Jaap van Zweden News

The New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, returned for the 54th season of priceless music, absolutely free, in every New York City borough.

Opera Italiana is in the Air, the annual free, outdoor concert presenting some of the top stars in Italian opera and bringing the art form to diverse, new and younger audiences, is returning to Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park on Monday, July 1 at 7 pm, the concert's president and music director, Alvise Casellati, announced today. Thousands are expected to attend the stirring 90-minute performance, which will give people the opportunity to experience and enjoy Italian opera firsthand in a casual, family-friendly open-air environment.

The New York Philharmonic finished up its season with a powerful performance of a new version of the FIDELIO story by composer David Lang, which he neatly titled PRISONER OF THE STATE, summing up a key part of the story. Lang's score and the staging by Elkhanah Pulitzer—and the pulsating performance of the score by the Philharmonic under music director Jaap van Zweden--were triumphs, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats as the 70-minute work unfolded.

Last night Jaap van Zweden and the New York Philharmonic gave the World Premiere performance of David Lang's prisoner of the state - a fully staged reimagining of Beethoven's Fidelio, directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer. The program concludes the Orchestra's three-week Music of Conscience series, exploring how composers respond to the social and political issues of their times.

Last night Jaap van Zweden and the New York Philharmonic gave the World Premiere performance of David Lang's prisoner of the state - a fully staged reimagining of Beethoven's Fidelio, directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer. The program concludes the Orchestra's three-week Music of Conscience series, exploring how composers respond to the social and political issues of their times.

The New York Philharmonic announces updates for the 97th season of Young People's Concerts (YPCs) and the 15th season of Very Young People's Concerts (VYPCs).

In the second week of Music of Conscience — three weeks exploring the ways in which composers have used music to respond to the social and political issues of their times — Music Director Jaap van Zweden will conduct John Corigliano's Symphony No. 1, his “personal response to the AIDS crisis,” May 30 and June 1.

Four works by New York Philharmonic Very Young Composers will be performed at this summer's free Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, for the second consecutive year.

Next week, Jaap van Zweden and the New York Philharmonic will launch Music of Conscience, three weeks exploring the ways in which composers have used music to respond to the social and political issues of their times.

The New York Philharmonic's fourth album on Decca Gold, Universal Music Group's newly established US classical music label, will be released digitally on May 17, 2019, and is now available for preorder at this link.

The Shanghai Orchestra Academy and Partnership will continue in the summer of 2019 with New York Philharmonic musicians leading master classes and teaching lessons at the Shanghai Orchestra Academy (SOA); Music Director Jaap van Zweden conducting a side-by-side rehearsal with the Philharmonic joined by SOA students, as well as a performance by the Philharmonic in Shanghai. The Philharmonic will also present a Very Young Composers workshop in Shanghai, and will give concerts, led by Jaap van Zweden, in Guangzhou and Nanjing. Starr International Foundation has been the Presenting Sponsor of the Shanghai Orchestra Academy and Partnership for five years.

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) and Music Director Jaap van Zweden are excited to bring two award-winning pianists, Khatia Buniatishvili (3 & 4 May) and Rachel Cheung (10 & 11 May), to the stage of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in two glorious concerts over two consecutive weeks..

The New York Philharmonic will conclude the 2018-19 subscription season with Music of Conscience, May 22-June 8, 2019,three weeks of concerts and events exploring the ways in which composers have used music to respond to the social and political issues of their times. Music Director Jaap van Zweden will conduct all three orchestral programs: the World Premiere of David Lang's opera prisoner of the state, a retelling of Beethoven's Fidelio; John Corigliano's Symphony No. 1, his 'personal response to the AIDS crisis'; and Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony, about his struggles under Stalin, alongside Beethoven's Eroica Symphony, originally dedicated to Napoleon until the composer angrily redacted the inscription.

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) continues its Mahler cycle with two mighty Symphonies - Symphony no. 9, a hymn to death on 26 & 27 April, and Symphony no. 2, Resurrection on 17 & 18 May. Both will be directed by the Great Mahler Interpreter , the orchestra's Music Director Jaap van Zweden, at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Single tickets for these last two Mahler programmes in the HK Phil's 2018/19 season are now available at URBTIX. Don't miss them!

The MET Orchestra returns to Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage for a series of three concerts this May and June. For the first concert on Saturday, May 18 at 8:00 p.m., Valery Gergiev leads the orchestra in Schumann's Piano Concerto featuring pianist Daniil Trifonov and Schubert's Symphony No. 9, Great. On Monday, June 3 at 8:00 p.m. new Music Director Yannick N zet-S guin leads The MET Orchestra for the first time at Carnegie Hall in a program of French works with mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard singing Dutilleux's Le temps l'horloge and Ravel's Sh h razade, alongside Debussy's La mer and Ravel's Daphnis et Chlo Suite No. 2. Maestro N zet-S guin returns the following week on Friday, June 14 at 8:00 p.m. with the orchestra and mezzo-soprano El na Garan a singing Mahler's R ckert Lieder on a program that also includes Bruckner's Symphony No. 7.

The 2019 New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, will return for the 54th season with free outdoor concerts conducted by Music Director Jaap van Zweden - his first time leading the Orchestra in the historic series - at Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx (June 11); the Great Lawn in Central Park, Manhattan (June 12); Cunningham Park, Queens (June 13); and Prospect Park, Brooklyn (June 14). 

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) and Music Director Jaap van Zweden introduce a spectacular 5-week classical extravaganza. At the forefront is a magical evening of an all-Mozart programme featuring the orchestra's Principal Horn Lin Jiang as soloist on the coming Friday and Saturday, 19 & 20 April, at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. This tribute to Mozart opens with his Symphony no. 1, and continues with Horn Concerto no. 4 and one of his final masterpieces, Symphony no. 40.

Music Director Jaap van Zweden will conduct the New York Philharmonic in Bruckner's Symphony No. 8 at the 28th Annual Free Memorial Day Concert, Monday, May 27, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the performance; ticket distribution will begin at 5:00 p.m. The audio of the performance will be broadcast onto the adjacent Pulpit Green, weather permitting. The program will be presented without intermission.

Yuja Wang will replace Maurizio Pollini, who has cancelled in order to fully recover from a brief illness, in the one-night-only performance of Schumann's Piano Concerto with the New York Philharmonic led by Music Director Jaap van Zweden, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, at 7:30 p.m. The program will also include Johan Wagenaar's Cyrano de Bergerac Overture and Beethoven's Symphony No. 7.