Photo Flash: NY Philharmonic Makes Its Debut in Vietnam

This is the Orchestra's inaugural international concert tour under the leadership of Alan Gilbert, who will begin his tenure as Music Director in September 2009. Asian Horizons will consist of eleven concerts, spanning five Asian countries, with performances in Tokyo, Japan (a destination of special significance in light of Mr. Gilbert's Japanese heritage); Seoul, Korea; Singapore; and the Philharmonic's debut performances in Hanoi, Vietnam, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Pianist Emanuel Ax and violinists Frank Peter Zimmermann and Ye-Eun Choi (Philharmonic debut) are the featured soloists on the tour. Asian Horizons marks the fourth New York Philharmonic concert tour under the aegis of Credit Suisse, the Orchestra's Global Sponsor, and the second in Asia.

The repertoire for Asian Horizons will include a New York Philharmonic commission by Magnus Lindberg, who will become the Orchestra's Composer-in-Residence in September 2009. This new work had its world premiere in New York at the Orchestra's 2009-10 Opening Night Gala Concert on September 16, 2009. In addition, the New York Philharmonic will perform Barber's Adagio for Strings; Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 (featuring Emanuel Ax as soloist) and Symphony No. 7; Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique; Brahms's Violin Concerto (featuring Frank Peter Zimmermann as soloist, performing on his first Philharmonic tour); Mahler's Symphony No. 1; Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto (featuring Ye-Eun Choi, in her Philharmonic debut); and Mozart's Symphony No. 41, Jupiter.

"Making music with the New York Philharmonic as a guest conductor since 2001 has always been a pleasure," said Alan Gilbert, who becomes the 25th Music Director of the New York Philharmonic in September 2009. "To debut as Music Director with the New York Philharmonic in Tokyo, the land of my ancestors on my very first international endeavor with the Orchestra - is more than a dream come true. It is deeply gratifying to be able to lead the Philharmonic in Seoul and Singapore, where it has been welcomed so many times before - and to have the opportunity to reach new horizons in Hanoi and Abu Dhabi with this truly global Orchestra is a great honor. I'm looking forward to the concerts, the companionship of the musicians, and to meeting new audiences around the world.