Live From Lincoln Center to Feature NY Phil & Norm Lewis on New Year's Eve

Live From Lincoln Center-now in its 40th anniversary season-continues an annual tradition with the New York Philharmonic's New Year's Eve Celebration, ringing in 2015 with an all-Gershwin program as jazz great Dianne Reeves, Broadway leading man Norm Lewis, and conductor Bramwell Tovey join the New York Philharmonic. The broadcast, coming from the Philharmonic's New Year's Eve concert at Avery Fisher Hall, will include Gershwin's Cuban Overture, his own suite of music from Porgy and Bess, and selections from the Gershwin songbook, such as "Strike Up the Band." This special LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER 40th anniversary season broadcast of "New York Philharmonic New Year's Eve: Gershwin Celebration" will air as part of PBS's New Year's Eve line-up on Wednesday, December 31, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. (*check local listings), with special guest host Willie Geist of TODAY on NBC and MORNING JOE on MSNBC.

The first LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER broadcast on New Year's Eve took place in 1984 and featured the New York Philharmonic, which has appeared nearly every year since, including each of the last 10 years. This episode of LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER is directed for television by Lonny Price. The executive producer of the LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER series is Andrew C. Wilk.

The New York Philharmonic continues to play a leading cultural role in New York City, the United States, and the world. This season's projects will connect the Philharmonic with up to 50 million music lovers through live concerts in New York City and on its worldwide tours; digital downloads; international broadcasts on television, radio, and online; and as a resource through its wide range of education programs. Having commissioned and/or premiered works by leading composers from every era, the Orchestra now champions contemporary music through CONTACT! and the NY PHIL BIENNIAL. A resource for its community and the world, the Philharmonic complements its annual free citywide Concerts in the Parks with wide-ranging education programs, including the famed Young People's Concerts and national and international partnerships that combine performance with intensive training by Philharmonic musicians to cultivate tomorrow's leading orchestral musicians. Renowned around the world, having appeared in 432 cities in 63 countries, America's oldest symphony orchestra has long been a media pioneer, releasing almost 2,000 recordings since 1917 and today sharing live performances through downloads and online. Alan Gilbert became Music Director in 2009, succeeding 20th-century musical giants including Bernstein, Toscanini, and Mahler. The New York Philharmonic has appeared on LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER more than 75 times, last appearing in September with Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street which kicked off the 2014 PBS Arts Fall Festival. For more information on the New York Philharmonic, visit nyphil.org.