NY Philharmonic & Harmony Program Launching 'All Stars' Initiative

The New York Philharmonic and Harmony Program announce the launch of the inaugural Harmony All Stars Ensemble - nine New York City middle- and high-school students from low-income neighborhoods selected by audition for an eleven-day mentorship with New York Philharmonic musicians. The students will also attend a Philharmonic rehearsal and Young People's Concert, experience an intensive day of coaching and rehearsal, and perform with their Philharmonic mentors during a free public concert in the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center on May 20, 2015.

The announcement marks the formalization of a multi-year collaboration between the Philharmonic and the Harmony Program, a non-profit education organization that provides free instruments and daily classical music instruction to children in economically challenged communities across New York City. The Harmony Program has been named a partner in Philharmonic Academy Jr., an initiative of the New York Philharmonic involving training of pre- college students by Philharmonic musicians and Teaching Artists in partnership with institutions in New York committed to strong orchestra programs. The organizations will share details of the inaugural All Stars during the Harmony Program's annual fundraising gala in New York, this year honoring the New York Philharmonic, on Thursday, April 2.

"We are excited to officially join forces with the New York Philharmonic to bring the benefits of world-class music instruction to children in neighborhoods where training to become a classical musician might not otherwise be possible," said Anne Fitzgibbon, Founder and Executive Director of the Harmony Program. "The chance for one-on-one instruction from some of the best musicians in the world demonstrates what kids can achieve when they are given the opportunity."

"While the New York Philharmonic is committed to education efforts that span the globe, a core component of our educational mission is to foster and inspire gifted young musicians who show promise here at home in New York City," said Theodore Wiprud, New York Philharmonic Vice President, Education, The Sue B. Mercy Chair. "In selecting the Harmony Program as one of the inaugural partners in our Philharmonic Academy Jr. program, we are able to recognize and encourage students in the local community who demonstrate great potential, and to support efforts that encourage diversity in the next generation of classical musicians and classical music enthusiasts."

The nine students selected for the first-ever Harmony All Stars Ensemble come from eight middle schools and one high school in Washington Heights and Harlem in Manhattan, and Flatbush, Brooklyn. They range between 11 and 14 years old and play violin, viola, cello, trumpet, trombone, and percussion. They have been studying through the Harmony Program for between two and seven years. All 200 current Harmony Program students were eligible for the mentorship program, but required an initial recommendation from their Harmony Program instructors to audition. A first round of auditions was held in November 2014; students who passed proceeded to a final audition in February in front of a panel of New York Philharmonic musicians.

Students selected for the inaugural All Stars will:

- Attend a New York Philharmonic Young People's Concert - the first ever to be conducted by New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert (May 9)

- Meet their New York Philharmonic mentors during a special reception following the Young People's Concert (May 9)

- Attend a closed New York Philharmonic rehearsal to get a rare glimpse into life behind the scenes of one the world's leading music institutions (May 14)

- Experience an intensive day of coaching and rehearsal with one or more of six New York Philharmonic musicians (May 16)

- Perform alongside their New York Philharmonic mentors as an ensemble at a free public concert in the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center (May 20)

Launched in 2003 as a pilot program of the New York City Mayor's Office, the Harmony Program is a rigorous daily after-school music program modeled on Venezuela's youth orchestra movement known as "El Sistema." It provides instruments and free daily instruction - up to 400 hours a year-to more than 200 students from more than 40 schools in underserved communities across New York City. The successes that students have achieved in securing placement in advanced youth orchestras after graduation, and now landing mentorships with New York Philharmonic musicians, demonstrate the potential for programs like Harmony to help nurture a more diverse pool of talented musicians when supported by the classical music community.

Since 2013, New York Philharmonic musicians and conductors have joined the Harmony Program in leading a series of master classes for the Harmony Program's youth orchestra. The announcement of the All Stars initiative marks an evolution of the organizations' work together, a progression designed to provide an opportunity for a more close-knit and in-depth collaboration between Philharmonic musicians and a much smaller group of the Harmony Program's most advanced students. Plans are for the All Stars initiative to expand in future seasons.

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