New York Philharmonic Announces President's Council

The New York Philharmonic has established the President's Council, a new donor leadership group that will support the Philharmonic's programs in New York and around the world. The Council will engage with the Philharmonic's leadership, including President Matthew VanBesien; the Board of Directors, chaired by Oscar S. Schafer; and senior-level administrators to help shape and support the future of the Orchestra. The newly formed group will be chaired by Amanda Brainerd; Stephanie Sirota, former President of the Young New Yorkers for the Philharmonic; and J. Christopher Kojima, a current member of the Philharmonic's Board.

"I am extremely pleased that the President's Council has been formed. I am looking forward to working with the leadership and all of its members as we chart the future of the New York Philharmonic during this pivotal moment in the Orchestra's history, as we have much to do with all of our artistic initiatives as well as the re-imagination of David Geffen Hall," said Philharmonic Chairman Oscar S. Schafer.

"The goal of the President's Council is to provide not only an entry point for those interested in getting more involved with the New York Philharmonic, as well as bridge the gap between the Young New Yorkers for the New York Philharmonic and the Board of Directors, but also to provide a way for new supporters to directly engage with what we're doing and help shape our future," said Philharmonic President Matthew VanBesien. "We want the members of the President's Council to come to us with ideas to help invigorate the institution at all points. Having a vibrant, diverse group of younger professionals will be crucial to leading the Philharmonic into this next, exciting phase of its future."

About the New York Philharmonic

The New York Philharmonic plays a leading cultural role in New York City, the United States, and the world. This season's projects will connect the Philharmonic with up to 50 million music lovers through live concerts in New York City and on its worldwide tours and residencies; digital recording series; international broadcasts on television, radio, and online; and as a resource through its wide range of education programs and the New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives.

The Orchestra has commissioned and/or premiered works by leading composers from every era since its founding in 1842 - including Dvor?a?k's New World Symphony, John Adams's Pulitzer Prize-winning On the Transmigration of Souls, dedicated to the victims of 9/11, and Magnus Lindberg's Piano Concerto No. 2.

Renowned around the globe, the Philharmonic has appeared in 432 cities in 63 countries - including the groundbreaking 1930 tour of Europe; the unprecedented 1959 tour to the USSR; the historic 2008 visit to Pyongyang, D.P.R.K., the first there by an American orchestra; and the Orchestra's debut in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2009. The New York Philharmonic serves as a resource for its community and the world. It complements its annual free concerts across the city - including the Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer - with Philharmonic Free Fridays and a wide range of education programs, among them the famed, long-running Young People's Concerts and Philharmonic Schools, an immersive classroom program that reaches thousands of New York City students.

Committed to developing tomorrow's leading orchestral musicians, the Philharmonic has established the New York Philharmonic Global Academy, collaborations with partners worldwide offering training of pre-professional musicians, often alongside performance residencies. The Global Academy was created following the launch of the flagship collaboration with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai Conservatory of Music, forming the Shanghai Orchestra Academy. Additional Global Academy partners include Santa Barbara's Music Academy of the West and The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.

The oldest American symphony orchestra and one of the oldest in the world, the New York Philharmonic has made almost 2,000 recordings since 1917, including several Grammy Award winners, and its self-produced digital recording series continues in the 2015-16 season. Music Director Alan Gilbert began his tenure in September 2009, succeeding a distinguished line of 20th-century musical giants that includes Leonard Bernstein, Arturo Toscanini, and Gustav Mahler.

Photo by Chris Lee