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Home , Flute Concerto (Nielsen), Julius Baker, Nikolaj Znaider, Tossy Spivakovsky, Violin Concerto (Ligeti), Wind Quintet (Nielsen)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 4, 2012 Contact: Katherine E. Johnson (212) 875-5718; [email protected]

ALAN GILBERT AND THE THE NIELSEN PROJECT ______

TWO NIELSEN TO BE PERFORMED AND RECORDED

Nikolaj Znaider To Perform Nielsen’s Principal Robert Langevin To Perform Nielsen’s Program Closes with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2, Little Russian October 10–13 ______

FIRST RECORDING IN THE NIELSEN PROJECT TO BE RELEASED SEPTEMBER 25 Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3 ______

ALAN GILBERT AND SCANDINAVIAN COLLEAGUES TO DISCUSS THE NIELSEN PROJECT ON INSIGHTS SERIES EVENT Philharmonic Musicians Perform Selections from Nielsen’s Wind October 9 ______

WORLD DEBUT OF ODENSE CITY MUSEUMS’ TRAVELING EXHIBITION – MUSIC IS LIFE October 10–13 ______

The New York Philharmonic and Alan Gilbert will continue The Nielsen Project — the Philharmonic’s multi-year focus on Danish composer Carl Nielsen launched in the 2010–11 season — with performances of Nielsen’s Flute and Violin Concertos; the first release of the Philharmonic’s recordings of Nielsen’s complete symphonies and concertos; an Insights Series panel discussion about The Nielsen Project; and two exhibitions chronicling Nielsen’s life and works.

Joining Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic, Nikolaj Znaider will perform Nielsen’s and Philharmonic Principal Flute Robert Langevin will perform the Flute Concerto Wednesday, October 10, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, October 11 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, October 12 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, October 13 at 8:00 p.m. The concerts will conclude with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2, Little Russian. The Nielsen concertos will be recorded for later release on ’s Dacapo label. (more)

The Nielsen Project / 2

“During my years in Sweden, I grew to love Nielsen, and I believe in him as an important composer,” Alan Gilbert said. “The Nielsen canon deserves to be better known by American audiences: he speaks to everybody. There’s something wonderfully craggy, natural, and forbidding about the sound he creates, but it’s always couched in an Elgar-like, romantic warmth. The Philharmonic plays Nielsen incredibly well — with insight, stylistic purity, and passion.”

Danish violinist Nikolaj Znaider first came to international prominence when he won first place at the 1992 Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition at age 16. “I particularly love the way Nikolaj Znaider plays Nielsen’s Violin Concerto. As a Dane himself, perhaps he brings something Danish and appropriate to Nielsen’s Violin Concerto, but he’s actually just a consummate musician,” Alan Gilbert said.

“I got to know Nielsen’s Flute Concerto through the recording Bernstein made with then- Principal Flute Julius Baker. To come back now and do this same piece with our current Principal Flute, the marvelous Robert Langevin, has a symmetry I find appealing,” said Alan Gilbert, who, through The Nielsen Project, builds on Philharmonic Laureate Conductor ’s championing of Nielsen’s music.

Speaking about the program’s closing piece, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2, Little Russian, Alan Gilbert added: “This is an early piece — Tchaikovsky hasn’t quite found his mature voice yet — but it is still vintage Tchaikovsky. It’s totally enthusiastic and absolutely a joy to listen to.”

The Nielsen Project’s first recording will be released September 25, 2012, by Denmark’s Dacapo label and distributed by the Naxos group. Featuring Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic’s performances of Nielsen’s Symphony No. 2, The Four Temperaments, and Symphony No. 3, Sinfonia espansiva, the recording is the first of four that will culminate in a boxed set to be released in fall 2015 to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

At an Insights Series event Tuesday, October 9, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. at New York Institute of Technology Auditorium, Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence Harvey Sachs will moderate a discussion about The Nielsen Project between Alan Gilbert, Mats Engström of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Henrik Rørdam of Dacapo Records, and Ida-Marie Vorre of the Odense City Museums. Philharmonic musicians will perform excerpts from Nielsen’s .

In conjunction with the performances, the Philharmonic will install two exhibitions about Carl Nielsen. Odense City Museums presents the world debut of Carl Nielsen – Music Is Life, a multimedia, modular exhibition that explores Nielsen’s works and personality through unexpected images displayed with LED light screens, humorous anecdotes, video clips, and

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The Nielsen Project / 3 audio excerpts including Nielsen’s Fourth Symphony, excerpts from Masquerade, and even his popular song “John the Roadman.” The exhibition will be on display October 10–13 on Avery Fisher Hall’s Grand Promenade, the first stop on its world tour celebrating the 150th anniversary of Nielsen’s birth in 2015.

The New York Philharmonic Archives and the Odense City Museums present the joint exhibit “Inextinguishable” Nielsen: The Music, Life, and Legacy of the Danish Composer, which explores the composer’s life, Leonard Bernstein’s support of his works, and Nielsen’s folk songs that are still beloved in Denmark. Highlights include the violin used by his family and possibly by Nielsen; handwritten sketchbooks; family letters; and a first edition of Nielsen’s memoir. The exhibition will be on display September 19–October 27 in the Gallery on Avery Fisher Hall’s Grand Promenade.

Related Events  Pre-Concert Talks Violist/violinist and Philharmonic Senior Teaching Artist David Wallace will introduce the program. Pre-Concert Talks are $7; discounts available for multiple concerts, students, and groups. They take place one hour before each performance in the Helen Hull Room, unless otherwise noted. Attendance is limited to 90 people. Information: nyphil.org or (212) 875- 5656.

 Insights Series Event: “The Nielsen Project” Alan Gilbert, Music Director, speaker Mats Engström, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, speaker Henrik Rørdam, Dacapo Records, speaker Harvey Sachs, New York Philharmonic Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence, moderator Ida-Marie Vorre, Odense City Museums, speaker Musicians of the Philharmonic In an evening of conversation and music, New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert joins colleagues from Scandinavia to discuss the impetus behind a project to record the complete symphonies and concertos of Carl Nielsen, Denmark’s most renowned composer. Philharmonic musicians perform excerpts from Nielsen’s Wind Quintet. Tuesday, October 9, 2012, 6:30 p.m. New York Institute of Technology Auditorium on Broadway, 1871 Broadway at 61st Street Tickets: $20; $15 for Philharmonic Friends (Affiliate level and above) and current Subscribers; and $10 for Philharmonic Patrons

 Traveling Exhibition: Carl Nielsen – Music Is Life The Odense City Museums presents an exhibit on Danish composer Carl Nielsen. The multimedia, modular exhibit will use LED light screen images, short movie clips, and music to bring Nielsen’s works to life and give viewers an idea of his personality and critical reception. October 10–13 Avery Fisher Hall’s Grand Promenade (more) The Nielsen Project / 4

 Exhibition: “Inextinguishable” Nielsen: The Music, Life, and Legacy of the Danish Composer The New York Philharmonic Archives and the Odense City Museums present this joint exhibit to honor a cycle of Nielsen’s works to be recorded by the New York Philharmonic and Alan Gilbert on Denmark’s Dacapo label. Carl Nielsen (1865–1931), a Danish composer, and a favorite of Leonard Bernstein’s, has made important contributions to the music world with well-known pieces for , as well as many popular folkelig (folk- like) songs still beloved in Denmark. September 19–October 27 Bruno Walter Gallery on Avery Fisher Hall’s Grand Promenade

 National and International Radio Broadcast This program will be broadcast the week of October 31, 2012* on The New York Philharmonic This Week, a radio concert series syndicated weekly to more than 300 stations nationally, and to 122 outlets internationally, by the WFMT Radio Network. The 52-week series, hosted by actor Alec Baldwin, is generously underwritten by The Kaplen Foundation, the Audrey Love Charitable Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Philharmonic’s corporate partner, MetLife Foundation. The broadcast will be available on the Philharmonic’s Website, nyphil.org. The program is broadcast locally in the New York metropolitan area on 105.9 FM WQXR on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. *Check local listings for broadcast and program information.

Artists Music Director Alan Gilbert, The Yoko Nagae Ceschina Chair, began his tenure at the New York Philharmonic in September 2009, launching what New York magazine called “a fresh future for the Philharmonic.” The first native New Yorker in the post, he has introduced the positions of The Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence and The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence, an annual multi-week festival, and CONTACT!, the new-music series, and he has sought to make the Orchestra a point of civic pride for the city and country.

In 2012–13, Alan Gilbert conducts world premieres; presides over a cycle of Brahms’s complete symphonies and concertos; continues The Nielsen Project, the multi-year initiative to perform and record Nielsen’s symphonies and concertos; and leads the EUROPE / SPRING 2013 tour. The season concludes with June Journey: Gilbert’s Playlist, four programs showcasing themes he has introduced, including the season finale: a theatrical reimagining of Stravinsky ballets with director/designer Doug Fitch and Ballet Principal Dancer Sara Mearns. Last season’s highlights included tours of Europe and California, several world premieres, Mahler symphonies, and Philharmonic 360, the Philharmonic and Park Avenue Armory’s acclaimed spatial-music program featuring Stockhausen’s Gruppen, about which The New York Times said: “Those who think classical music needs some shaking up routinely challenge music directors at major to think outside the box. That is precisely what Alan Gilbert did.”

Mr. Gilbert is Director of and Orchestral Studies and holds the William Schuman Chair in Musical Studies at The . Conductor Laureate of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of Hamburg’s NDR Symphony (more) The Nielsen Project / 5

Orchestra, he regularly conducts leading orchestras around the world. He made his acclaimed debut conducting John Adams’s Doctor Atomic in 2008, the DVD of which received a Grammy Award. His recordings have received top honors from the Chicago Tribune and Gramophone magazine. In May 2010 Mr. Gilbert received an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music and in December 2011, Columbia University’s Ditson Conductor’s Award for his “exceptional commitment to the performance of works by American composers and to contemporary music.”

Violinist Nikolaj Znaider works regularly with the world’s leading orchestras and conductors, such as Daniel Barenboim, Sir , , Lorin Maazel, , Christian Thielemann, , Charles Dutoit, Christoph von Dohnányi, Iván Fischer, and Gustavo Dudamel. In the 2012 –13 season the London Symphony Orchestra presents an Artist Portrait of Znaider, during which he will play two concertos conducted by Sir Colin, conduct a large-scale symphonic program, and play with the principals of the orchestra. An exclusive RCA Red Seal recording artist, Mr. Znaider’s most recent addition to his discography is the Elgar Violin Concerto with Sir Colin and the Dresden Staatskapelle. His award-winning and critically acclaimed recordings also include the Brahms and Korngold Violin Concertos with the and Valery Gergiev, the Beethoven and Mendelssohn Violin Concertos with Zubin Mehta and the Philharmonic Orchestra, and Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto and the Glazunov Violin Concerto with Mariss Jansons and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. For EMI Classics he has recorded the Mozart Piano Trios with Daniel Barenboim and the Nielsen and Bruch Concertos with the London Philharmonic.

Mr. Znaider is also a conductor, regularly leading orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Dresden Staatskapelle, Munich Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Russian National Orchestra, Halle Orchestra, and Swedish Radio Orchestra. The 2012–13 season sees his conducting debut with Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw, Rome’s Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Robert Langevin joined the New York Philharmonic as Principal Flute, The Lila Acheson Wallace Chair, at the start of the 2000–01 season. He made his solo debut with the Orchestra in May 2001 in the North-American premiere of Siegfried Matthus’s Concerto for Flute and Harp with Philharmonic Principal Harp Nancy Allen, conducted by then-Music Director Kurt Masur. Last season he appeared as soloist with the Orchestra in Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp in New York, led by Lorin Maazel, and in Montreal, led by Alan Gilbert. He also performed ’s … explosante-fixe … on CONTACT!, the Philharmonic’s new-music series.

Mr. Langevin previously held the Jackman Pfouts Principal Flute Chair of the Pittsburgh Symphony and was an adjunct professor at Duquesne University. Mr. Langevin served as Associate Principal of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra for 13 years, playing on more than 30 recordings. As a member of Musica Camerata Montreal and l’Ensemble de la Société de Musique Contemporaine du Québec, he premiered many works, including the Canadian premiere of Pierre Boulez’s Le Marteau sans maître. (more) The Nielsen Project / 6

Born in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Robert Langevin began flute studies at age 12 and joined the local orchestra three years later. While studying with Jean-Paul Major at the Montreal Conservatory of Music, he started working in recording studios, where he accompanied a variety of artists of different styles. He won the prestigious Prix d’Europe, a national competition open to all instruments with a first prize of a two-year scholarship to study in Europe, and second prize at the Budapest International Competition in 1980. He is currently on the faculties of The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and the Orford International Summer Festival.

Repertoire This season, the New York Philharmonic performs Carl Nielsen’s flute and violin concertos, a rare opportunity considering that Denmark’s most important composer is better known for his six symphonies. The Concerto for Flute — composed in 1926 during Nielsen’s late period — was written for his friend Holger Gilbert-Jespersen, who was the soloist in the work’s world premiere in Paris. Nielsen wanted the piece to reflect his friend’s character. Birgitte Moyer-Vinding, who knew Gilbert-Jespersen, said he was “a gentle soul with a wonderful sense of humor, and, like the music, also full of shadow and ambiguity. The Flute Concerto is a portrait so complete that new facets of his personality are discovered with each hearing.” Gilbert-Jespersen was a Francophile, which Nielsen captured alongside his wit by juxtaposing a clownishly meandering bass with the elegance and brilliance of the Francophile flute. Leonard Bernstein conducted the Philharmonic’s first performance of the piece in 1966, with then-Principal Flute Julius Baker as soloist. Mr. Baker was the soloist in the Orchestra’s most recent performance as well, led by Zubin Mehta in 1983.

Dating from 1911, the same year Carl Nielsen completed his Symphony No. 3, Sinfonia espansiva, the Concerto for Violin is the composer’s most ambitious work in the genre and the only one structured more like a symphony than a concerto. It has two long movements, each with a slow section then a fast section. Responding to critics who complained that the two movements of this Romantically expressive, thematically rich virtuoso vehicle are too stylistically different, Nielsen wrote to a friend: “We might perhaps say that the first movement is more lively and full of temperament, but is it better music? I think not, and I took special pains to emphasize in the rondo that the milieu has now changed, and the very end renounces everything that might dazzle or impress.” The Philharmonic’s first performance of this concerto was in March 1969, with Seiji Ozawa conducting and Tossy Spivakovsky as soloist. The Orchestra last performed the work in November 1989 with Philharmonic violinist Charles Rex as soloist and Zubin Mehta conducting.

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed his Symphony No. 2, Little Russian, in 1872, and the work was premiered in Moscow the following year. By the end of that decade, the composer had revised it considerably, and the new, now-standard version was first heard in St. Petersburg in 1881. A music critic bestowed the subtitle “Little Russian” on the symphony, referring to Ukraine and so evoking the regional folk tunes Tchaikovsky wove into the work. The New York Symphony (which later merged with the New York Philharmonic in 1928 to form today’s New York Philharmonic) performed the work’s U.S. premiere on December 7, 1883, led by Leopold Damrosch. It was performed most recently in March 2011, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. (more) The Nielsen Project / 7

* * * Credit Suisse is the Global Sponsor of the New York Philharmonic.

* * * Programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts.

* * * Tickets Tickets for these concerts start at $33. Pre-Concert Talks are $7; discounts are available for multiple concerts, students, and groups (visit nyphil.org/preconcert for more information). Tickets for the Insights Series event are $20; $15 for Philharmonic Friends (Affiliate level and above) and current Subscribers; and $10 for Philharmonic Patrons. All tickets may be purchased online at nyphil.org or by calling (212) 875-5656, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets may also be purchased at the Avery Fisher Hall Box Office at 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. For select concerts, a limited number of $13.50 tickets may be available for students online within 10 days of the performance, or in person the day of. Valid identification is required. To determine ticket availability, call the Philharmonic’s Customer Relations Department at (212) 875-5656. [Ticket prices subject to change.]

For press tickets, call Lanore Carr in the New York Philharmonic Communications Department at (212) 875-5714, or e-mail her at [email protected].

For review copies of the recording, please contact [email protected].

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The Nielsen Project / 8

New York Philharmonic

Avery Fisher Hall

Wednesday, October 10, 2012, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, October 11, 2012, 7:30 p.m. Friday, October 12, 2012 8:00 p.m. Saturday, October 13, 2012, 8:00 p.m.

Pre-Concert Talk (one hour before each concert) with violist/violinist and Senior New York Philharmonic Teaching Artist David Wallace

Alan Gilbert, conductor Robert Langevin, flute Nikolaj Znaider, violin

NIELSEN Flute Concerto NIELSEN Violin Concerto TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 2, Little Russian

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Photography is available by contacting the Communications Department at (212) 875-5700; [email protected].