New York Philharmonic to Premiere STAR WARS Film Concert Series This Fall

The New York Philharmonic will present the World Premiere of Star Wars Film Concert Series, September 15-October 7, 2017, featuring screenings of four complete films from the saga - A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Force Awakens - with Oscar-winning composer John Williams's musical scores performed live to film. The concerts will be led by acclaimed conductor David Newman.

The New York Philharmonic has partnered with New York Comic Con to feature the Star Wars Film Concert Series presentation of Return of the Jedi ( October 4­-5) and The Force Awakens (October 6-7) as part of NYCC Presents - a series of concerts, live podcasts, comedy acts, and more that brings New York Comic Con to various venues throughout New York City.

David Newman, who is also a film score composer, will discuss John Williams's compositional techniques, leitmotifs, and musical philosophy at "Star Wars: Music for a Galaxy," a free Insights at the Atrium event, Tuesday, September 12. Mark Travis - the New York Philharmonic's Associate Director, Media Production, and resident Star Wars aficionado - will moderate. The event takes place at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center (Columbus Avenue at 62nd Street).

All concert attendees are invited to take part in the Philharmonic's "Star Wars Film Concert Series Fan Zone" at David Geffen Hall, before and after each performance as well as during intermission. Ticket holders will have the opportunity to meet R2D2, Stormtroopers, and other Star Wars characters from costumed fan groups; in addition, they can take photos in an event-themed photo booth. A commemorative program and other merchandise will be available for purchase and a specialty cocktail called the Cantina Margarita (and its non-alcoholic version) will also be available. Those planning to attend are encouraged to come in costume and share their Fan Zone experience on social media using #nypstarwars.

Since the release of the first Star Wars movie 40 years ago, the Star Wars saga has had a seismic impact on both cinema and culture, inspiring audiences around the world with its mythic storytelling, captivating characters, groundbreaking special effects, and iconic musical scores composed by Williams. Fans will be able to experience the scope and grandeur of these beloved Star Wars films in a live symphonic concert experience, as the Star Wars Film Concert Series premieres September 15-October 7 at David Geffen Hall in New York City. Legendary composer Williams is well known for scoring all seven of the Star Wars saga films, beginning with 1977's A New Hope, for which he earned an Academy Award for Best Original Score. His scores for The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Force Awakens each were nominated for Oscars for Best Original Score.

Williams has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, and 22 Grammy Awards. With 50 Academy Award nominations, Williams is the Academy's most nominated living person and the second most-nominated individual in history, after Walt Disney. In 2005 the American Film Institute selecTEd Williams's score to 1977's Star Wars as the greatest American film score of all time. The soundtrack to Star Wars also was preserved by the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry, for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Williams was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl's Hall of Fame in 2000, and he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004, the National Medal of Arts in 2009, and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2016. Williams has composed the scores for eight of the top 20 highest-grossing films at the U.S. box office (adjusted for inflation).

Single tickets start at $65. Tickets to A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back are sold out; 2017-18 season subscribers can be placed on a purchase-only wait list by calling Customer Relations at (212) 875-5656. Tickets to Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens 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. To determine ticket availability, call the Philharmonic's Customer Relations Department at (212) 875-5656. (Ticket prices subject to change.)

Insights at the Atrium events are free and open to the public. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Subscribers, Friends at the Fellow level and above, and Patrons may secure guaranteed admission by emailing AdultEd@nyphil.org. Space is limited.

The Star Wars Film Concert Series is produced under license by Disney Concerts in association with 20th Century Fox and Warner/Chappell Music. STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

David Newman is one of today's most accomplished creators of music for film. In his 30-year career he has created the scores for more than 110 films, ranging from War of the Roses, Matilda, Bowfinger, and Heathers to the more recent Five Flights Up and Serenity. His music has brought to life the critically acclaimed dramasBrokedown Palace and Hoffa; top-grossing comediesGalaxy Quest and Throw Mama from the Train; and award-winning animated films Ice Age, The Brave Little Toaster, and Anastasia. Mr. Newman holds an Academy Award nomination for his score toAnastasia, and was the first composer to have a piece - 1001 Nights - performed in the Los Angeles Philharmonic's FILMHARMONIC series, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. Mr. Newman is also a highly sought-after conductor, appearing with leading orchestras throughout the world, including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and The Cleveland Orchestra. The son of nine-time Oscar-winning composer AlfrEd Newman and an active composer for the concert hall, David Newman has composed works that have been performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, and Long Beach Symphony, as well as at the Ravinia Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, and Chicago's Grant Park Music Festival. He also composed a violin-orchestra suite for Sarah Chang based on the songs from West Side Story. Passionate about nurturing the next generation of musicians, Mr. Newman serves on the Board of the American Youth Symphony, a 51-year-old pre-professional orchestra based in Los Angeles, and in 2010 he served on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival in the Film Scoring Program. David Newman made his New York Philharmonic debut conducting the score of West Side Story live to the complete film in September 2011; he will have most recently appeared with the Orchestra in May 2017, leading The New York Premiere of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in Concert.

Mark Travis is the New York Philharmonic's Associate Director of Media Production and has produced the Orchestra's broadcasts since 2003. He has more than 20 years of experience in the music industry as a writer, producer, broadcaster, lecturer, and audio engineer. Since 2011 he has served as a writer and producer for Chicago's WFMT Radio Network, where he wrote and produced more than 800 nationally syndicated programs, including the Bucksbaum Family Lyric Opera of Chicago broadcasts. As a freelance producer, he has producEd English-language broadcasts for the Berlin Philharmonic, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Bavarian Staatsoper, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Travis also has an extensive discography as a music producer of recordings by artists ranging from the New York Philharmonic to William Warfield, Jenny Lin, Jeffrey Siegel, Susan Merdinger, Maria-Luisa Rayan-Forero, and the Chicago Chorale, released by the Deutsche Grammophon, Naxos, Random House, and Koch labels. An accomplished singer and classical guitarist, Mark Travis has also served as host and producer for numerous podcasts, and his writing has appeared in a number of trade publications, including Opera News. He has moderated events as part of the New York Philharmonic's Insights at the Atrium series since 2011, and he also serves as a teaching artist for the 92nd Street Y Concerts Schools Project. Mr. Travis is a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences and serves on both the Grand Jury and Radio Advisory Board for The New York Festivals International Broadcasting Competition. He has also served as juror and Music Committee Chair for the United States Artists panel in Los Angeles. The three-time Grammy-nominee has been the recipient of more than 20 medals and trophies for his broadcast work, including the 2015 Grand Jury Prize from The New York Festivals and an AVA Platinum award.