Lindberg Titles '09-10 Opening Night World Premiere EXPO & Other Season Updates

The world premiere by New York Philharmonic Composer-in-Residence Magnus Lindberg that will open the 2009-10 season - Alan Gilbert's debut season as Music Director - has been titled EXPO. The work, commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, will be the first piece on the Philharmonic's opening night program, conducted by Mr. Gilbert on September 16, 2009. "I wanted to give it a strong, celebratory title," explains Mr. Lindberg. The work will be the first of two World Premiere-New York Philharmonic Commissions by Mr. Lindberg to be performed in the 2009-10 season.

In other updates to the 2009-10 season, baritone Thomas Hampson, The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist in-Residence, will perform the World Premiere-New York Philharmonic Commission by Matthias Pintscher in the Philharmonic's new-music series, CONTACT (April 16-17, 2010), conducted by Alan Gilbert. On December 17 and 19, 2009, in the first CONTACT performances, to be conducted by Composer-in-Residence Magnus Lindberg, two of the World Premiere-New York Philharmonic Commissions have been titled: Arlene Sierra's Game of Attrition and Arthur Kampela's MACUNAI?MA. The second concert of each CONTACT series will take place at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Also announced is the cast for the New York premiere of Ligeti's opera, Le Grand Macabre (May 27-29, 2010), which will include soprano Barbara Hannigan, tenor Mark Schowalter, and bass-baritone Eric Owens; and soloists for three programs taking place as part of The Russian Stravinsky: A Philharmonic Festival, Conducted by Valery Gergiev (April 21-22; April 28-29 and April 30-May 1, 2010).

Repertoire for the concerts led by Riccardo Muti (April 14-17, 2010) will include Boccherini's Cello Concerto in D major, G.479, featuring Philharmonic Principal Cello Carter Brey as soloist. In other updates, the music and artists for the March 25-27, 2010, all-Mozart concerts have changed and will now feature Jeffrey Kahane as conductor and pianist (replacing conductor Sir Colin Davis and pianist Mitsuko Uchida, who have withdrawn due to a scheduling conflict).

In other programming news, the New York Philharmonic Principal Brass and the United States Military Academy Band will join forces for the Holiday Brass (December 13, 2009); Musicians from the New York Philharmonic will join pianist Yefim Bronfman for chamber music at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (January 17, 2010); and pianist Denis Matsuev will make his New York Philharmonic debut (May 5-6, 2010), in The Russian Stravinsky, replacing Alexei Volodin. Mr. Volodin will perform in the May 7-8 programs with the Philharmonic, as previously announced, as well in the Chamber Music Concert at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (May 9, 2010).

OPENING NIGHT GALA: MAGNUS LINDBERG, MESSIAEN, AND BERLIOZ
Avery Fisher Hall
Wednesday, September 16, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Live From Lincoln Center

Alan Gilbert, conductor
Rene?e Fleming, soprano

Magnus LINDBERG EXPO (World Premiere-
New York Philharmonic Commission)
MESSIAEN Poe?mes pour Mi
BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique
Added: Title of new work by Magnus Lindberg

Alan Gilbert CONDUCTS MAHLER'S SYMPHONY NO. 3

Avery Fisher Hall

Thursday, September 17, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, September 18, 2009, 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

Alan Gilbert, conductor
Petra Lang, mezzo-soprano*
Women of the Westminster Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller, director
The American Boychoir
Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, director

MAHLER Symphony No. 3
Added: The American Boychoir