New York Phil to Stream First-Ever Live Concert on Facebook for Season Opener, 9/21

The New York Philharmonic will present its first-ever live concert broadcast on Facebook with the 2016-17 season Opening Gala Concert, Wednesday, September 21, 2016, launching its 175th anniversary season and The New World Initiative, a season-long, citywide project revolving around Dvo?ák's Symphony No. 9, From the New World, and its theme of "home." Throughout the 2016-17 season, The New World Initiative will explore the New World Symphony through performances, community outreach, and education projects on the occasion of the Philharmonic's 175th anniversary season, honoring the Orchestra's hometown and its role as an adopted home for many.

The Opening Gala Concert, which features Dvo?ák's New World Symphony, honors the Philharmonic's legacy of premiering important works, particularly music connected to New York City, including the New York Premiere of John Corigliano's STOMP for Orchestra, and Gershwin's Concerto in F with pianist Aaron Diehl in his Philharmonic debut. Hosted by WQXR's Terrance McKnight and directed by Habib Azar, the live online broadcast - available at facebook.com/nyphilharmonic - will also feature live interviews with the evening's artists. The concert will be available for on-demand viewing on the Philharmonic's website, YouTube, and Facebook for 45 days.

Inspired by citywide book programs, The New World Initiative aims to give all New Yorkers the opportunity to hear and creatively engage with Dvo?ák's New World Symphony, understand its significance, and appreciate its role within New York City's cultural history. Dvo?ák wrote the symphony, which features the Largo melody known as "Goin' Home," while he was living here in New York City. The Philharmonic gave the World Premiere of the New World Symphony in December 1893, marking the Orchestra's first World Premiere of a work written in New York City that would become part of the standard repertoire. The New World Initiative marks the first time in Philharmonic history that it will use a single work as a thread for presenting ideas and events. As part of The New World Initiative, the Philharmonic is inviting music ensembles from all over New York City to join in by performing the symphony, selections from it, arrangements of it, or reinterpretations of it during the 2016-17 season.

More than 70 ensembles from every borough have joined the initiative to date. Participating groups will be featured in detail on newworldinitiative.com and receive benefits including access to arrangements, marked conducting scores, and sheet music bowed by Philharmonic musicians and free access to Open Rehearsals throughout the 2016-17 season. The Philharmonic will also invite all participating The New World Initiative ensembles to the Opening Gala Concert dress rehearsal, September 21.

Additional performances, exhibits, community engagement, and education activities to take place as part of The New World Initiative are outlined below. "I can think of no better way for the New York Philharmonic to help mark its milestone 175th anniversary than through The New World Initiative, which celebrates our connection to our great home city, this iconic work, and its central theme of home," said President Matthew VanBesien. "In addition to season-spanning performances of a symphony that has long held a special place for audiences around the world and in this Orchestra's heart, we are proud to work with collaborators across our hometown to engage with our community through performances, education programs, and archival resources." "The New York Philharmonic is not only one of the world's greatest performing ensembles, with a history of working with the most important composers of every era, but also the hometown orchestra of New York City, the nation's cultural capital," said Music Director Alan Gilbert. "The New World Initiative celebrates both of these qualities by engaging in a musical dialogue with our neighbors across the city through Dvo?ák's New World Symphony, an iconic masterpiece that has been identified with this Orchestra since it premiered it 123 years ago. This project beautifully achieves one of my aspirations for the New York Philharmonic: to be not just an orchestra that happens to be in New York, but an orchestra that is New York's orchestra in a very meaningful way."

The New York Philharmonic will perform the New World Symphony throughout the 2016-17 season, beginning with the Opening Gala Concert, September 21, 2016, when Music Director Alan Gilbert leads a program honoring the Philharmonic's legacy of premiering important works, particularly music connected to New York City. The Opening Gala Concert performance will mark the Philharmonic's 370th performance of the work. The concert also includes the New York Premiere of John Corigliano's STOMP for Orchestra and Gershwin's Concerto in F with Aaron Diehl as soloist in his Philharmonic debut. The concert will be broadcast live on Facebook Live.

Alan Gilbert and the Orchestra will also perform the New World Symphony on the opening subscription programs September 22-24 and 27. The September 22-24 program also features Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with Lisa Batiashvili as soloist; the September 27 program also features Mozart's Clarinet Concerto with Principal Clarinet Anthony McGill as soloist and John Corigliano's STOMP for Orchestra.

The Orchestra will perform the New World Symphony on the Young People's Concert The Ages of Music: "Romantic," January 21, 2017, and on the Young People's Concerts for Schools, January 18-20, 2017, led by Assistant Conductor Joshua Gersen and hosted by Vice President, Education, Theodore Wiprud.

Alan Gilbert and the Orchestra will conclude the 175th anniversary season by performing the symphony on the free New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer in June 2017 (dates to be announced).The New York Philharmonic is inviting music ensembles from all over New York City to participate in The New World Initiative by performing the symphony, selections from it, arrangements of it, or reinterpretations of it. The Philharmonic has reached out to more than 700 ensembles - including amateur and professional ensembles and choruses, faith-based ensembles, and school ensembles - but the project is open to all music ensembles in New York City, with no selection criteria. More than 70 music groups from every borough have joined the initiative thus far, including the All-City High School Orchestra, PUBLIQuartet, UN Symphony Orchestra, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Bulgarian Children's Chorus, and Camerata Notturna, with more being added (see list below). Participating organizations will be represented in detail on the online hub, newworldinitiative.com, featuring a season calendar of all participating groups' performances of the New World Symphony as well as other season performances, and featuring submitted video or audio of the group's performance of the New World Symphony. Participating ensembles will also receive free access to the Opening Gala Concert dress rehearsal and Open Rehearsals throughout the 2016-17 season; a traveling exhibit from the New York Philharmonic Archives on the symphony's 1893 premiere by the Philharmonic; and arrangements, marked conducting scores, and sheet music bowed by Philharmonic musicians.

New York-based musicians and ensembles can sign up to join The New World Initiative at newworldinitiative.com/participate.