniversary, with Constantine Kitsopoulos conducting John Williams's Oscar-nominated score live to film, featuring the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, directed by Dianne Berkun Menaker, December 18-19, 2020

Back to the Future in Concert, with David Newman conducting Alan Silvestri's Grammy-nominated score live to film, May 6-8, 2021

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL APPEARANCES

The New York Philharmonic will embark on the 2021 Asian tour, March 11-23, 2021, led by Jaap van Zweden with violinist Joshua Bell as soloist. The tour will feature performances in Beijing, Osaka, Tokyo, Taipei, and Kaohsiung. Programming will include Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10 and Mahler's Symphony No. 9.

Jaap van Zweden and the Philharmonic will return to China, July 1-7, 2021, for the Shanghai Orchestra Academy and Partnership, where the Orchestra will perform at Shanghai's Music in the Summer Air (MISA) festival. Jaap van Zweden will conduct a side-by-side rehearsal with the Philharmonic joined by Shanghai Orchestra Academy students, and Philharmonic musicians will teach at the Shanghai Orchestra Academy. The Orchestra will return to Guangzhou's Xinghai Concert Hall, in addition to other venues in China. Launched in 2014, the Shanghai Orchestra Academy and Partnership is a joint endeavor of the New York Philharmonic and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

The Philharmonic will return to Colorado's Bravo! Vail Music Festival for its 19th annual residency, July 21-28, 2021.

For a full listing of the 2020-21 season's conductors, soloists, premieres, and more, visit nyphil.org/at-a-glance.

For a full listing of the 2020-21 season's education programs, chamber music performances, ticket information, and more, visit nyphil.org/addendum.

Photo Credit: Chris Lee