NY Philharmonic To Introduce 'Mobile Giving' During 2009 Concerts In The Parks

This summer, for the first time, those attending the free 2009 New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, Sponsored by Target and MetLife Foundation, can send a text message to support the Philharmonic and its free concerts in the parks. The Philharmonic is the first U.S. orchestra to fund-raise using text messaging, in an effort to find creative ways to encourage giving in the current economic climate.

A $5 donation can be made by text, and the amount will appear on the donor's mobile service bill. Audience members are invited to send a message up to five times for a total donation of $25 per monthly billing cycle (see complete instructions below). In addition, fans of the Philharmonic can get a Mobile Giving Widget at nyphil.org/give, which can be added to personal websites or social networking pages. 

Mobile Giving is just one of several ways audience members will be able to use their cell phones, digital cameras, and computers to participate in the free outdoor concerts this summer. Back by popular demand, attendees of the parks concerts can vote for the evening's encore via text message from their mobile phones, selecting from two choices that will be announced in each park.

In addition, audience members are invited to submit their favorite photos from the parks concerts to the second annual New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks Photo Contest; winners will again receive free concert tickets. Lastly, audience members can receive up-to-the-minute information about the outdoor concerts, including weather status updates, through the New York
Philharmonic's Twitter feed at twitter.com/nyphil.

The 2009 New York Philharmonic's Concerts in the Parks - all of which will be conducted by Alan Gilbert, the Orchestra's Music Director Designate - will take place July 14 in Central Park, ; July 15 in Prospect Park, Brooklyn; July 16 in Van Cortlandt Park, The Bronx; and July 17 in Central Park.

[There are additional Free Indoor Concerts on July 18 in Staten Island and July 20 in Queens; for information visit nyphil.org/summer.]

"The Concerts in the Parks are all about the Philharmonic's connecting with as many New Yorkers as possible," said Alan Gilbert, who will become the Orchestra's Music Director in September 2009. "I am pleased that the audience can participate even more than they can in the concert hall, thanks to today's technology. I especially like that we've made it possible for the audience to support the Philharmonic's activities, such as our parks concerts, with a punch of a button. And I am really looking forward to finding out which encore the audience chooses!"

The Philharmonic's annual free parks concerts have become an integral part of summer in New York, drawing loyal Philharmonic fans from all walks of life. Each year these concerts transform parks throughout the New York area into a patchwork of picnickers, and provide music lovers with an opportunity to hear the best classical music under the stars. Since their inception in 1965, the performances have delighted more than 14 million listeners, including 214,000 last summer alone.