The New York Philharmonic Ensembles, composed of Musicians from the Orchestra, will give its fourth performance of the 2009-10 season on Sunday, February 21, 2010, at 3:00 p.m. at Merkin Concert Hall.

Music Director Alan Gilbert - in his first subscription concerts since opening the New York Philharmonic's 168th season and leading the Orchestra on a major tour to Asia - will conduct the Philharmonic in two contrasting works by Webern; Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, featuring the Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes; and Schumann's Symphony No. 2, Tuesday, December 29, at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 30, 2009, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, January 2, 2010, at 8:00 p.m.

Music Director Alan Gilbert - in his first subscription concerts since opening the New York Philharmonic's 168th season and leading the Orchestra on a major tour to Asia - will conduct the Philharmonic in two contrasting works by Webern; Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, featuring the Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes; and Schumann's Symphony No. 2, Tuesday, December 29, at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 30, 2009, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, January 2, 2010, at 8:00 p.m.

Music Director Alan Gilbert - in his first subscription concerts since opening the New York Philharmonic's 168th season and leading the Orchestra on a major tour to Asia - will conduct the Philharmonic in two contrasting works by Webern; Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, featuring the Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes; and Schumann's Symphony No. 2, Tuesday, December 29, at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 30, 2009, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, January 2, 2010, at 8:00 p.m.

The New York Philharmonic Ensembles, composed of Musicians from the Orchestra, will perform Trio Sonatas by Rossi; Gliere's Suite for Violin and Double Bass; Beethoven's String Trio, Op. 9, No. 2; and Arensky's Piano Trio No. 1 on Sunday, December 13, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. at Merkin Concert Hall.

Christoph von Dohnanyi will conduct the New York Philharmonic in Mozart's Sinfonia concertante for Violin and Viola, performed by Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow and Principal Viola Cynthia Phelps; and Bruckner's Symphony No. 4, Thursday, December 10, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, December 11, at 8:00 p.m., and Saturday, December 12, 2009, at 8:00 p.m.

Christoph von Dohnanyi will conduct the New York Philharmonic in Mozart's Sinfonia concertante for Violin and Viola, performed by Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow and Principal Viola Cynthia Phelps; and Bruckner's Symphony No. 4, Thursday, December 10, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, December 11, at 8:00 p.m., and Saturday, December 12, 2009, at 8:00 p.m.

Esa-Pekka Salonen will conduct the New York Philharmonic in Bartók's Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta; Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major, with David Fray as soloist in his Philharmonic debut; and Debussy's La Mer, Thursday, December 3, 2009, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, December 4, at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, December 5, at 8:00 p.m., and Tuesday, December 8, at 7:30 p.m.

Esa-Pekka Salonen will conduct the New York Philharmonic in Bartók's Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta; Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major, with David Fray as soloist in his Philharmonic debut; and Debussy's La Mer, Thursday, December 3, 2009, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, December 4, at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, December 5, at 8:00 p.m., and Tuesday, December 8, at 7:30 p.m.

Esa-Pekka Salonen will conduct the New York Philharmonic in Bartók's Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta; Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major, with David Fray as soloist in his Philharmonic debut; and Debussy's La Mer, Thursday, December 3, 2009, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, December 4, at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, December 5, at 8:00 p.m., and Tuesday, December 8, at 7:30 p.m.

The New York Philharmonic today launched Alan Gilbert: The Inaugural Season iTunes Pass, a groundbreaking new digital music series available exclusively on the iTunes Store.

In January 2010, The New York Philharmonic This Week - the two-hour, national, weekly radio program of concerts by the New York Philharmonic, hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Alec Baldwin - begins with a Summertime Classics program from July 3-4, 2009, with conductor Bramwell Tovey: Gershwin's Strike Up the Band, Variations on "I Got Rhythm," and Rhapsody in Blue with Marc-Andre Hamelin as soloist; Copland's Appalachian Spring Suite; and Sousa's Hands Across the Sea March and Washington Post March. The following week, Music Director Alan Gilbert leads the Orchestra in Webern's Im Sommerwind, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, with Leif Ove Andsnes as soloist, Webern's Symphony, Op. 21, and Schumann's Symphony No. 2. The third January broadcast, also conducted by Mr. Gilbert, features Yefim Bronfman as soloist in Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2, with Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 concluding the program. In the final January broadcast, Mr. Gilbert conducts Haydn's Symphony No. 49, La passione; John Adams's The Wound-Dresser, with baritone Thomas Hampson, the Orchestra's Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence; Schubert's Symphony in B minor, Unfinished; and Berg's Three Orchestral Pieces.

Music Director Alan Gilbert - in his first subscription concerts since opening the New York Philharmonic's 168th season and leading the Orchestra on a major tour to Asia - will conduct the Philharmonic in two contrasting works by Webern; Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, featuring the Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes; and Schumann's Symphony No. 2, Tuesday, December 29, at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 30, 2009, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, January 2, 2010, at 8:00 p.m.

The New York Philharmonic will inaugurate MUSICAL SUPPERS, four post-concert suppers featuring menus created by world renowned chefs Alain Ducasse, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Lidia Bastianich, and Daniel Boulud. The Friday-evening suppers, to be hosted by food critic Mimi Sheraton, will be prepared by Restaurant Associates and will take place at Arpeggio Food and Wine in Avery Fisher Hall on January 8, 2010 (Ducasse); February 12 (Vongerichten); April 16 (Bastianich); and June 4 (Boulud).

New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert will lead his first tour of Europe with the Orchestra: EUROPE / WINTER 2010, January 21-February 4, 2010.

The New York Philharmonic Ensembles, composed of Musicians from the Orchestra, will perform Trio Sonatas by Rossi; Gliere's Suite for Violin and Double Bass; Beethoven's String Trio, Op. 9, No. 2; and Arensky's Piano Trio No. 1 on Sunday, December 13, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. at Merkin Concert Hall.

Christoph von Dohnanyi will conduct the New York Philharmonic in Mozart's Sinfonia concertante for Violin and Viola, performed by Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow and Principal Viola Cynthia Phelps; and Bruckner's Symphony No. 4, Thursday, December 10, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, December 11, at 8:00 p.m., and Saturday, December 12, 2009, at 8:00 p.m.

At a press conference in Tokyo today, New York Philharmonic Music Director Designate Alan Gilbert and President and Executive Director Zarin Mehta announced the details of Asian Horizons: Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic, October 8?24, 2009. This will be the Orchestra?s inaugural international concert tour under the leadership of Alan Gilbert, who will begin his tenure as Music Director in September 2009. Asian Horizons will consist of eleven concerts, spanning five Asian countries, with performances in Tokyo, Japan (a destination of special significance in light of Mr. Gilbert?s Japanese heritage); Seoul, Korea; Singapore; and the Philharmonic?s debut performances in Hanoi, Vietnam, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Pianist Emanuel Ax and violinists Frank Peter Zimmermann and Ye-Eun Choi (Philharmonic debut) are the featured soloists on the tour. Asian Horizons marks the fourth New York Philharmonic concert tour under the aegis of Credit Suisse, the Orchestra?s Global Sponsor, and the second in Asia.

The New York Philharmonic This Week - a two-hour, national, weekly radio program of concerts by the New York Philharmonic - continues the week of October 19 with a presentation from the Philharmonic's seventh annual residency in Vail, Colorado, as part of the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival. The concert program, from July 30, 2009, features Music Director Alan Gilbert leading the Orchestra in Mozart's Symphony No. 41, Jupiter, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. The final broadcast in October features a Summertime Classics program from July 7-8, 2009, with conductor Bramwell Tovey: J. Strauss II's Overture to The Gypsy Baron, Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2 with soloist Simone Dinnerstein, Brahms's Hungarian Dances Nos. 4 and 10, and R. Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier Suite.

At a press conference in Tokyo today, New York Philharmonic Music Director Designate Alan Gilbert and President and Executive Director Zarin Mehta announced the details of Asian Horizons: Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic, October 8?24, 2009. This will be the Orchestra?s inaugural international concert tour under the leadership of Alan Gilbert, who will begin his tenure as Music Director in September 2009. Asian Horizons will consist of eleven concerts, spanning five Asian countries, with performances in Tokyo, Japan (a destination of special significance in light of Mr. Gilbert?s Japanese heritage); Seoul, Korea; Singapore; and the Philharmonic?s debut performances in Hanoi, Vietnam, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Pianist Emanuel Ax and violinists Frank Peter Zimmermann and Ye-Eun Choi (Philharmonic debut) are the featured soloists on the tour. Asian Horizons marks the fourth New York Philharmonic concert tour under the aegis of Credit Suisse, the Orchestra?s Global Sponsor, and the second in Asia.

The New York Philharmonic Ensembles, composed of Musicians from the Orchestra, will begin its 2009-10 season on Sunday, November 15, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. at Merkin Concert Hall featuring Beethoven's Clarinet Trio, Op. 11, Gabaye's Recreation, and Dvo?ák's String Quintet, Op. 77.

Paul B. Guenther was named Chairman Emeritus of The Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., at a meeting of the New York Philharmonic Board of Directors on Wednesday, September 23, 2009. The honor was bestowed upon Mr. Guenther at the conclusion of his 13-year tenure as Chairman of the Philharmonic's Board of Directors. At the same meeting, Gary W. Parr officially assumed Chairmanship of the Board of Directors. Mr. Guenther shares his Emeritus title with former Philharmonic Chairman Carlos Moseley, who in his decades with the Orchestra also served as Director of Public Relations, Managing Director, and eventually the first-ever professional, salaried president of a major U.S. symphony orchestra. As Chairman Emeritus, Mr. Guenther will remain an active member of the Board.

Today the New York Philharmonic launches its 168th season and the tenure of Alan Gilbert as its new Music Director. The new era began with a crowd assembled at Avery Fisher Hall to attend the Free Dress Rehearsal, led by Mr. Gilbert and featuring opera star Renée Fleming, in preparation for the evening's Gala Opening Night Concert.

The New York Philharmonic presents its final two concerts in Vail, both led by Music Director Designate Alan Gilbert, and says farewell to two of its own ? Principal Clarinet Stanley Drucker, who is retiring after 60 years, and Associate Principal Bass Jon Deak, retiring after 39.

On July 16 and 17, 2009, the New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, sponsored by Target and MetLife Foundation, brought the Orchestra to the Bronx and back to Manhattan. Alan Gilbert, who will become the Orchestra?s Music Director in September 2009, conducted and was joined by baritone Nathan Gunn in Central Park. An online photo album captures the excitement.