New York Philharmonic Very Young People's Concert Begin Season, 1/9

The New York Philharmonic Very Young People's Concerts (VYPCs), for children ages 3 to 6, will begin its 12th season Monday, January 9, 2017, at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday, January 15 at 12:30 and 3:00 p.m. at Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street. The program, titled "Strings," is the first installment in Philharmonic Families, the season's theme that presents an overview of the entire orchestra. Philharmonic Associate PrincipAl Viola Rebecca Young is the host. The "Strings" program will feature Philharmonic musicians performing selections from Rossini's La gazza ladra Overture and from Dvo?ák's Serenade for Strings, as well as "We Are the String Family" to the tune of "Pop Goes the Weasel" and an excerpt from Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4. The program will feature Philharmonic violinists Kuan Cheng Lu and Kerry McDermott, violist Judith Nelson, cellist Ru-Pei Yeh, and bass Max Zeugner. Designer Doug Fitch, with whom the Philharmonic has collaborated on several acclaimed staged productions, will create illustrations for the original story created to accompany Dvo?ák's Serenade for Strings.

Doug Fitch will participate in Very Young People's Concerts throughout the 2016-17 season. The Philharmonic collaborated with Doug Fitch and his Production Company, Giants Are Small, on the acclaimed staged productions of Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre,named the number one cultural event of the year by several media outlets (2010); Janá?ek's The Cunning Little Vixen (2011); and A Dancer's Dream: Two Works by Stravinsky (2013). Mr. Fitch directed and designed, and Giants Are Small staged, HK Gruber's Gloria - A Pig Tale, presented by the Philharmonic during the inaugural NY PHIL BIENNIAL (2014).

The VYPCs are designed by Philharmonic musicians working with faculty from Teachers College of Columbia University to introduce young children to classical music through games, active listening, and hands-on music-making. Before each concert, musicians are stationed throughout Merkin Concert Hall to greet families and initiate musical activities on the day's theme. After each performance, children have an opportunity to try orchestral instruments themselves.

The next Very Young People's Concerts, Philharmonic Playdates: "Brass," will take place February 5-6, 2017.