NY Phil's Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 Replaces Piano Concerto No. 4 with Lang Lang in October

Due to an unanticipated scheduling conflict, Lang Lang is unable to perform with the New York Philharmonic on October 5, 2016, as previously announced. On that program, led by Music Director Alan Gilbert, Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 will be replaced by Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, with the rest of the program remaining unchanged: Barto?k's Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, and Ligeti's Mysteries of the Macabre, for Trumpet and Orchestra. Principal Trumpet Christopher Martin will make his Philharmonic solo debut performing Mysteries of the Macabre.

The program for the October 6-8, 2016, concerts remains as previously announced, with Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 performed by Lang Lang; Barto?k's Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta; and Ligeti's Mysteries of the Macabre, for Trumpet and Orchestra, with Principal Trumpet Christopher Martin as soloist. Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 is among the season's performances of the complete Beethoven piano concerto cycle.

Christopher Martin will join the New York Philharmonic as Principal Trumpet, The Paula Levin Chair, in September 2016, at the start of the 2016-17 season. He will succeed Philip Smith, who retired at the end of the 2013-14 season, following 36 seasons of service. Mr. Martin currently holds the same position at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

These performances mark Alan Gilbert's first time leading the Philharmonic in Barto?k's Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, and continue Alan Gilbert's history conducting Ligeti with the Philharmonic. In his first season as Music Director Alan Gilbert led a sold-out staged production of Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre - named New York magazine's number one classical music event of 2010 and "the greatest triumph achieved by any New York musical institution in 2010" by The New York Times. The inaugural ART OF THE SCORE: Film Week at the Philharmonic, in September 2013, featured Alan Gilbert conducting the score to 2001: A Space Odyssey - which includes Ligeti's Atmosphe?res, Lux aeterna, Requiem, and Aventures - as the complete film was screened.

Single tickets start at $30. Tickets are available now to 2016-17 New York Philharmonic subscribers; single tickets will go on sale to the general public on August 9. Tickets are available 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. 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. To determine ticket availability, call the Philharmonic's Customer Relations Department at (212) 875-5656. (Ticket prices subject to change.)

Photo by Chris Lee