Yefim Bronfman Begins Residency with NY Philharmonic Tonight

Music Director Alan Gilbert will launch the New York Philharmonic's 2013-14 subscription season with concerts featuring pianist Yefim Bronfman's first performances as The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence, tonight, September 26, 2013, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, September 27, 2013, at 11:00 a.m.; Saturday, September 28, 2013, at 8:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, October 1, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. The concerts will include Ravel's Alborada del gracioso; Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story; and Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, with Mr. Bronfman as soloist.

"Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto is one of the last I learned," Yefim Bronfman said. "Why I didn't study it before, I don't know. Of course, I fell in love with it; it's a unique piece that cannot be taken for granted."

During his residency, Mr. Bronfman will perform both large-scale and intimate works composed over a range of eras and centuries. He will perform on CONTACT!, the Philharmonic's newmusic series; collaborate with Philharmonic musicians in a chamber concert; appear as the featured soloist in The Beethoven Piano Concertos: A Philharmonic Festival; and join the Orchestra as soloist on the ASIA / WINTER 2014 tour.

"Yefim Bronfman's residency will make it possible to present a very rich and vivid portrait of who Fima is and what he stands for as an artist," said Music Director Alan Gilbert. "It would take years to cover the amount of ground that we're going to be able to explore within one season."

"It's an incredible honor and privilege to be selected by the New York Philharmonic to be Artistin Residence - that's an honor beyond my imagination," said Yefim Bronfman. "You can tell that the New York Philharmonic is a group of people who are dedicated and committed to every note they play; they are such a virtuosic ensemble. They seem to have no limits - this Orchestra is just amazing."

Single tickets for these performances start at $30. Pre-Concert Talks are $7; discounts are available for multiple concerts, students, and groups (visit nyphil.org/preconcert for more information). All 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. on Saturday, and noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets may also be purchased at the Avery Fisher 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.

Photo: Chris Lee