FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 6, 2014 Contact: Katherine E. Johnson (212) 875-5718; [email protected] NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ANNOUNCES 2014–15 SEASON OF FREE INSIGHTS AT THE ATRIUM EVENTS AT THE DAVID RUBENSTEIN ATRIUM Topics To Range from NIELSEN to the SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE to The PHILHARMONIC’s STAGING of HONEGGER’s JOAN OF ARC AT THE STAKE Speakers To Include Music Director Alan Gilbert, Artist-in-Residence Lisa Batiashvili, Principal Clarinet Anthony McGill, Violinist Leila Josefowicz, Composer John Adams, Members of the Silk Road Ensemble, and Cast Members of the Philharmonic’s Staging of Honegger’s Joan of Arc at the Stake The New York Philharmonic has announced the 2014–15 season’s free Insights at the Atrium series. All held at the David Rubinstein Atrium and beginning at 7:30 p.m., these events combine discussion, often with live performance and video, to explore themes of the season. “Perspectives on Nielsen: A Conversation with Principal Clarinet Anthony McGill,” January 7, 2015 Principal Clarinet Anthony McGill and Program Annotator James M. Keller discuss Danish composer Carl Nielsen and The Nielsen Project, which culminates when Mr. McGill performs Nielsen’s Clarinet Concerto, led by Music Director Alan Gilbert (January 8–10 and 13, 2015). “An Evening with Lisa Batiashvili,” February 3, 2015 The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence Lisa Batiashvili speaks with New York Philharmonic Vice President, Artistic Planning, Edward Yim, about her partnership with the New York Philharmonic as well as her musical upbringing in advance of her performances of Barber’s Violin Concerto (February 5–7, 2015). “Traversing Time and Trade: Fifteen Years of the Silkroad,” February 18, 2015 Members of the Silk Road Ensemble illuminate the music traditions that inspire them in advance of the Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma’s performances with the Philharmonic, led by Alan Gilbert, celebrating its 15th anniversary (February 19–21, 2015). “Artist and Muse: John Adams and Leila Josefowicz,” March 23, 2015 The composer and violinist speak about their collaboration on Scheherazade.2 — Dramatic Symphony for violin and orchestra, written for Ms. Josefowicz, in anticipation (more) Insights at the Atrium / 2 of its World Premiere by the New York Philharmonic, led by Alan Gilbert (March 26–28, 2015). Ms. Josefowicz will also perform John Adams’s Road Movies with pianist John Novacek. “Joan of Arc at the Stake: Drama in Music,” June 1, 2015 Music Director Alan Gilbert and cast members of the New York Philharmonic’s staged production of Honegger’s Joan of Arc at the Stake reflect on the dramatic oratorio in particular as well as about storytelling through music, in advance of the production (June 10–13, 2015). For more information, visit nyphil.org/insights. Insights at the Atrium Speakers “Perspectives on Nielsen: A Conversation with Principal Clarinet Anthony McGill” (Jan. 7, 2015) Anthony McGill joined the New York Philharmonic as Principal Clarinet, The Edna and W. Van Alan Clark Chair, in September 2014. Previously principal clarinet of The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra beginning in 2004, he is recognized as one of the classical music world’s finest solo, chamber, and orchestral musicians. He has appeared as soloist at Carnegie Hall with many orchestras including the MET Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra, and New York String Orchestra. He has also recently performed with the Baltimore, New Jersey, San Diego, and Memphis symphony orchestras and Orchestra 2001. As a chamber musician Mr. McGill has appeared throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia with quartets including the Guarneri, Tokyo, Brentano, Pacifica, Shanghai, Miró, and Daedalus. He has also appeared with Musicians from Marlboro and at The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and University of Chicago Presents. His festival appearances have included Tanglewood, Marlboro, Mainly Mozart, Music@Menlo, and Santa Fe Chamber Music. He has collaborated with pianists Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, Mitsuko Uchida, and Lang Lang, as well as violinists Gil Shaham and Midori. On January 20, 2009, he performed with Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Gabriela Montero at the inauguration of President Barack Obama. He has appeared on Performance Today, MPR’s Saint Paul Sunday, and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. In 2013 with his brother Demarre, he appeared on NBC Nightly News, the Steve Harvey Show, and on MSNBC with Melissa Harris-Perry. In demand as a teacher, Anthony McGill serves on the faculties of The Juilliard School, Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, Bard College Conservatory of Music, and Manhattan School of Music, and has given master classes throughout the United States, Europe, and South Africa. James M. Keller has been the New York Philharmonic’s Program Annotator, The Leni and Peter May Chair, since 2000 and also serves as the program annotator of the San Francisco Symphony. In the 2008–09 season he was the Philharmonic’s Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in- Residence. His book Chamber Music: A Listener’s Guide was published in 2011 by Oxford University Press, and during the past year also became available as an e-book and an Oxford paperback. His many articles include contributions to Leonard Bernstein at Work: His Final Years, 1984–1990 (Amadeus Press), Leonard Bernstein: American Original (HarperCollins), George Crumb and the Alchemy of Sound (Colorado College Music Press), and the Encyclopedia (more) Insights at the Atrium / 3 of New York City (Yale University Press). He was a writer-editor on staff at The New Yorker for ten years, and he was honored with the ASCAP–Deems Taylor Award for his writing in Chamber Music magazine, for which he serves as contributing editor. His recent projects include serving as curator of the exhibition Singing the Golden State, spotlighting historical popular music about California, which ran throughout 2012 at the Society of California Pioneers in San Francisco before embarking on a multiyear tour of that state’s regional museums. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he is the award-winning critic-at-large for The Santa Fe New Mexican, the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi. “An Evening with Lisa Batiashvili” (Feb. 3, 2015) As the 2014–15 Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence at the New York Philharmonic, Lisa Batiashvili will make three orchestral appearances — featuring concertos by Brahms, Barber, and Bach as well as a U.S. Premiere–New York Philharmonic Co-Commission written for her by Thierry Escaich; an appearance on CONTACT!, the new-music series; and a recital, presented in association with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, with pianist Paul Lewis. This season the Georgian violinist also serves as artist-in-residence for Hamburg’s NDR Symphony Orchestra, where she and her husband, François Leleux, give the World Premiere of Escaich’s Concerto for Violin and Oboe, led by Alan Gilbert, before giving the work’s U.S. Premiere with the New York Philharmonic. Other 2014–15 season engagements include Filarmonica della Scala and Berlin Staatskapelle, both led by Daniel Barenboim; Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, led by Antonio Pappano; The Philadelphia Orchestra’s European tour, led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin; Rotterdam Philharmonic’s Gergiev Festival; and concerts with Mr. Leleux at the Salzburg Festival and in Amsterdam’s televised annual Prinsengracht concert. Ms. Batiashvili frequently works with the Berlin Philharmonic, Dresden Staatskapelle, Berlin Staatskapelle, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and other major orchestras worldwide. Her chamber music appearances this season include recitals with Mr. Lewis in Boston, Philadelphia, and Toronto, as well as New York, and Schubert’s Trout Quintet alongside Mr. Lewis and Lawrence Power at Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw and London’s Wigmore Hall. Lisa Batiasvhili records exclusively for Deutsche Grammophon, and her most recent release is dedicated to works by J.S. and C.P.E. Bach, featuring François Leleux, Emmanuel Pahud, and the Bavarian Radio Chamber Orchestra. Past recordings include Brahms’s Violin Concerto with Dresden Staatskapelle, led by Christian Thielemann (also available on DVD) and Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No.1 with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, led by Esa-Pekka Salonen. A student of Ana Chumachenko and Mark Lubotski, Lisa Batiashvili gained international recognition at age 16 as the youngest-ever competitor in the Sibelius Competition. She lives in Munich and plays a Joseph Guarneri “del Gesu” violin from 1739, generously loaned by a private collector in Germany. Edward Yim is Vice President of Artistic Planning for the New York Philharmonic. In this capacity, he works closely with Music Director Alan Gilbert and Philharmonic President and Executive Director Matthew VanBesien on programming, artistic planning, and engaging guest artists. Prior to joining the New York Philharmonic, Mr. Yim was director of artistic planning for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Leading a team that worked across a wide range of musical genres — including classical, jazz, world music, and popular entertainment — he created artistic (more) Insights at the Atrium / 4 programming for more than 200 concerts per season for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, both at Walt Disney Concert Hall (where he was involved in planning the inaugural seasons) and at the Hollywood Bowl. He later served as director of artistic planning for New York City Opera and senior vice president and director of the conductors and instrumentalists division of IMG Artists North America. He is a graduate of the League of American Orchestra’s Management Fellowship Program. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Mr. Yim holds an A.B. degree in government from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Case Western Reserve University. He serves on the board of New Music USA. “Traversing Time and Trade: Fifteen Years of the Silkroad” (Feb. 18, 2015) The Silk Road Ensemble draws together distinguished performers and composers from more than 20 countries in Asia, Europe, and the Americas.