In Thursday’s (5/30) New York Times, Steve Smith writes, “When the New York Philharmonic announced its 2013-14 season in January, it sketched out a major new initiative, the NY Phil Biennial, in broad terms and a sprinkling of intriguing details. On Wednesday, the orchestra filled in more of the blanks, making clear that it is expanding its contemporary-music activities … The inaugural series, to run from May 28 to June 7, 2014, positions the orchestra at the heart of an evolving cultural sector concerned with new sounds and fresh ideas. Other participants include the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the American Composers Orchestra, Lincoln Center, Bang on a Can, the Juilliard School, Gotham Chamber Opera, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the 92nd Street Y and the Special Music High School at the Kaufman Center. … The inaugural biennial includes three programs featuring the entire Philharmonic. One, to be presented on May 30 and 31, pairs Julia Wolfe’s ‘Anthracite Fields’—performed by the Bang on a Can All-Stars and a choir to be named—with Steven Mackey’s ‘Dreamhouse,’ played by the Philharmonic. … On June 5 and 7, [Philharmonic Music Director Alan] Gilbert is to conduct the world premiere of Symphony No. 4 by Christopher Rouse, the Philharmonic’s composer-in-residence, and the first New York performances of Peter Eotvos’s ‘DoReMi,’ featuring the violinist Midori, for whom the piece was written.”
Posted May 30, 2013
