Riccardo Muti To Conduct NY Philharmonic; Pianist Andras Schiff Is Soloist, 3/4, 3/5, 3/8

Riccardo Muti will conduct the New York Philharmonic in Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 1, with András Schiff as soloist, and Hindemith's Symphony in E-flat, Thursday, March 4, 2010, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 5, at 8:00 p.m., and Monday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m.

András Schiff will also perform a solo recital at Avery Fisher Hall, on Saturday, March 6, at 8:00 p.m., presented by the Philharmonic, with a program comprising Mendelssohn's Variations sérieuses, Schumann's Sonata No. 1, Grosse Sonate, Mendelssohn's Fantasie in F-sharp minor, Sonata écossaise, and Schumann's Fantasie in C major.

Riccardo Muti was born in Naples, Italy, where he studied piano at the Conservatory of San Pietro a Majella under Vincenzo Vitale, graduating with distinction. He was subsequently awarded a diploma in composition and conducting by the Conservatory "Giuseppe Verdi," Milan. He first came to the attention of critics and the public in 1967, when he was unanimously awarded first place in the Guido Cantelli Conductors Competition in Milan. The following year he was appointed principal conductor of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, a position he maintained until 1980. In 1971 he was invited by Herbert von Karajan to conduct at the Salzburg Festival, the first of many occasions that led, in 2001, to a celebration of 30 years of artistic collaboration. In 2006 Mr. Muti was appointed artistic director of Salzburg's Pentecost Festival, and in June 2008 he was named music director designate of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; he will become its music director in September 2010. In the same season he will start as director of the Rome Opera House. His other past posts have included chief conductor of London's Philharmonia (1972-82) and music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra (1980-92).

From 1986 to 2005 Mr. Muti was music director of Milan's Teatro alla Scala, overseeing projects such as the Mozart-Da Ponte Trilogy and the Wagner Ring Cycle, along with classics of the repertoire and lesser-known works. His long tenure culminated on December 7, 2004, in the re-opening of the restored La Scala, with Salieri's Europa riconosciuta, originally commissioned for La Scala's inaugural opening night performance in 1778. In 2004 Mr. Muti founded the "Luigi Cherubini" Youth Orchestra, whose members were chosen from some 600 instrumentalists throughout Italy. On January 27, 2006, Mr. Muti joined the Vienna Philharmonic in celebration of the 250th birthday of Mozart in a worldwide telecast from Salzburg. His most recent tour with the Vienna Philharmonic was a set of critically acclaimed performances in the U.S. and Mexico in March 2006. Mr. Muti's last appearance with the New York Philharmonic was in November 2009. He is scheduled to return on March 10-11 and 13, and again on April 14-17, 2010.

András Schiff was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1953 and started piano lessons at the age of five with Elisabeth Vadász. He later studied with Pál Kadosa, György Kurtág, and Ferenc Rados at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest and also with George Malcolm in London. Recitals and special cycles - such as the major keyboard works of J.S. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, and Bartók - form an important part of his activities.

This season, Mr. Schiff's North American activities include his serving as curator of the 92nd Street Y's In Focus series in which he will explore "The Genius of Haydn" with a solo recital, a lecture demonstration from the keyboard, a performance of piano trios with cellist Miklos Perényi and violinist Yuuko Shiokawa, and an evening of music and literature with author Péter Esterházy. He will also play Schumann and Mendelssohn in recital at the Royal Conservatory's Koerner Hall in Toronto.

Mr. Schiff is a passionate chamber musician, and from 1989 to 1998 he was artistic director of the internationally praised Musiktage Mondsee chamber music festival near Salzburg. In 1995, with the Swiss oboist-composer-conductor Heinz Holliger, he founded the Ittinger Pfingstkonzerte in Kartause Ittingen, Switzerland. In 1998 Mr. Schiff started a similar series entitled Hommage to Palladio at the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy. From 2004 to 2007 he was artist-in-residence of the Kunstfest Weimar.

András Schiff's extensive discography includes recordings for Teldec, London/Decca, and ECM New Series. He has received several international recording awards, including two Grammy Awards for Best Classical Instrumental Soloist (Without Orchestra) and Best Vocal Recording with tenor Peter Schreier. Mr. Schiff last appeared with the New York Philharmonic in April 1998, performing Schumann's Piano Concerto, led by Kurt Masur.

Credit Suisse is the Global Sponsor of the New York Philharmonic.

Riccardo Muti's appearance is made possible through the Charles A. Dana Distinguished Conductors Endowment Fund.

Programs of the New York Philharmonic are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Single tickets for these performances are $39 to $119. Tickets for Pre-Concert Talks are $5. Tickets for Open Rehearsals are $16. All tickets may be purchased online at nyphil.org or by calling (212) 875-5656, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets may also be purchased at the Avery Fisher Hall Box Office or the Alice Tully Hall Box Office at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 65th Street. 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 $12 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.]