The New York Philharmonic Announces Details For 2018–19 Season

The New York Philharmonic announces details for the two new-music series it is inaugurating in the 2018-19 season: GRoW @ Annenberg Sound ON and Kravis Nightcap. Both series present the music of today in casual settings, hosted by The Marie-Josée Kravis Creative Partner Nadia Sirota, who will engage in conversation with the composers and performers.

As the Peabody Award-winning host and producer of the podcast Meet the Composer - which profiled contemporary composers - a soloist, and a member of the ensemble yMusic, violist Nadia Sirota is a leader in the new-music community. "Nightcap and Sound ON are designed for curious music lovers and newcomers alike," said Nadia Sirota. "Our goal is to put together concerts that are smart and fun, and to explore music in conversation with the incredible people who bring it to life. I see my role as a cheerleader and proselytizer: I love this music, and I'm dying to get more people to listen to it."

"To be onstage with a living composer is one of the most inspiring experiences for me," said Music Director Jaap van Zweden. "I can turn and say, 'Tell me, what do you mean by this passage? What do you want to tell us with your music?' For the audience, being in the same room as the composers and hearing their thoughts is also inspiring. I know that our public will love getting to know today's composers during Nightcap and Sound ON."

The series are complemented by the Insights at the Atrium event "New York's New-Music Landscape," Monday, November 5, 2018, at 7:30 p.m.

Sound ON
The GRoW @ Annenberg Sound ON series - three Sunday afternoon chamber concerts at The Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center - presents contemporary chamber repertoire performed by Philharmonic musicians. The concerts will 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 will lead conversations with the musicians, discussing what they love about the works they are performing - what is difficult, new, and unexpected.

The series will begin on October 7, 2018, with "Going Dutch," part of The Art of Andriessen, which spotlights the music of Dutch composer Louis Andriessen - recipient of The Marie-Josée Kravis Prize for New Music at the New York Philharmonic. "Going Dutch" will highlight the Netherlands new-music scene with music by Andriessen and his former students: Andriessen's Image de Moreau, Hout, and Symphony for Open Strings, the last conducted by Music Director Jaap van Zweden; Dutch composerMartijn Padding's Mordants; and the New York Premiere of The Key to the Fourteenth Vision by Vanessa Lann, an American composer living in the Netherlands.

The series continues on January 27, 2019, with "Threads," part of New York Stories: Threads of Our City, which looks at musical expressions of the immigrant experience in New York. "Threads" will examine how diverse communities lend their voices to the creative conversation in the US through performances of music by composers who have been influenced by their time in America. The program will feature the World Premiere of a New York Philharmonic commission by Syrian composer / clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, as well as Chinese-American composer / violinist Chen Yi's At the Kansas City Chinese New Year Concert,Austrian composer Georg Friedrich Haas's tria ex uno, Brazilian-American composer Marcos Balter's Chambers, British composer / pianist / conductor Thomas Adès's Darknesse Visible, and Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy's Bulb.

The inaugural season of Sound ON will conclude on June 2, 2019, with "Response," part of Music of Conscience, which delves into composers' responses to the social issues of their time. "Response" will examine works composers have written as a means of processing the world around them, from personal losses to sociopolitical events - both present-day and of the last century. The concert will feature the World Premiere of a New York Philharmonic commission by Gabriella Smith, as well as Caroline Shaw's First Essay, selections from David Lang's memory pieces, the US Premiere of Judd Greenstein's The Seeming Disorder of the Old City, and Steve Reich's Different Trains.

GRoW @ Annenberg, which supports Sound ON, is a philanthropic initiative led by Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, a vice president and director of the Annenberg Foundation. GRoW @ Annenberg is dedicated to supporting humanitarian efforts across the globe as well as innovative projects in health, education, the arts, and civic and cultural life.

Nightcap
The Kravis Nightcap series presents six late-night, cabaret-style concerts curated by composers of today, who will engage in conversation about the music with host Nadia Sirota. Taking place at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse after select subscription programs, the concerts will delve into themes related to those Philharmonic concerts in a casual setting.

Composer / pianist Conrad Tao will curate the inaugural Nightcap concert, Friday, September 28, 2018, a semi-improvised set featuring Mr. Tao on piano, avant-garde vocalist Charmaine Lee, and tap dancer Caleb Teicher. This follows a Philharmonic concert featuring Mr. Tao's Everything Must Go, which the Philharmonic commissioned and is premiering that week.

Louis Andriessen will curate Nightcap on Saturday, October 13, 2018, part of The Art of Andriessen. The Dutch composer will spotlight his diverse musical interests, from Ravel to Miles Davis and John Cage, with performances by the Ariel Quartet. This follows a Philharmonic concert featuring Mr. Andriessen's TAO.

Composer / pianist / vocalist / raconteur Gabriel Kahane will curate Nightcap on Saturday, November 10, 2018, exploring the evolution of art song, from Schubert to the composers of today, with performances by composer / vocalist Caroline Shaw, the Miró Quartet, and composer / pianist Timo Andres. This follows a Philharmonic concert of works by Schubert and Beethoven.

Composer / conductor Matthias Pintscher will curate Nightcap on Saturday, February 23, 2019, presenting music from his deepest influences, J.S. Bach and Kurtág. This follows a Philharmonic concert he will conduct featuring his mar'eh, receiving its New York Premiere that week.

Composer John Adams will curate Nightcap on Saturday, March 23, 2019, featuring music by emerging composers he has championed, performed by the Attacca Quartet and composer / pianist Timo Andres. This follows a Philharmonic concert featuring Mr. Adams's The Wound-Dresser.

Composer John Corigliano will curate the season's final Nightcap concert on Saturday, June 1, 2019, part of Music of Conscience. The program will feature music by composers whose voices were cut short by the AIDS epidemic. This follows a Philharmonic concert featuring Mr. Corigliano's Symphony No. 1, his personal response to the AIDS crisis.

Henry and Marie-Josée Kravis, whose generosity makes possible the Nightcap series and the Creative Partner position, have long supported new music at the New York Philharmonic. In 2009 they made a gift of $10 million to the Orchestra endowing, among other initiatives, The Marie-Josée Kravis Prize for New Music at the New York Philharmonic.

Single tickets to Nightcap performances start at $25. Single tickets to Sound ON performances start at $45. (Ticket prices subject to change.)

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.

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 Affiliate level and above, and Patrons may secure guaranteed admission by emailing AdultEd@nyphil.org. Space is limited.