New York Philharmonic to Present MESSIAEN WEEK This March

The New York Philharmonic will present Messiaen Week, March 7-13, 2016, honoring the legacy of French composer and organist Olivier Messiaen (1908-92) through performances of his works, from the symphonic to solo works, as well as music by those whom he influenced.

The week will open with a CONTACT! concert at National Sawdust hosted and curated by The Marie-Jose?e Kravis Composer-in-Residence Esa-Pekka Salonen featuring works by Messiaen and those he influenced (March 7) and a solo recital by Philharmonic pianist Eric Huebner at Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church (March 9), followed by performances of Messiaen's Turangali?la-symphonie with the full Orchestra conducted by Mr. Salonen at David Geffen Hall (March 10-12).

The week will culminate with a special performance of Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Temple of Dendur in The Sackler Wing, performed by Music Director Alan Gilbert on violin alongside Principal Cello Carter Brey, Principal Clarinet Anthony McGill, and Artist-in-Association Inon Barnatan (March 13).

"Messiaen is one of my heroes," said Music Director Alan Gilbert. "His music touches a spiritual side that is important to explore whether or not you are religious."

The Philharmonic has performed 14 of Messiaen's works, including the World Premieres of E?clairs sur l'au-dela?... (Illuminations of the Beyond...), commissioned by the Philharmonic (1992, conducted by Zubin Mehta), and Hymne pour grand orchestre (1947, led by Leopold Stokowski), as well as the U.S. Premiere of Strophe and Antistrophe from Chronochromie (1965, led by Lukas Foss).

CONTACT! at National Sawdust: "The Messiaen Connection"

Messiaen Week begins with the CONTACT! concert "The Messiaen Connection," hosted and curated by Esa-Pekka Salonen, featuring chamber music by Messiaen and composers whom he influenced, Monday, March 7, 2016, at National Sawdust, the season's final CONTACT! concert at National Sawdust. The program will feature New York Philharmonic musicians performing Messiaen's Fantaisie and La Merle noir, Boulez's Anthe?mes I and Sonatine, George Benjamin's Viola, Viola, and Oliver Knussen's Autumnal.

Eric Huebner Piano Recital

Philharmonic pianist Eric Huebner performs a solo recital featuring works by Messiaen and those he taught and studied with: Dukas's Prélude elegiaque; Messiaen's Cloches d'angoisse et larmes d'adieu and selections from Vingts regards sur l'Enfant-Jésu; Tristan Murail's Cloches d'Adieu, et un sourire ... ; George Benjamin's Sortilèges; and Betsy Jolas's Pièce pour. The recital will take place Wednesday, March 9, 2016, 7:30 p.m. at Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church.

"I wanted to create a program that paid tribute to Messiaen's music and his tremendous influence as a teacher and seminal figure in 20th century music," said Eric Huebner. "The program consists of several works by Messiaen as well as pieces by one of his early teachers, Paul Dukas, and Messiaen students Betsy Jolas, George Benjamin, and Tristan Murail. Connections abound, as we hear elements of the new musical language Messiaen pioneered reflected in the other works on the program."

Esa-Pekka Salonen Conducts Turangali?la-symphonie

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the Orchestra in Messiaen's Turangali?la-symphonie, with pianist Yuja Wang and ondes martenot player Vale?rie Hartmann-Claverie, Thursday, March 10, 2016, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 11 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, March 12 at 8:00 p.m.

"I spent a weekend studying with Messiaen at his apartment about six months before he died. It was deep red, full of Catholic memorabilia; the only book I found was the Bible, and the only music in his apartment was Messiaen. His music sounds like that: it appears out of nowhere and doesn't follow any established laws of composition," Esa-Pekka Salonen said. "What attracts me to the Turangali?la-symphonie is its outrageous, limitless, free nature -- it runs the gamut of expressions and styles: sweet melodies spiced with the otherworldly sound of the ondes martenot, Southern Indian rhythms, one of the first times he uses birdsong, and outrageous dances."

Quartet for the End of Time
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Temple of Dendur in The Sackler Wing

Messiaen Week will conclude with a special performance of Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Temple of Dendur in The Sackler Wing with Music Director Alan Gilbert performing violin alongside Principal Cello Carter Brey, Principal Clarinet Anthony McGill, and Artist-in-Association Inon Barnatan, Sunday, March 13, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. As a violinist and violist, Alan Gilbert has performed chamber music with Philharmonic musicians almost every season since 2009.

"I always love playing chamber music with the New York Philharmonic musicians -- the sense of mutual listening, of give-and-take, is such a pleasure with them -- but I am even more excited about doing so with Quartet for the End of Time," Alan Gilbert said. "There is a timeless quality to this piece that will be underscored and amplified in the setting of the Temple of Dendur."

Related Events:

- Philharmonic Free Fridays
The New York Philharmonic is offering 100 free tickets for young people ages 13-26 to the concert Friday, March 11 as part of Philharmonic Free Fridays. Information is available at nyphil.org/freefridays. Philharmonic Free Fridays offers 100 free tickets to 13-26-year-olds to each of the 2015-16 season's 15 Friday evening subscription concerts.

- Pre-Concert Insights
New York Philharmonic Audio Producer Mark Travis will introduce the program March 10-12. 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.

Tickets for CONTACT! at National Sawdust start at $25 and 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.

Tickets for Messiaen Week: Eric Huebner Piano Recital at Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church start at $25 and 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.

Single tickets for Messiaen's Turangali?la-symphonie 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.

Tickets for Quartet for the End of Time at The Metropolitan Museum of Art start at $65 and may be purchased online at metmuseum.org/tickets.

To determine ticket availability, call the Philharmonic's Customer Relations Department at (212) 875-5656. (Ticket prices subject to change.)