dohnÁnyi / dvoŘÁk: a philharmonic festival...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 30, 2014

Contact: Katherine E. Johnson

(212) 875-5718; [email protected]

DOHNÁNYI / DVOŘÁK: A PHILHARMONIC FESTIVAL DECEMBER 4–13, 2014

Conducted by CHRISTOPH von DOHNÁNYI

ALISA WEILERSTEIN To Perform Dvořák’s CELLO CONCERTO

Program Also To Include Dvořák’s SYMPHONY NO. 7

December 4–6 and 9, 2014

MARTIN HELMCHEN To Make Philharmonic Debut in Dvořák’s PIANO CONCERTO

Program Also To Include Dvořák’s SYMPHONY NO. 9, FROM THE NEW WORLD

PHILHARMONIC FREE FRIDAY: 100 Free Tickets for 13–26-Year-Olds to December 12 Concert

December 11–13, 2014

INSIGHTS IMMERSION: “THE MANY WORLDS OF ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK”

Day-Long Exploration of the Composer

Featuring In-Depth Discussions by Renowned Scholars and Musicians

Presented by New York Philharmonic in Association with 92nd Street Y;

To Lead into Chamber Music Concert Featuring

Alisa Weilerstein, Artist-in-Association INON BARNATAN, and Philharmonic Musicians

In Works by DVOŘÁK, SCHULHOFF, and MARTINŮ

December 7, 2014

ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT of New World Symphony and Original Orchestral Parts

From NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ARCHIVES

To Be DISPLAYED at Czech Center Gallery

November 17–21, 2014; Free Admission

The New York Philharmonic will present Dohnányi / Dvořák: A Philharmonic Festival,

December 4–13, 2014, featuring two all-Dvořák programs conducted by Christoph von

Dohnányi, acclaimed for his interpretations of the Czech composer. The festival will also include

a chamber music program featuring Alisa Weilerstein, Artist-in-Association Inon Barnatan, and

Philharmonic musicians, co-presented with 92nd Street Y; the chamber concert will culminate a

day-long exploration of the composer’s life and music in Insights Immersion: “The Many

Worlds of Antonín Dvořák,” with discussions by renowned scholars and musicians, presented by

the New York Philharmonic in association with 92nd Street Y. In addition an archival exhibit at

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mailto:[email protected]

Dohnányi / Dvořák: A Philharmonic Festival / 2

the Czech Center Gallery will feature the original manuscript and original orchestral parts of the

New World Symphony from the New York Philharmonic Archives. The Philharmonic is offering

100 free tickets for young people ages 13–26 to the concert Friday, December 12 as part of

Philharmonic Free Fridays, which offers 100 free tickets to young people to each of the 2014–15

season’s 18 Friday evening subscription concerts as part of Share the Music!, a new initiative to

support expanded access to the New York Philharmonic. Dohnányi / Dvořák continues the

Philharmonic’s annual, multi-week festival, an initiative Alan Gilbert introduced in his inaugural

season as Music Director.

“Dvořák was, in a way, a missionary for American music,” said Christoph von Dohnányi. “He

enjoyed the American music of those days and always encouraged other musicians to use it for

composition. What attracts me to Dvořák’s music is his honesty. He does not do anything

unnecessary, like some other late-Romantic composers. He never overdoes it, and he never says

anything he does not mean. It’s wonderful music, and I’m looking forward to doing it with a

great orchestra.”

“Christoph von Dohnányi is a very important conductor in the New York Philharmonic family,”

said Music Director Alan Gilbert. “Personally, he’s been a huge figure in my musical life: he was

music director at The Cleveland Orchestra when I was assistant conductor there, and he has been

a musical model for me. His Dvořák recordings with The Cleveland Orchestra are incredible: he

totally understands Dvořák’s Eastern-European folk flavor, and it’s music he loves and does

supremely well.”

In the festival’s opening program, Mr. Dohnányi conducts Dvořák’s Cello Concerto, with Alisa

Weilerstein as soloist, and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7, Thursday, December 4, 2014, at 7:30

p.m.; Friday, December 5 at 2:00 p.m.; Saturday, December 6 at 8:00 p.m.; and Tuesday,

December 9 at 7:30 p.m. The Philharmonic gave the U.S. Premiere of both works on the

program: the Cello Concerto in 1897, with Leo Stern as soloist and conducted by Anton Seidl,

and the Symphony No. 7 in 1886, led by Theodore Thomas.

The festival’s second program features Mr. Dohnányi conducting Dvořák’s Piano Concerto —

with, in his Philharmonic debut Martin Helmchen, who has frequently collaborated with Mr.

Dohnányi — and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, From the New World, Thursday, December 11,

2014, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, December 12 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, December 13 at 8:00 p.m.

The Philharmonic gave the World Premiere of Dvořák’s New World Symphony in December

1893, led by Anton Seidl at Carnegie Hall. The New York Philharmonic Archives currently

houses that original score and original orchestral parts, which will be on display at the Czech

Center Gallery, November 17–21 (details below).

The festival will also include a chamber music program featuring Inon Barnatan in his first

appearance as the Philharmonic’s inaugural Artist-in-Association, Alisa Weilerstein, and

Philharmonic Acting Concertmaster Sheryl Staples, Acting Principal Associate Concertmaster

Michelle Kim, Principal Viola Cynthia Phelps, Associate Principal Oboe Sherry Sylar, Principal

Clarinet Anthony McGill, Principal Bassoon Judith LeClair, and Acting Principal Trumpet

Matthew Muckey, December 7, 2014, at 3:00 p.m. at 92nd Street Y. The program will feature

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Dvořák’s Terzetto in C major for Two Violins and Viola, Op. 74; Martinů’s La Revue de cuisine

Suite for Clarinet, Bassoon, Trumpet, Violin, Cello, and Piano; Schulhoff’s Divertissement for

Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon; and Dvořák’s Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 87. The program

is co-presented with 92nd Street Y.

The festival also features Insights Immersion: “The Many Worlds of Antonín Dvořák,”

December 7, 2014, at 92nd Street Y, a day-long exploration of the composer’s life and music

with renowned scholars and musicians, presented in association with 92nd Street Y. The Insights

Immersion begins at 10:30 a.m. with two sessions, each featuring lectures, discussions, and

performances from which to choose, including The Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence at

the New York Philharmonic Carol J. Oja speaking about Dvořák and the New World Symphony,

and New York Philharmonic Archivist/Historian Barbara Haws and James H. North, author of

New York Philharmonic: The Authorized Recordings 1905–2005: A Discography, on “Dvořák

and the Philharmonic through Recordings: 1917–2008.” The sessions will be followed by a

plenary session featuring festival conductor Christoph von Dohnányi; New York University

professor of music Michael Beckerman, author of New Worlds of Dvořák; and director of 92nd

Street Y’s Tisch Center for the Arts Hanna Arie-Gaifman. The Insights Immersion will lead into

the chamber music concert, which Insights Immersion participants may elect to attend, featuring

Alisa Weilerstein, Inon Barnatan, and Philharmonic musicians (details above); Dr. Beckerman

will introduce the chamber music program. “The Many Worlds of Antonín Dvořák” is the

Philharmonic’s inaugural Insights Immersion, a new program of intensive immersions on single

topics related to themes of the Philharmonic’s current season, aimed at providing a deeper look

for serious enthusiasts.

An archival exhibit featuring the original manuscript and original orchestral parts of the New

World Symphony from the New York Philharmonic Archives will be on display at Bohemian

National Hall at the Czech Center Gallery (321 E. 73rd Street), November 17–21, 2014, from

1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily; admission is free. The exhibit marks the first time the original

manuscript has left the Czech Republic since Dvořák carried it there from New York City in

1895. The Czech Center New York and Dvořák American Heritage Association will offer free

lectures, performances, and film screenings at Bohemian National Hall; more information is

available at CzechCenter.com.

Expanding the focus on Dvořák throughout the season, Dvořák’s chamber music is also featured

on all 2014–15 Saturday Matinee Concerts. On November 29, 2014, Philharmonic musicians

perform his Wind Serenade; the February 7, 2015, matinee, featuring Artist-in-Association Inon

Barnatan alongside Philharmonic musicians, will include the Piano Quintet, Op. 81; and the

season’s final matinee, on May 23, 2015, will include the String Quintet in E-flat major,

featuring Music Director Alan Gilbert playing viola alongside Philharmonic musicians.

Related Events

Philharmonic Free Fridays

The New York Philharmonic is offering 100 free tickets for young people ages 13–26 to the

concert Friday, December 12 as part of Philharmonic Free Fridays. Information is available

(more)

http://new-york.czechcentres.cz/


at nyphil.org/freefridays. Philharmonic Free Fridays offers 100 free tickets to 13–26-year-

olds to each of the 2014–15 season’s 18 Friday evening subscription concerts; it is part of

Share the Music!, a new initiative to support expanded access to the New York Philharmonic.

Insights Immersion: “The Many Worlds of Antonín Dvořák”

December 7, 2014

92nd Street Y

A day-long exploration of Dvořák’s life and music with renowned scholars and musicians.

Two sessions, each featuring lectures, discussions, and performances from which to choose,

will be followed by a plenary session with festival conductor Christoph von Dohnányi and

others. The Insights Immersion will lead into the chamber music concert, which Insights

Immersion participants may elect to attend, featuring Alisa Weilerstein, Inon Barnatan, and

Philharmonic musicians. Presented by the New York Philharmonic in association with 92nd

Street Y.

Archival Exhibit November 17–21, 2014, 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily

Bohemian National Hall at the Czech Center Gallery (321 E. 73rd Street)

An archival exhibit featuring the original manuscript and original orchestral parts of the New

World Symphony from the New York Philharmonic Archives will be on display. Admission

is free. The exhibit marks the first time the original manuscript has left the Czech Republic

since Dvořák carried it there from New York City in 1895.

Pre-Concert Insights

Author, pianist, and professor Arbie Orenstein will introduce the program December 4–6 and

9. Author Fred Plotkin will introduce the program December 11–13. Admission/Tickets to

Pre-Concert Insights are $7; discounts are available for multiple talks, students, and groups.

These events take place one hour before performances, and are held in the Helen Hull Room,

unless otherwise noted. Attendance is limited to 90 people. Information:

nyphil.org/preconcert or (212) 875-5656.

Artists

Christoph von Dohnányi is recognized as one of the world’s pre-eminent orchestral and opera

conductors. His appointments have included opera directorships in Frankfurt and Hamburg, and

principal orchestral posts in England and Germany, as well as in Paris. He continues a

longstanding partnership with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, where he served as

principal conductor and artistic adviser for ten years and is honorary conductor for life. For 20

years he served as music director of The Cleveland Orchestra. Mr. Dohnányi began the 2014–15

season with concerts with the Philharmonia at the Salzburg Festival. In Europe he leads the

Orchestre de Paris, Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, Zurich’s Tonhalle Orchestra, the Leipzig

Gewandhaus Orchestra, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. In the U.S. he returns to conduct

two subscription weeks with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Upon completing his tenure in

Cleveland, Mr. Dohnányi led major orchestras in the United States and now enjoys ongoing

relationships with the symphony orchestras of Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, and, as

music director laureate, Cleveland. Recent highlights include all-Beethoven and all-Brahms

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http://nyphil.org/freefridays

http://www.nyphil.org/preconcert


concerts with Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia, the complete Beethoven piano concertos

with Yefim Bronfman and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the complete Brahms

symphonies with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mr. Dohnányi frequently leads productions at

Covent Garden, La Scala, and Vienna Staatsoper, as well as in Berlin and Paris. He has led the

Vienna Philharmonic in many Salzburg Festival appearances, including the World Premieres of

Henze’s Die Bassariden and Cerha’s Baal. He also regularly appears with the Zurich Opera and

with the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. He has made critically acclaimed recordings for

London/Decca with The Cleveland Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic. With Vienna, he

recorded a variety of symphonic works and a number of operas, including Beethoven’s Fidelio,

Berg’s Wozzeck and Lulu, Richard Strauss’s Salome, and Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman. With

The Cleveland Orchestra his discography includes concert performances and recordings of

Wagner’s Die Walküre and Das Rheingold; the complete symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms,

and Schumann; symphonies by Bruckner, Dvořák, Mahler, Mozart, Schubert, and Tchaikovsky;

and works by, among others, Bartók, Berlioz, Ives, Varèse, and Webern. Christoph von

Dohnányi has led 53 Philharmonic concerts: he made his debut in May 1981 as part of The

Romantic Era festival in a program of works by Weber, Mendelssohn, and Schubert featuring

violinist Itzhak Perlman; his most recent appearance was in April 2014 for a program of Brahms

and Schumann with pianist Paul Lewis as soloist.

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein is the recipient of a 2011 MacArthur Fellowship. An exclusive

recording artist for Decca Classics, her label debut, featuring Elgar’s and Elliott Carter’s cello

concertos with Daniel Barenboim and the Berlin Staatskapelle, was named BBC Music

magazine’s Recording of the Year 2013. On her second Decca release Ms. Weilerstein plays

Dvořák’s Cello Concerto, which she reprises with the New York Philharmonic and Christoph

von Dohnányi in these performances. Upcoming orchestral highlights also include Elgar with

Dallas, Milwaukee, Stuttgart, and Tokyo’s NHK symphony orchestras, and The Cleveland

Orchestra, London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, and Netherlands Philharmonic, as well as Haydn

on a German tour with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Shostakovich with England’s

Hallé Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall. In

recitals in Boston and Aspen and at London’s Wigmore Hall she performs repertoire from Solo,

her new Decca compilation of unaccompanied 20th-century cello music. The album’s

centerpiece is Kodály’s Sonata, a signature work that she also performs on the sound track of If I

Stay, a 2014 feature film in which she makes a cameo appearance as herself. Ms. Weilerstein’s

career milestones include Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the Berlin Philharmonic under Barenboim

in Oxford, England, and a performance at the White House for the President and Mrs. Obama.

An ardent champion of new music, she has worked with Osvaldo Golijov and Matthias Pintscher

and premiered works by Lera Auerbach and Joseph Hallman. She appears at major music

festivals worldwide, and regularly collaborates with Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony

Orchestra and the El Sistema education program. Her honors include Lincoln Center’s 2008

Martin E. Segal prize and the 2006 Leonard Bernstein Award. She is a graduate of the Cleveland

Institute of Music and Columbia University. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, she is a Celebrity

Advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She made her Philharmonic debut in

the summer of 2002 performing Saint Saëns’s Cello Concerto No. 1 during the Concerts in the

Parks; she most recently appeared in June 2014 as part of the NY PHIL BIENNIAL performing

Matthias Pintscher’s Reflections on Narcissus, conducted by the composer.

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Pianist Martin Helmchen has performed with the Berlin, London, and Vienna Philharmonic

orchestras and Tokyo’s NHK Symphony Orchestra. He made his acclaimed U.S. orchestral debut

in 2011 playing Schumann’s Piano Concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at

Tanglewood. Other recent debuts include the Dallas, Houston, Oregon, St. Louis, and San

Francisco symphony orchestras, as well as The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center.

He made his Washington, D.C., recital debut at the Kennedy Center in May 2014. Highlights of

his current season include appearances with the Berlin Concert House Orchestra, Dresden

Philharmonic, and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, among others. Having served as artist-in-

residence with Zurich’s Tonhalle Orchestra during the 2011–12 season, Mr. Helmchen has also

appeared with the BBC, Bournemouth, Stuttgart Radio, and NDR symphony orchestras; NDR

Netherlands, Royal Stockholm, and Rotterdam philharmonic orchestras; and Deutsche

Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Hallé Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, London

Philharmonia, Orchestre National de Lyon, and Orchestre National de France. In addition to

recent recital engagements at The Frick Collection in New York, Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall

(with cellist Marie-Elisabeth Hecker), San Francisco Performances, London’s Wigmore Hall,

and Frankfurt’s Alte Oper, Mr. Helmchen has also appeared at the Schubertiade, Lockenhaus,

and Marlboro festivals. His extensive recordings for PentaTone include a debut disc of Mozart

concertos with the Netherlands Chamber Philharmonic and Schubert’s complete works for violin

and piano with Julia Fischer. A recording of works by Schubert, his first solo CD, won an ECHO

Award in 2009. Martin Helmchen won the 2001 Clara Haskil International Piano Competition at

the age of 19. He was awarded a fellowship from the Borletti-Buitoni Trust in 2005, the Credit

Suisse Young Artist Award in 2006, and was a participant in the BBC New Generation Artists

program from 2005–07. These performances mark his New York Philharmonic debut.

Israeli pianist Inon Barnatan is the New York Philharmonic’s inaugural Artist-in-Association, a

position that highlights an emerging artist over several consecutive seasons through concerto and

chamber music appearances. In the 2014–15 season he will make his Philharmonic subscription

debut playing Ravel’s Concerto in G with Alan Gilbert and perform chamber music with

Philharmonic musicians in the Dohnányi / Dvořák chamber music program and a Saturday

Matinee Concert. Mr. Barnatan has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, The

Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras, and the Atlanta, Dallas, Cincinnati, Houston, and San

Francisco symphony orchestras, and worked with conductors including Roberto Abbado,

Lawrence Foster, James Gaffigan, Jahja Ling, Nicholas McGegan, Matthias Pintscher, David

Robertson, Robert Spano, Bramwell Tovey, Juraj Valchua, Edo de Waart, Pinchas Zukerman,

and Jaap van Zweden. Mr. Barnatan has toured twice with the Academy of St. Martin in the

Fields as a conductor and soloist, and has performed in New York at Carnegie Hall, 92nd Street

Y, and Lincoln Center, and at San Francisco’s Herbst Theater, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center,

Washington’s Kennedy Center, and Boston’s Jordan Hall. He moved to the United States in

2006, and in 2009 was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, an honor reflecting

the strong impression he has made on the American music scene in such a short period of time.

Violinist Sheryl Staples joined the New York Philharmonic as Principal Associate

Concertmaster, The Elizabeth G. Beinecke Chair, in September 1998 and currently serves as

Acting Concertmaster, The Charles E. Culpeper Chair. She made her solo debut with the

Orchestra in 1999 and has been featured with the Philharmonic as soloist in concertos by

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Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Haydn, Bach, and Vivaldi with conductors including Alan

Gilbert, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, and Colin Davis. In November 2014 she is performing

Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante with Principal Viola Cynthia Phelps, led by Jaap van Zweden.

Previously she was the associate concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra and concertmaster of

the Pacific Symphony and Santa Barbara Chamber orchestras. She has appeared as soloist with

more than 40 orchestras, including The Cleveland Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic. Ms.

Staples has participated in the La Jolla, Boston, Salt Bay, Santa Fe, Mainly Mozart, and Aspen

chamber music festivals. She was a member of the Cleveland Orchestra Piano Trio, and she

currently frequently performs in the New York area in venues including Avery Fisher Hall,

Merkin Concert Hall, 92nd Street Y, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ms. Staples is on the

faculty of The Juilliard School, where she works with students aspiring toward orchestral

careers. She performs on the “Kartman” Guarnerius del Gesù, ca. 1728.

Violinist Michelle Kim has been Assistant Concertmaster, The William Petschek Family Chair,

of the New York Philharmonic since 2001; she currently serves as Acting Principal Associate

Concertmaster, The Elizabeth G. Beinecke Chair. She has performed as a soloist with orchestras

such as the New York Philharmonic, New Jersey Philharmonic, Santa Barbara Chamber

Orchestra, and Pacific Symphony. An active chamber musician, Ms. Kim has collaborated with

violinists Cho Liang Lin, Christian Tetzlaff, and Pinchas Zukerman; cellists Mstislav

Rostropovich, Lynn Harrell, and Gary Hoffman; and pianists Lang Lang and Yefim Bronfman.

She has performed at various festivals including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, La Jolla

Chamber Music Festival, Strings in the Mountain, and Bravo! Vail. Ms. Kim has also served as

the first violinist of the Rossetti String Quartet, and was a Sterne Virtuoso Artist at Skidmore

College in 2007–08. A student of Robert Lipsett and a former Presidential Scholar, Ms. Kim

attended the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music as a Starling

Foundation scholarship recipient, and considers Heiichiro Ohyama and Henry Gronnier as her

mentors. She has been a member of the faculty at USC’s Thornton School of Music, the Colburn

School, and the University of California, Santa Barbara, and currently teaches at the Mannes

College of Music.

Cynthia Phelps is the New York Philharmonic’s Principal Viola, The Mr. and Mrs. Frederick P.

Rose Chair. Highlights of her solo appearances with the Orchestra include performances on the

2006 Tour of Italy, sponsored by Generali, performances of Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante in

2010, and Sofia Gubaidulina’s Two Paths, which the Orchestra commissioned for her and

Philharmonic Associate Principal Viola Rebecca Young and which was premiered in 1999 and

reprised many times, most recently in 2011. Other solo engagements have included the

Minnesota Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao, and Hong Kong

Philharmonic. Ms. Phelps performs with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Jupiter

Chamber Players, and the festivals of Santa Fe, La Jolla, Seattle, Chamber Music Northwest, and

Bridgehampton. She has appeared with the Guarneri, Tokyo, Orion, American, Brentano, and

Prague Quartets, and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio. Her honors include First Prize in

both the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and the Washington National

Competition. Winner of the Pro Musicis International Award, Ms. Phelps’s most recent

recording, Air, for flute, harp and viola, was nominated for a Grammy Award. She has performed

as soloist on Live From Lincoln Center, American Public Media’s Saint Paul Sunday Morning,

Radio France, and RAI in Italy.

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Associate Principal Oboe Sherry Sylar joined the Philharmonic in 1984, having performed with

The Louisville Orchestra and having taught at the University of Evansville in Indiana. She

earned her bachelor’s degree in music at Indiana University and her master’s from Northwestern

University. Ms. Sylar performs chamber music regularly, including at Merkin Concert Hall and

92nd Street Y. She was among the select group of Philharmonic musicians who joined the

orchestra that Leonard Bernstein conducted in the historic Freedom Concert at the falling of the

Berlin Wall in 1989. In 2001 the Boston Symphony Orchestra invited her to perform solo

principal oboe in tour performances led by Bernard Haitink, which concluded with a concert at

Carnegie Hall. She substituted for an ailing principal oboist for the Orchestre Philharmonique de

Radio France’s Carnegie Hall debut, conducted by Myung-Whun Chung. Ms. Sylar’s most

recent solo performance with the New York Philharmonic was in J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg

Concerto No. 1 in November 2008. Also the oboe d’amore player for the New York

Philharmonic, her featured solos on that instrument during the Orchestra’s Bach festival in

March 2013 were praised in The New York Times. Ms. Sylar gives master classes internationally,

has participated in the Aspen and Grand Teton Music Festivals, and is on the faculty of the

Mannes College of Music.

Anthony McGill joined the New York Philharmonic as Principal Clarinet, The Edna and W.

Van Alan Clark Chair, in September 2014. Previously principal clarinet of The Metropolitan

Opera Orchestra since 2004, he has appeared as soloist at Carnegie Hall with orchestras

including the MET Orchestra, the American Symphony Orchestra, and the New York String

Orchestra. He has also recently performed with the Baltimore, New Jersey, San Diego, and

Memphis symphony orchestras and Orchestra 2001. As a chamber musician Mr. McGill has

performed with quartets including the Guarneri, Tokyo, Brentano, Pacifica, Shanghai, Miró, and

Daedalus. He has also appeared with Musicians from Marlboro and at The Chamber Music

Society of Lincoln Center, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and the University of

Chicago Presents. His festival appearances have included Tanglewood, Marlboro, Mainly

Mozart, Music@Menlo, and Santa Fe Chamber Music. He has collaborated with pianists

Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, Mitsuko Uchida, and Lang Lang, as well as violinists Gil

Shaham and Midori. He performed with Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Gabriela Montero at

the inauguration of President Barack Obama. He has appeared on Performance Today, Saint

Paul Sunday, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and NBC Nightly News. Mr. McGill serves on the

faculties of The Juilliard School, the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, Bard

College Conservatory of Music, and Manhattan School of Music.

Judith LeClair joined the Philharmonic as Principal Bassoon, The Pels Family Chair, in 1981,

at the age of 23, and has since made more than 50 solo appearances with the Orchestra, most

recently in January 2013, performing Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto, led by Andrey Boreyko.

Previously she was principal bassoon of the San Diego Symphony and San Diego Opera. Active

as a chamber musician, she has performed with leading artists and participated in festivals

around the country. Every August she gives a solo recital and weeklong master class at the

Hidden Valley Music Seminar in Carmel Valley, California. She performed with the

Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet of New York, formed in 2001, giving recitals throughout the

country and on the Philharmonic’s tours. In April 1995 Ms. LeClair premiered The Five Sacred

Trees, a concerto written for her by John Williams and commissioned by the New York

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Philharmonic as part of its 150th Anniversary celebration. She reprised the concerto with the San

Francisco Symphony, London’s Royal Academy Orchestra, and the London Symphony

Orchestra. Her recording of this last performance and her solo New York Legends CD for Cala

Records were released in 1997. Ms. LeClair made her professional debut with The Philadelphia

Orchestra at age 15. She is on the faculty of The Juilliard School, and joined the faculty of the

Manhattan School of Music in fall 2014.

Matthew Muckey joined the New York Philharmonic as Associate Principal Trumpet in June

2006 — soon after graduating from Northwestern University with a bachelor’s degree in music,

and studying with Charles Geyer and Barbara Butler — and currently serves as Acting Principal

Trumpet, The Paula Levin Chair. A native of Sacramento, California, Mr. Muckey has appeared

as soloist with the Omaha Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, California Wind Orchestra,

Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, and on NPR’s program From the Top. He has

also played with the Boston Pops Orchestra, New World Symphony, and Chicago Civic

Orchestra. Mr. Muckey was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center during the summers of

2003 to 2005 and was the recipient of the Roger Voisin Award in 2004 and 2005. He is a

member of the New York Philharmonic Principal Brass Quintet.

Repertoire, December 4–6 and 9

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) composed his Cello Concerto in 1895 while he was living in

New York where he was serving as the director of the National Conservatory. Technically his

second work in the genre (he never satisfactorily finished his first), it was originally written for

his friend Hanuš Wihan, who had been one of many who had asked Dvořák for a concerto — the

composer resisted for years, feeling the instrument wasn’t suited for the sonic demands such a

work would place upon it, but ultimately relented upon hearing Victor Herbert’s Cello Concerto

No. 2. When Dvořák completed the work, Wihan requested changes, but the composer refused to

make most of them. Wihan premiered the work privately in September 1895, and it was

premiered in public by the Philharmonic Society in London by Leo Stern (a mix-up surrounding

dates meant Wihan was unable to perform), led by the composer. Leo Stern revisited the piece

for the Philharmonic’s first complete presentation of the concerto in March 1897, conducted by

Anton Seidl; Principal Cello Carter Brey was soloist in the Philharmonic’s most recent

performance, led by Alan Gilbert, in the summer of 2013 as part of the Orchestra’s Concert in

the Parks and Bravo! Vail residency.

Inspired by Brahms’s Third Symphony, Antonín Dvořák endeavored to produce a work of the

same stature in his Symphony No. 7 — an impulse magnified by his identity as a Czech artist.

Deeply involved in the Czech cultural revival, the composer wanted not only to enrich his

country’s symphonic repertoire, but also to break through to the international public. A

commission from the London Symphonic Society brought him that exposure, and the first

performance of the resulting work — this symphony — took place in London in 1885, conducted

by the composer. The work had its first real triumph four years later in Berlin, led by Hans von

Bülow. The New York Philharmonic performed the symphony’s U.S. Premiere on January 9,

1886, with Theodore Thomas conducting; it was last performed by the Orchestra in October

2011, conducted by Alan Gilbert.

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Repertoire, December 7

Dvořák completed his Terzetto in C major for Two Violins and Viola in one week during

January 1887. He originally set out to write it to be performed by himself (on viola), his violinist

friend Jan Pelikan, and his student Josef Kruis. The second viola part was ultimately too difficult

for Kruis (Dvořák later composed a second, easier piece), but this virtuosic Terzetto, which,

unusually utilizes the viola as the bass line, has become a much-loved part of the chamber

repertoire. Philharmonic musicians first performed the work in December 1887 at the

Metropolitan Opera House on 39th Street in a concert led by Walter Damrosch; it was most

recently presented in April 2012 as part of a New York Philharmonic Ensembles concert at

Merkin Concert Hall.

Immersed in Jazz Age Paris, Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959) made his first foray into jazz —

and had his first bona fide hit — with La Revue de cuisine (Kitchen Review), one of three ballets

he wrote in 1927. Commissioned by Božena Nebeskâ and written in Paris, the work was

premiered in his hometown, Prague, by Jarmila Kröschlová’s ballet. The story of a messy love

triangle between the newly married Pot and Lid and the tempting Twirling Stick, it was

originally titled Temptation of the Saintly Pot. The four-movement La Revue de cuisine Suite

for Clarinet, Bassoon, Trumpet, Violin, Cello, and Piano features Martinů’s jazzy, absurdist

themes, and pays homage to the Charleston, the trademark Flapper dance that was all the rage at

the time.

Among the many influences of Czech composer Erwin Schulhoff (1894–1942) were jazz,

Dadaism, and the avant-garde. He wrote: “Absolute art is revolution; it requires additional facets

for development, leads to overthrow (coups) in order to open new paths … and is the most

powerful in music.” Of Jewish/German descent, he ultimately landed on the Nazi blacklist, and

was deported to the Wülzburg concentration camp, where he died from tuberculosis. Composed

in 1927, his Divertissement for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon is filled with the flavors of

American jazz and French neo-classicism. Its eight movements have colorful titles including

“Charleston,” “Florida,” and “Dada-Prolog zur Baßnachtigall.”

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) composed his second and final piano quartet, the Piano Quartet

in E-flat major, Op. 87, in the summer of 1889, in the midst of one of his most prolific periods

and after much prodding by his publisher Simrock, to whom he wrote: “I’ve now already

finished three movements of a new piano quartet and the finale will be ready in a few days. As I

expected it came easily and the melodies just surged upon me. Thank God!” Premiered and

published the following year, it is a prime example of the composer’s innovative compositional

style, and even though he had composed it prior to his transformative years in America, it is

distinctively Dvořák.

Repertoire, December 11–13

The least known of his three concertos, the Piano Concerto was the first that Antonín Dvořák

(1841–1904) completed. Composed in the late summer of 1876 (and not premiered until March

1878), he himself admitted he hadn’t created a virtuosic work for showcasing a soloist at the

piano, but rather a symphonic concerto in which the pianist is more of a member of the orchestra.

The music displays many of Dvořák’s hallmarks: flowing melodies and lively orchestral hues.

(more)


The first movement offers a mix of lyrical and dramatic elements, imbued with some of

Dvořák’s Bohemian colors. The Andante sostenuto transports the listener to a serene setting,

with piano and orchestra in quiet “conversation.” The vibrant finale includes an actual folk song

as source material, perhaps reminding listeners of Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances. Czech pianist

Rudolf Firkušný, who championed the work around the world, performed the Philharmonic’s

first presentation of the concerto in October 1943, led by Artur Rodzińksi; the Orchestra’s most

recent performance was in April 1986, again with Mr. Firkušný, conducted by Martin

Turnovsky.

Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, From the New World, has become one of the composer’s most

popular works — Neil Armstrong even took a recording of it to the Moon during the Apollo 11

mission in 1969. It was written in 1893 while Dvořák was serving as director of the National

Conservatory of Music of America, and the New York Philharmonic premiered it at Carnegie

Hall on December 13, conducted by Anton Seidl. The symphony illustrates Dvořák’s strong

interest in Native American music and African American spirituals. He wrote: “I am convinced

that the future of music of this country must be founded on what are called Negro melodies.

These can be the foundation of a serious and original school of composition, to be developed in

the United States. These beautiful and varied themes are the product of the soil. They are the folk

songs of America and your composers must turn to them.” Manfred Honeck led the Orchestra’s

most recent performance of the New World Symphony in December 2013.

* * *

Christoph von Dohnányi’s appearance is made possible through the Charles A. Dana

Distinguished Conductors Endowment Fund.

* * *

Alisa Weilerstein’s appearance is made possible through the Florence Blau Trust.

* * *

Programs are supported, in part, by public funds from New York City Department of Cultural

Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the

New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the

New York State Legislature.

* * *

Tickets

Tickets for these performances start at $30. Tickets for Open Rehearsals are $20. Pre-Concert

Insights are $7; discounts are available for multiple talks, students, and groups (visit

nyphil.org/preconcert for more information). Tickets for Insights Immersion start at $149,

including the chamber music concert, or $125 without the concert. 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 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. A limited number of $16

(more)

http://www.nyphil.org/preconcert

http://nyphil.org/


tickets for select concerts may be available through the Internet for students within 10 days of the

performance, or in person the day of. Valid identification is required. To determine ticket

availability, call the Philharmonic’s Customer Relations Department at (212) 875-5656. [Ticket

prices subject to change.]

For press tickets, call Lanore Carr in the New York Philharmonic Marketing and

Communications Department at (212) 875-5714, or e-mail her at [email protected].

(more)



New York Philharmonic

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center

Thursday, December 4, 2014, 7:30 p.m.

Open Rehearsal — 9:45 a.m.

Friday, December 5, 2014, 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 6, 2014, 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014, 7:30 p.m.

Pre-Concert Insights (one hour before each concert) with author, pianist, and professor Arbie

Orenstein

Christoph von Dohnányi, conductor

Alisa Weilerstein, cello

DVOŘÁK Cello Concerto

DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7

_____________________________________

Insights Immersion: “The Many Worlds of Antonín Dvořák”

92nd Street Y

1395 Lexington Avenue

December 7, 2014, 10:30 a.m.

A day-long exploration of Dvořák’s life and music with renowned scholars and musicians. Two

sessions, each featuring lectures, discussions, and performances from which to choose, will be

followed by a plenary session with festival conductor Christoph von Dohnányi and others. The

Insights Immersion will lead into the chamber music concert, which Insights Immersion

participants may elect to attend, featuring Alisa Weilerstein, Inon Barnatan, and Philharmonic

musicians. Presented by the New York Philharmonic in association with 92nd Street Y.

_____________________________________

(more)


Dohnányi / Dvořák: A Philharmonic Festival Chamber Music Concert

92nd Street Y

1395 Lexington Avenue

Sunday, December 7, 2014, 3:00 p.m.

Alisa Weilerstein, cello

Inon Barnatan, piano

Sheryl Staples, Michelle Kim, violin

Cynthia Phelps, viola

Sherry Sylar, oboe

Anthony McGill, clarinet

Judith LeClair, bassoon

Matthew Muckey, trumpet

DVOŘÁK Terzetto in C major for Two Violins and Viola,

Op. 74

MARTINŮ La Revue de cuisine Suite, for Clarinet, Bassoon,

Trumpet, Violin, Cello, and Piano, H. 161

SCHULHOFF Divertissement for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon

DVOŘÁK Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 87

(more)


New York Philharmonic

Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center

Thursday, December 11, 2014, 7:30 p.m.

Open Rehearsal — 9:45 a.m.

Friday, December 12, 2014, 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 13, 2014, 8:00 p.m.

Pre-Concert Insights (one hour before each concert) with author Fred Plotkin

Christoph von Dohnányi, conductor

Martin Helmchen*, piano

DVOŘÁK Piano Concerto

DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9, From the New World

* New York Philharmonic debut

# # #

More information is available at nyphil.org/dvorak

ALL PROGRAMS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

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Photography is available in the New York Philharmonic’s online newsroom, nyphil.org/newsroom, or by

contacting the Communications Department at (212) 875-5700; [email protected].

http://www.nyphil.org/dvorak

http://nyphil.org/whats-new/

http://nyphil.org/newsroom


dohnÁnyi / dvoŘÁk: a philharmonic festival...

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