NY Philharmonic Announces 3 Year Extension Of Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival

The Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival and the New York Philharmonic today announced a three-year extension of the Orchestra's annual Vail summer residency. This extension, which begins with the Festival's 25th anniversary season in the summer of 2012, will see the Philharmonic in Vail through 2014, for the orchestra's 12th summer residency.

"It is with a great sense of pride and respect that we continue our summer residency program with one of the world's leading orchestral ensembles - the New York Philharmonic," said Bravo! Festival executive director John Giovando. "The new three- year agreement, covering the residencies for 2012-14, will again inspire our audiences with the extraordinary sounds of New York."

Festival artistic director Anne-Marie McDermott continued, "It is an incredible honor for me to have the opportunity to pursue thrilling artistic ideas with the New York Philharmonic. Being a native New Yorker myself, I feel a great sense of pride in this magnificent orchestra and I cherish the magical ongoing relationship between the New York Philharmonic and the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival. It's a privilege and a joy!"

"This extension of the New York Philharmonic's relationship with the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival for three more years is very gratifying, as it will allow us to deepen our musical ties to the community," said New York Philharmonic President and Executive Director Zarin Mehta. Vail is a summer home-away-from-home for the Orchestra, for Alan Gilbert - this will be his fourth consecutive summer in Vail - and for guest artists such as Bramwell Tovey who have joined us in this beautiful Rocky Mountain setting before. Vail audiences clearly have been delighted by the wonderful chemistry between Alan and the musicians, a rapport that has been celebrated worldwide. "

The New York Philharmonic will return to the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival for six concerts next summer, on July 22-29, 2011, for its ninth annual summer residency. Leading the Orchestra will be Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert and guest conductors Bramwell Tovey and Ludovic Morlot. Concerts will be held at the outdoor Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. Alan Gilbert launches the Philharmonic's residency on Friday, July 22, with works by Dvo?ák and Beethoven, and will conduct performances on July 23 - the festival's annual gala - and July 24. Ludovic Morlot leads the Orchestra on July 27 with music by Walton and Musorgsky. Bramwell Tovey closes the residency
with two concerts, July 28-29, with works by Tchaikovsky and Borodin (July 28) and Ravel and Gershwin (July 29). A complete schedule, including programming and soloists, will be announced in January 2011.

The Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, now celebrating its 24th season, was founded by Executive Director John Giovando and violinist Ida Kavafian. Its artistic director is pianist Anne-Marie McDermott. Single tickets for the New York Philharmonic's performances at the festival are $25 (Lawn), $63 (Reserved), and $85 (Premium) and may be purchased at (877) 812-5700 or online at vailmusicfestival.org.

About the New York Philharmonic:
Founded in 1842, the New York Philharmonic is the oldest symphony orchestra in the United States and one of the oldest in the world; on May 5, 2010, it performed its 15,000th concert. The Orchestra has always played a leading role in American musical life, championing the music of its time, and is renowned around the globe, having appeared in 430 cities in 63 countries - including its October 2009 debut in Vietnam, and its February 2008 historic visit to Pyongyang, DPRK. The Philharmonic's concerts are broadcast on the weekly syndicated radio program, The New York Philharmonic This Week, and streamed on the Orchestra's Website, nyphil.org, and are telecast annually on Live From Lincoln Center on U.S. public television. The Philharmonic has made nearly 2,000 recordings since 1917, with more than 500 currently available. The first major American orchestra to offer downloadable concerts, recorded live, the Philharmonic, in 2009-10, released the first-ever classical iTunes Pass, an initiative it is continuing this season. The Orchestra has built on the long-running Young People's Concerts® to develop a wide range of education programs, including the School Partnership Program, enriching music education in New York City, and Learning Overtures, fostering international exchange. Alan Gilbert became Music Director in September 2009, succeeding Lorin Maazel in a distinguished line of musical giants. Credit Suisse is the New York Philharmonic's exclusive Global Sponsor.

About the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival:
In 1987, the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival was created by John Giovando, an attorney with a love of classical music, and acclaimed violinist Ida Kavafian, who together had already established a successful chamber music festival in New Mexico. They brought musicians from Music from Angel Fire to present chamber music concerts in the Vail Valley. These performances started small: at one of the first concerts the musicians actually outnumbered the audience. Eugenia Zukerman - renowned flutist, author, and television commentator - joined the festival as artistic director in 1998, and guided the artistic growth of the festival through the 2010 season. Now entering its 24th season, the festival is proud to announce the arrival of new artistic director Anne-Marie McDermott, a world renowned pianist.

Through world-class performances, dedicated leadership, and generous support from the community, the festival has grown from a handful of attendees to an annual audience of more than 60,000. More than 50 acclaimed soloists visit the Vail Valley to perform in chamber ensembles and as soloists with resident orchestras. The Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival is the only festival to host three world-class orchestras in residence.

The Bravo! Festival runs from late June through early August, presenting the highest level of music-making in spectacular Vail Valley venues. During these summer months, the festival touches the lives of thousands of people, many of whom come to the area specifically to experience the pleasures of the festival and the beauty of the majestic Rocky Mountains.

For its 24th season, June 26-August 3, 2011, the Bravo Festival will play host to three world-class orchestras - the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic - as well as world-renowned soloists and chamber musicians.

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