The New York Philharmonic and Credit Suisse, the Orchestra's Global Sponsor, will offer a Free Dress Rehearsal of the Opening Night program, which launches Alan Gilbert's tenure as the Orchestra's 25th music director, on Wednesday, September 16, 2009, at 9:45 a.m.
This year, in celebration of the start of Alan Gilbert's inaugural season, the Philharmonic and Credit Suisse will offer mobile entertainment and a variety of free giveaways to Philharmonic fans waiting in line for the rehearsal on Lincoln Center's Josie Robertson Plaza. All attendees of the Free Dress Rehearsal will receive discount coupons to a future Philharmonic concert and be entered to win one of three iPod Touch devices, loaded with music performed by the New York Philharmonic and Mr. Gilbert. Winners will be announced prior to the start of the rehearsal. In addition, fans waiting in line on the Plaza will be able to use their mobile phones to sign up for a stream of messages, which will feature program notes, the opportunity to ask Alan Gilbert a question via text, and more. Those who sign up for mobile entertainment will have the chance to receive free concert tickets, autographed programs, discounts on merchandise at the Philharmonic Gift Kiosk, and an additional pre-loaded iPod Touch.
Mr. Gilbert will conduct the evening's program, which will include EXPO, a World Premiere-New York Philharmonic Commission by Magnus Lindberg, the Orchestra's new Composer-in-Residence; Messiaen's song cycle, Poe?mes pour Mi, performed by soprano Rene?e Fleming; and Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique. The free, general- admission tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, starting at 8:00 that morning, on Lincoln Center's Josie Robertson Plaza. The previous two season-opening Free Dress Rehearsals drew thousands of music lovers to Avery Fisher Hall.
The evening's Opening Night Gala Concert will be projected live on to Lincoln Center's Josie Robertson Plaza at 7:30 p.m., and broadcast nationally on a tape-delayed basis on Live From Lincoln Center on PBS at 8:00 p.m. [check local listings]. Emmy Award- winning actor Alec Baldwin - the new host of The New York Philharmonic This Week, the Orchestra's weekly radio broadcast - will host the television broadcast, which will be simulcast on 96.3 FM WQXR.
Single tickets for the 2009-10 season go on sale August 23. Single tickets for the Opening Night concert are $71 to $242. All tickets may be purchased online at nyphil.org or by calling (212) 875-5656, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily. Tickets may also be purchased at the Avery Fisher Hall Box Office, Lincoln Center, Broadway at 65th Street. 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. To determine ticket availability, call the Philharmonic's Customer Relations Department at (212) 875-5656.
