Simone Young to Return to the New York Philharmonic to Conduct, with Alban Gerhardt as Soloist

By: Dec. 30, 2019
Get Access To Every Broadway Story

Unlock access to every one of the hundreds of articles published daily on BroadwayWorld by logging in with one click.




Existing user? Just click login.

Simone Young to Return to the New York Philharmonic to Conduct, with Alban Gerhardt as Soloist

Australian conductor Simone Young will return to the New York Philharmonic to conduct works from the Commonwealth: the New York Premiere of Australian composer Brett Dean's Cello Concerto, with Alban Gerhardt in his Philharmonic debut; Britten's Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes; and Elgar's Enigma Variations, Thursday, January 30, 2020, at 7:30 p.m. and Friday, January 31 at 11:00 a.m.

Alban Gerhardt premiered Brett Dean's Cello Concerto in 2018 with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, which this month announced the appointment of Simone Young as chief conductor beginning in 2022. In its review of the premiere, The Australian called it "ingeniously achieved and seamlessly structured. Gerhardt brilliantly surmounted the concerto's challenging intricate rhythms." It is the second work Alban Gerhardt has premiered by Brett Dean, who played in the Berlin Philharmonic with Mr. Gerhardt's father and has performed chamber music with Mr. Gerhardt.

Simone Young has previously collaborated with Alban Gerhardt, including in Unsuk Chin's Cello Concerto, and recorded a 2008 album of works by Mr. Dean with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The Los Angeles Times called her February 2019 performance of Britten's Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes "breathtaking." This program marks Ms. Young's first return to the Philharmonic since her "valiant to the end" (The New York Times) appearance in April 2019, conducting Mahler's Sixth Symphony.

The Saturday Matinee Concert on Saturday, February 1 at 2:00 p.m. will open with Dvořák's String Sextet performed by Principal Associate Concertmaster Sheryl Staples, Assistant Concertmaster Michelle Kim, Associate Principal Viola Rebecca Young, violist Cong Wu, Associate Principal Cello Eileen Moon-Myers, and cellist Eric Bartlett. The program also features Elgar's Enigma Variations, led by Simone Young, and will be followed by a Q&A with Philharmonic musicians.

The New York Philharmonic will offer an allotment of free tickets to young people ages 13-26 for the concert on January 31 as part of Philharmonic Free Fridays.


Single tickets start at $32 (ticket prices subject to change). A limited number of $18 tickets for select concerts may be available to students within 10 days of the performance at nyphil.org/rush, or in person the day of (valid identification required). Tickets for Open Rehearsals are $22. The New York Philharmonic will offer an allotment of free tickets to young people ages 13-26 for the concert January 31 as part of Philharmonic Free Fridays; learn more at nyphil.org/freefridays.

Tickets to New York Philharmonic performances may be purchased online at nyphil.org or by calling (212) 875-5656, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Tickets may also be purchased at the David Geffen Hall Box Office. The Box Office opens at 10:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and at noon on Sunday. On performance evenings, the Box Office closes one-half hour after performance time; other evenings it closes at 6:00 p.m.



Videos