Chris Lee News

Alan Gilbert conducts the New York Philharmonic in Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, featuring baritone Thomas Hampson and tenor Stefan Vinke, in his Philharmonic debut, and Sibelius's Symphony No. 7, beginning today, April 20, 2016, at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, April 22 at 11:00 a.m.

Music Director Alan Gilbert will lead the New York Philharmonic in a Tribute to Kurt Masur, taking place at the 25th Annual Free Memorial Day Concert, a tradition inaugurated in 1992 by the late Music Director Emeritus Kurt Masur (1927-2015) as a gift to the people of New York City. The concert will feature a performance of Brahms's Symphony No. 2, as well as addresses from Music Director Alan Gilbert; trumpet player and Jazz at Lincoln Center artistic and managing director Wynton Marsalis, who will also perform; and baritone Thomas Hampson, who will also perform. The free concert will take place on Monday, May 30, 2016, at 8:00 p.m. at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine.

Manfred Honeck will return to the New York Philharmonic to conduct Richard Strauss's Oboe Concerto, with Principal Oboe Liang Wang as soloist; Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, Pastoral; and Suppe?'s Poet and Peasant Overture, Today, April 7, 2016, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 8 at 2:00 p.m.; Saturday, April 9 at 8:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. 

The 2016 New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, will return for the 51st season with five free outdoor concerts, conducted by Music Director Alan Gilbert, on the Great Lawn in Central Park, Manhattan (June 15 and 16); Prospect Park, Brooklyn (June 17); Cunningham Park, Queens (June 20); and Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx (June 21).

Bramwell Tovey returns to the New York Philharmonic to conduct Massenet's Ballet Music from Le Cid; Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain, with pianist Joyce Yang as soloist; and Falla's The Three-Cornered Hat (complete ballet), with mezzo-soprano Virginie Verrez in her Philharmonic subscription debut, Today, March 30, 2016, at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 1 at 11:00 a.m.; Saturday, April 2 at 8:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Alan Gilbert will conduct the New York Philharmonic in Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, featuring baritone Thomas Hampson and tenor Stefan Vinke, in his Philharmonic debut, and Sibelius's Symphony No. 7, Wednesday, April 20, 2016, at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, April 22 at 11:00 a.m.

Brahms wasn't having a midlife crisis when he composed his masterwork, EIN DEUTSCHES REQUIEM (A GERMAN REQUIEM), his meditation on death. In fact, he was only 33 when he started writing it in 1866 and had written sections of the opening as early as 1861. His reasons for taking on the piece are unclear, though his mentor, Robert Schumann, had died in 1856 (and his mother would die before it was finished), deeply affecting him. Let's just call him “interested in death,” but that doesn't mean there was anything deathly about the performance of the hour-long work at the New York Philharmonic, heard last weekend. Conducted by the great Brahms specialist, Christoph von Dohnanyi, with the ample contributions of the New York Choral Artists, under Joseph Flummerfelt, and soloists Camilla Tilling and Matthias Goerne, the performance was transcendent.

Manfred Honeck will return to the New York Philharmonic to conduct Richard Strauss's Oboe Concerto, with Principal Oboe Liang Wang as soloist; Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, Pastoral; and Suppe?'s Poet and Peasant Overture, Thursday, April 7, 2016, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 8 at 2:00 p.m.; Saturday, April 9 at 8:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. 

Today, we introduce you to four cast members from In The Heights - Lipscomb University's Bekah Purifoy, Belmont University's Chris D. Lee and Arik Vega, and one of the newest members of the Nashville theater community, Ashley Wolfe. Purifoy is a 2015 First Night Most Promising Actor, while Lee and Vega are members of the 2016 Class. Wolfe electrified the audience with her performance at Midwinter's First Night in January.

Christoph Eschenbach returns to the New York Philharmonic to conduct a program of works by Eastern European composers with folk influences: Bartok's Violin Concerto No. 2, featuring violinist Baiba Skride in her Philharmonic debut and first New York City orchestral appearance, and Dvorak's Carnival Overture and Symphony No. 8, tonight, February 25, 2016, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, February 26 at 2:00 p.m.; Saturday, February 27 at 8:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Bramwell Tovey returns to the New York Philharmonic to conduct Massenet's Ballet Music from Le Cid; Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain, with pianist Joyce Yang as soloist; and Falla's The Three-Cornered Hat (complete ballet), with mezzo-soprano Virginie Verrez in her Philharmonic subscription debut, Wednesday, March 30, 2016, at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 1 at 11:00 a.m.; Saturday, April 2 at 8:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Semyon Bychkov will return to the New York Philharmonic to conduct Mahler's Symphony No. 6, tonight, February 11, 2016, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, February 12 at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, February 13 at 8:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, February 16 at 7:30 p.m.

The New York Philharmonic's 2016-17 season celebrates two major milestones: the Orchestra's 175th anniversary and Alan Gilbert's valedictory season as Music Director. The season will honor the Philharmonic and Alan Gilbert's shared hometown of New York City, and celebrate the myriad initiatives Alan Gilbert has introduced throughout his tenure that have become part of the fabric of today's New York Philharmonic. 

HOW TO WIN AT CHECKERS (EVERY TIME) debuts today, Feb 2, 2016 across all digital platforms including iTunes, Vimeo On Demand, and WolfeOnDemand.com, and will also be available same date on DVD via Wolfe Video and many major retailers.

Wolfe Video's acclaimed international drama HOW TO WIN AT CHECKERS (EVERY TIME) will be released on DVD and VOD today, February 2, 2016.

Christoph Eschenbach returns to the New York Philharmonic to conduct a program of works by Eastern European composers with folk influences: Bartok's Violin Concerto No. 2, featuring violinist Baiba Skride in her Philharmonic debut and first New York City orchestral appearance, and Dvorak's Carnival Overture and Symphony No. 8, Thursday, February 25, 2016, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, February 26 at 2:00 p.m.; Saturday, February 27 at 8:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Broadway-bound new musical, Come From Away, presented by Seattle Repertory Theatre, wins four Gypsys, tying with another new musical, Lizard Boy, also produced by Seattle Repertory Theatreand also with four Gypsys, a company that has been known for years as a powerhouse dramatic straight-play playhouse! 

The spring season of the New York Philharmonic Ensembles series, chamber concerts showcasing Musicians from the Orchestra performing classical masterpieces and modern compositions in an intimate setting, will begin on Sunday, February 14, 2016, at 3:00 p.m. at Merkin Concert Hall. The concert will include Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Piano Quintet, Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 14, and Brahms's Horn Trio.

Seattle Theater Writers critics' circle is pleased to present the nomination slate of the fifth annual Gypsy Rose Lee Awards, theater awards devoted to recognizing excellence across the economic spectrum of professional Seattle theaters in the prior calendar year.

Signature Theatre's world premiere production of Georgie: My Adventures with George Rose, directed by Eric Schaeffer and written by Ed Dixon, is a powerful and passionate production that isn't the typical story of a mentor and mentee.