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Only in New York: NY Phil Announces 2014–15 Season at WNYC Greene Space

Matthew Van Besien, Alan Gilbert, Ed Yim and Composer in Residence Christopher Rouse

Yesterday the NY Phil invited about 80 or so music writers—bloggers and newspaper critics alike—to the WNYC Greene Space for a press conference of sorts to announce details of the 2014–15 Philharmonic season, which you can see here. Mind you, I haven't yet bothered to check out what the Phil is up to for the rest of this season, but for those who like to plan their lives 14 months in advance, here are some of the more notable highlights:

  • A new violin concerto by John Adams, Scheherezade 2, performed by Leila Josefowicz
  • Chris Rouse's tenure as Composer-in-Residence extended for one more year, capped by the world premiere of his Thunderstuck for orchestra
  • The U.S. premieres of Thomas Adès' Totentanz (with Simon Keenlyside), Unsuk Chin's Clarinet Concerto (with Kari Kriikku), and Thierry Escaich's Concerto for Violin and Oboe (with Lisa Batiashvili, who was also named Artist-in-Residence)
  • A staged performance of Arthur Honegger's Joan of Arc at the Stake, imported from France and starring Academy Award-winning actress Marion Cotillard as Joan

There were some details that still need to be fleshed out, such as the film to be performed for the second year of The Art of the Score, and the programming for the sixth season of CONTACT! But, for someone who often doesn't know what he's doing next week, the level of detail offered by the Philharmonic was impressive.

Matthew Van Besien and Alan Gilbert

Compared to this season, however—in particular the upcoming Biennial—there wasn't anything earth-shattering in yesterday's announcement. And, when I asked about the Philharmonic's immediate and long-term plans for the summer—aside from the popular Parks concerts—they pointed to their new residency in Shanghai beginning next July, along with the continuation of their association with the Bravo! Vail Festival. Not exactly the response I was hoping for. 

"I sense the direction your question is headed in," Executive Director Matthew VanBesien said to me. "No, there aren't any immediate plans to develop a summer home for the Philharmonic."

All in all, it was a warm and friendly experience, and a rare opportunity to network with colleagues and rub shoulders with some of the higher-ups at the Phil. But, as I nibbled on canapés and sipped my Philharmonic Fizz cocktail, I couldn't help but feel a gnawing sense of unease about the whole deal. I mean, here was the entire administration of the New York Philharmonic, trudging down from Lincoln Center to hobnob with a bunch of guys (and a handful of women) who basically sit around in their sweatpants all day. Clearly a lot of time, effort, and money was expended: even the production of team for Joan of Arc was flown in from Paris, ostensibly just for this event.

In the scheme of things, I'm sure this press event was a mere drop in the bucket for an organization whose annual budget hovers around $60 million, but in an era when orchestras are fighting tooth and nail with their musicians over pay, or are threatening to cut back on education and outreach initiatives, the Phil's splurge felt a bit old school, if not tone-deaf. Indeed, Gilbert seemed a bit weary of the whole exercise, having to correct VanBesien on several occasions, or answer the same question more than once. 

But Alan, who was sharp and witty on what must have been an unusually early morning for him, also provided some of the day's brightest moments. Here's how he responded when asked about how he's been able to so seamlessly thread contemporary music though his programming.

"I don't really believe in compartmentalizing genres," he said. "It's all just music. Like Duke Ellington said, 'There are two kinds of music: good music, and bad.'"

Sounds about right.

  Alan Gilbert

More details from next season here. More pics on the photo page.

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