FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 24, 2019 Contact: Deirdre Roddin (212) 875-5700; [email protected]

LONG YU TO CONDUCT US PREMIERE– CO-COMMISSION OF ZHAO LIN’s A HAPPY EXCURSION, Concerto for and Cello WITH YO-YO MA and WU MAN

Program Also To Include MUSORGSKY’s Prelude to Khovanshchina TCHAIKOVSKY’s Symphony No. 6, Pathétique

March 6–9, 2019

Long Yu will return to the New York Philharmonic to conduct the US Premiere of Zhao Lin’s A Happy Excursion, Concerto for Pipa and Cello, with Yo-Yo Ma and Wu Man as soloists; the concerto is a New York Philharmonic co-commission with the Beijing Music Festival and Philharmonic Orchestra. The program will also include Musorgsky’s Prelude to Khovanshchina and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, Pathétique, and will take place on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 8 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, March 9 at 8:00 p.m.

A Happy Excursion gets its name from the essay of the same name on inaction and self- enjoyment by Taoist philosopher Chuang Tzu. Wu Man initiated the commissioning of A Happy Excursion from Zhao Lin; Wu Man and Zhao Lin were classmates at the Beijing Conservatory, and she is a founding member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble. Yo-Yo Ma says that A Happy Excursion is “taking us on a whirlwind tour of our frenetic, out of control world of today, almost to the point of no return, but we are left with the possibility of redemption.”

Yo-Yo Ma and Wu Man appeared as soloists (along with and Wu Tong) in the World Premiere of ’s The Song and Dance of Tears, commissioned by the Philharmonic, in March 2003. Yo-Yo Ma also appeared with the New York Philharmonic, led by Long Yu, in the US Premiere of Zhao Lin’s Duo for Sheng, Cello, and Orchestra (alongside Wu Tong) at the 2015 Lunar New Year Concert.

The New York Philharmonic will offer an allotment of free tickets to young people ages 13–26 for the concert on Friday, March 8 as part of Philharmonic Free Fridays.

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Long Yu / Yo-Yo Ma / Wu Man / 2

Biographies Long Yu, Yo-Yo Ma, Wu Man, New York Philharmonic

Tickets Single tickets start at $66. Tickets are sold out; 2018–19 season subscribers can be placed on a purchase-only wait list by calling Customer Relations at (212) 875-5656. (Ticket prices subject to change.) The New York Philharmonic is offering an allotment of free tickets to young people ages 13–26 for the concert Friday, March 8 as part of Philharmonic Free Fridays; learn more at nyphil.org/freefridays.

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 Friday; 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Tickets may also be purchased at the David Geffen Hall Box Office. 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 press tickets, call Lanore Carr at the New York Philharmonic at (212) 875-5714, or email her at [email protected].

Event Listing

New York Philharmonic

David Geffen Hall at

Wednesday, March 6, 2019, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 7, 2019, 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 8, 2019, 8:00 p.m. Saturday, March 9, 2019, 8:00 p.m.

Long Yu, conductor Yo-Yo Ma, cello Wu Man, pipa

MUSORGSKY / Orch. Rimsky-Korsakov Prelude to Khovanshchina ZHAO Lin A Happy Excursion, Concerto for Pipa and Cello (US Premiere–New York Philharmonic Co-Commission with the Beijing Music Festival and Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra) TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6, Pathétique

ALL PROGRAMS SUBJECT TO CHANGE (more)

Long Yu / Yo-Yo Ma / Wu Man / 3

* * * The commission and performance of Zhao Lin’s A Happy Excursion, Concerto for Pipa and Cello, is made possible with generous support from the Francis Goelet Charitable Lead Trusts.

* * * Major support for Philharmonic Free Fridays is provided by an Anonymous Donor. Additional funding is provided by Muna and Basem Hishmeh.

* * * Citi. Preferred Card of the New York Philharmonic.

* * * Emirates is the Official Airline of the New York Philharmonic.

* * * PurePoint Financial. Season Sponsor of the New York Philharmonic.

* * * Programs are made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

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