On January 24, the New York Philharmonic will perform the world premiere of Julia Wolfe’s Fire in my mouth, about the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire that killed 146 immigrant garment workers on New York’s Lower East Side. The orchestra has planned two weeks of concerts and events exploring New York City’s roots as a city of immigrants with “New York Stories: Threads of Our City,” January 14-27. Among the activities are guided tours of apartments in the Tenement Museum, connecting Wolfe’s music to the lives of immigrant garment workers of the time. A section of the Philharmonic’s website is devoted to the orchestra’s musicians’ personal stories of immigration, migration, and cultural heritage, and audience members may also share their own experiences. Also included is Immigrant New York: Celebrating the Workers and Musicians of Our City, an exhibit in the Bruno Walter Gallery at David Geffen Hall. A free “Fire in my mouth: Remembering the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire” event on January 15 at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center will feature a discussion among Julia Wolfe, Forward archivist Chana Pollack, and Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition founder Ruth Sergel, moderated by Philharmonic President and CEO Deborah Borda.
Posted January 15, 2019
