NY Philharmonic Musicians To Perform With Students Across NYC

Musicians from the New York Philharmonic will perform two free side-by-side concerts with students from the Harmony Program, UpBeat NYC, and All-City High School Orchestra and Concert Band in May 2019. The performances are the culmination of the Philharmonic's partnerships this season with institutions committed to providing students from a variety of backgrounds with orchestral training.

The 2018-19 season marks the Philharmonic's fifth season partnering with the Harmony Program in its All Stars Initiative, established to provide a more personal and in-depth collaboration between Philharmonic musicians and the more advanced students in the Harmony Program, which serves children throughout New York City. In an effort to reach even more New York City student musicians, this season the Philharmonic established a partnership with UpBeat NYC, for children in the South Bronx, and restarted its partnership with the All-City High School Orchestra and Concert Band for the first time in more than two decades.

Five students from UpBeat NYC and eighteen students from the Harmony Program were selected by audition for a five-month mentorship with Philharmonic musicians. All 23 are New York City elementary, middle, and high school students from neighborhoods including the South Bronx, Washington Heights, Chinatown, Harlem, Brooklyn, and Copiague, Long Island. The partnerships with UpBeat NYC and the Harmony Program - two of New York City's six El Sistema-inspired programs, free classical music training programs for children - will culminate in a free concert featuring the Harmony All Stars and UpBeat NYC students alongside their Philharmonic mentors on Wednesday, May 29, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, conducted by Michael Adelson and featuring works by Shuebruk, Price, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Ellington, and Christopher Rouse. No tickets are required; seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Twelve Philharmonic musicians have been coaching 200 student musicians from the All-City High School Orchestra and Concert Band since February 2019 in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In addition, All-City students have participated in pre-concert activities at New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts, assisting with instrument tryouts for audience members aged six to twelve. The first season of this renewed partnership will culminate in a free concert featuring All-City students alongside their Philharmonic mentors on Monday, May 20, 2019, at 6:45 p.m. at NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, conducted by All-City Orchestra principal conductor Barry Stern and All-City Concert Band co-principal conductors Jeff W. Ball and Eli Kronenberg, and featuring works by Viet Cuong, Mahler, and John Zdechlik. Free tickets will be distributed at the Skirball Box Office the evening of the performance.

The Philharmonic's wide range of education programs also includes the historic Young People's Concerts; Very Young People's Concerts; Young People's Concerts for Schools; Philharmonic Schools, the immersive classroom program spearheaded by the Philharmonic's Teaching Artists; Very Young Composers, which enables students to express themselves through original works, often performed by Philharmonic musicians; and Insights at the Atrium, free discussions delving into the themes of the season. The New York Philharmonic reaches more than 45,000 children and adults in live educational encounters each year, with millions participating online.

Now in its 83rd season, the All-City High School Music Program has impacted millions of young musicians and their families through a full orchestra, chorus, Latin ensemble, and concert, marching, and jazz bands. The All-City program is operated by the NYCDOE's Office of Arts & Special Projects, and students hail from 61 public high schools across New York City. Founded in 2009, UpBeat NYC provides free musical training - including classical, Latin, and jazz - for South Bronx children who have limited access to high-quality arts education by providing immersive year-round after-school music instruction. Established in 2004, the Harmony Program provides free, year-round, and community-based training in instrumental and choral music to children in communities of Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens where it is needed most.