David Lang World Premiere, LuPone and More Set For New York Philharmonic Season

Jaap van Zweden begins his tenure as the 26th Music Director of the New York Philharmonic in the 2018-19 season. In introducing Jaap, the Philharmonic also welcomes an expanded connection to New York City: embracing our position as New York's Orchestra; weaving our tradition of innovation throughout the season's programs; celebrating seminal works of the repertoire; exploring ways in which music impacts and responds to social issues; and telling the stories of our home city through music. The Philharmonic emphasizes its commitment to today's composers and expanding audience experiences through two new series at The Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse. With a legacy of firsts, the New York Philharmonic will pave the way for its future while building on its storied past under the leadership of its new Maestro.

Jaap van Zweden said: "This season is a celebration of groundbreaking music, both new and classic, and in these turbulent times, powerful music is needed more than ever. Along with saluting the outstanding musicians of the New York Philharmonic, I look forward to connecting to our vital public and to honoring our traditions while establishing new traditions for the future. It is such an honor to be working with this Orchestra, our Board and staff, and, of course, my partner Deborah Borda. To be back in New York, where it all began for me as a student at Juilliard, is thrilling; to be part of the heartbeat of New York City is exhilarating."

President and CEO Deborah Borda stated: "The story of this season is one of the future as well as the past. The New York Philharmonic flourishes when it lives in its time and in its community. That's how it all got started 176 years ago. Our plan is for it to go at least another 176. Challenges are nothing new to this organization, nor is finding answers. Jaap van Zweden and the musicians of the New York Philharmonic are a powerful combination that will lead us into the future. In Jaap's inaugural season we strive to introduce new ideas, new music in new ways, and new artists - and, critically, to be outward facing to the city we call home."

Chairman Oscar S. Schafer commented: "We are excited to welcome Jaap and Aaltje van Zweden to the New York Philharmonic family. As our new Music Director, Jaap's passion, energy, and vision will soon be felt at David Geffen Hall, New York City, the U.S., and the world."

In his inaugural season as Music Director, Jaap van Zweden will conduct a broad range of repertoire including music of our time and cornerstones of the symphonic canon. He will connect with New York City through free concerts, special projects, and collaborations with cultural institutions.

Opening Week
Jaap van Zweden begins his tenure on September 20, 2018, with the inaugural Opening Gala Concert, featuring the World Premiere of a New York Philharmonic commission by Ashley Fure, Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, and Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major with Daniil Trifonov as soloist. The first subscription program, September 21-22 and 25, 2018, reprises Ms. Fure's new work and The Rite of Spring, and Daniil Trifonov will return as soloist, this time in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor.

Pillars of the 2018-19 Season
Jaap van Zweden's inaugural season will be anchored by three initiatives, each delving into a major theme through subscription programs, new-music concerts, and ancillary activities with partners across the city. Jaap van Zweden and the New York Philharmonic will explore how composers have responded to the social issues of their time through Music of Conscience (May-June 2019); musical expressions of the immigrant experience in New York through New York Stories: Threads of Our City (January 2019); and the music of Dutch composer Louis Andriessen, winner of the Philharmonic's Marie-Josée Kravis Prize for New Music, through The Art of Andriessen (October 2018). (More information to follow.)

World Premiere-New York Philharmonic Commissions
Jaap van Zweden will lead five World Premieres commissioned by the New York Philharmonic in the 2018-19 season: Louis Andriessen's Agamemnon, David Lang's opera prisoner of the state, Julia Wolfe's Fire in my mouth, and new works by Ashley Fure and Conrad Tao.

Free and Low-Cost Concerts for New York
Jaap van Zweden and the New York Philharmonic will engage with New York City in free and low-cost concerts throughout his inaugural season. The Philharmonic opens its doors to fellow New Yorkers with Phil the Hall, April 4-6, 2019, four $5 performances for New York's community and service professionals, hosted by iconic New Yorkers at David Geffen Hall. Jaap van Zweden will also conduct all of the Philharmonic's free concerts that are open to the whole city: the Annual Free Memorial Day Concert, May 27, 2019, and the Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, in June 2019.

Repertoire Highlights
Jaap van Zweden will lead works by composers ranging from Mozart, Brahms, Bruckner, and Stravinsky to Ives, John Adams, and Stucky. He will lead core symphonic masterworks such as Mozart's Symphony No. 41, Jupiter; Bruckner's Symphony No. 8; Mahler's Symphony No. 6; Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2; and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7, Leningrad, as well as waltzes by J. Strauss II on New Year's Eve.

Decca Gold Partnership
The New York Philharmonic will launch its partnership with Decca Gold, Universal Music Group's newly established U.S. classical music label, on February 23, 2018, with the release of Jaap van Zweden and the Philharmonic's performances of Beethoven's Symphonies Nos. 5 and 7. This new relationship between a major label and a major orchestra will yield a series of New York Philharmonic performances that will be made available on CD and for streaming and download. Decca Gold will also take over the New York Philharmonic's catalogue of self-produced digital recordings released since 2008, expanding the reach of Philharmonic performances from the past decade. Decca Gold will release six additional recordings in the 2018-19 season featuring Jaap van Zweden and the Philharmonic. Details of these recordings will be announced at a later date.

More information on Jaap van Zweden's inaugural season is available at nyphil.org/jaap.