On December 7, 1842, as it played the iconic Fate motif of Beethoven’s fifth symphony, the New York Philharmonic was born. It was an appropriate first piece for the Philharmonic Society of New York (as the ensemble was then known) to play, as the New York Philharmonic was fated to become one of the finest orchestras in the world.

The New York Philharmonic’s rich legacy continues to this day under its current music director, Jaap van Zweden. As it emerges from the dark days of the pandemic, the orchestra’s commitment to making music of the highest quality is stronger than ever, as can be seen by its extraordinary schedule of concerts planned for the first half of 2022.

Jaap van Zweden, New York Philharmonic Maestro

There’s no doubt that van Zweden, the New York Philharmonic’s music director since 2018, is one of the greatest conductors in the world today.  The legendary Leonard Bernstein once asked the young van Zweden to lead an orchestra rehearsal in Berlin. It was a harbinger of a career that would include stints as music director of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Van Zweden will conduct several New York Philharmonic concerts in the coming months, including four in New York’s iconic Carnegie Hall.

New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall

The New York Philharmonic used to play almost exclusively at Carnegie Hall, until it made the move to Philharmonic Hall in Lincoln Center in 1962. But the orchestra still pays regular visits to its former home. The New York Philharmonic will present  four upcoming concerts at Carnegie Hall.

Susanna Mälkki, who has been doing stunning work as the conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic, will conduct the New York Philharmonic on January 6 in a program that will include Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5, as well as An American Port of Call by Adolphus Hailstork and John Adams Saxophone Concerto featuring saxophonist Branford Marsalis.

On April 27, van Zweden will conduct Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun and La Mer, Wagner’s Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde and the U.S. premiere of Nico Muhly’s In Certain Circles. On May 6, he’ll conduct Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra and Igor Levit will be the soloist for Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1.

On June 10, violinist Hilary Hahn will perform Samuel Barber’s highly virtuosic Violin Concerto and van Zweden will lead the New York Philharmonic in the world premiere of Forward Into Light by Sarah Kirkland Snider, a work commissioned by the orchestra. Also on the program is Mahler’s titanic Symphony No. 1.

The New York Philharmonic Welcomes Guest Conductors

Several guest conductors will have a chance to to take the New York Philharmonic out for a spin this spring.

Herbert Blomstedt, the venerable Swedish conductor and former music director of the San Francisco Symphony, will lead the New York Philharmonic in a rock-solid program March 3 through 5. In addition to Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4 The Inextinguishable, a Blomstedt specialty, he’ll also conduct the first work the New York Philharmonic ever performed, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

The Venezuelan-born conductor Gustavo Dudamel has been shaking up the classical music world since winning the Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition in Germany in 2004. Dudamel, who is now the conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, will take the reins of the New York Philharmonic for two series of concerts dedicated to the music of Robert Schumann March 9 to 12 and March 17 to 20.

Other guest conductors include Manfred Honeck, the music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, February 24 to 26, and Tugan Sokhiev, principal conductor of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and music director of the Bolshoi Theatre, March 31 to April 12.

Powerful Pianists Join the New York Philharmonic

An impressive line-up of stellar pianists will join the New York Philharmonic to take on some of the greatest concertos in the repertoire. Like Yuja Wang, who will perform Liszt’s finger-busting Piano Concerto No. 1 February 10 to 12. Other powerhouse pianists include Seong-Jin Cho playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 “The Emperor,” March 24 to 26 and Haochen Zhang performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 March 31 to April 2. Italian piano sensation Beatrice Rana will perform Tchaikovsky’s ultra romantic Piano Concerto No. 1 June 2 to 4.

Vocalists Raise Their Voices with the New York Philharmonic

Vocal aficionados will have the opportunity to hear two widely contrasting singers: Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, who has done remarkable work reviving the forgotten but gorgeous repertoire of the male falsetto, and Golda Schultz, a South African soprano who excels in everything from Mozart to contemporary works.

Costanzo, who is the New York Philharmonic’s 2021–22 season Artist-in-Residence, will give several concerts in January and February. January 27 to 28, he’ll give the premiere of a song cycle by American composer Joel Thompson based on poets of the Harlem Renaissance. On the same program, he’ll be joined by cabaret performer Justin Vivian Bond for songs that Costanzo says are “an exploration of how gender is or is not related to pitch.”

Costanzo will also address issues of identity when he performs with the National Black Theatre on February 4. The next night, Costanzo will perform a selection of songs by Berlioz, including Les Nuits d’été. “I think it will be interesting to hear it sung by a countertenor rather than a mezzo-soprano or soprano as it’s usually heard these days,” Costanzo said.

Schultz will join the New York Philharmonic for a selection of songs by Richard Strauss February 17 to 19. The soprano’s meteoric career has taken her from South Africa to Juilliard to the Bavarian State Opera, where after her audition in 2011, she was immediately offered a two-year position. Schultz has since performed in some of the world’s greatest opera houses, including La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. Opera Magazine says she has a “stellar future,” which seems like an understatement.

Schultz will sing the Six Brentano Lieder with the New York Philharmonic. Schultz is noted for her affinity for Strauss, having been critically acclaimed for singing the role of Sophie in Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier, so it should be a most memorable concert. 

The New York Philharmonic Goes to the Movies

On April 22 and 23, Alice Tully Hall will be turned into a movie palace. The Raiders of the Lost Ark will never have sounded so good when the New York Philharmonic performs John Williams’ epic score live to the complete film.  

William’s stirring music was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score and is now considered one of the finest Hollywood soundtracks of the past 50 years.

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