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HOLIDAY BRASS

Sunday , December 16, 2012, 3:00 p.m.

New York Philharmonic Principal Brass Quintet Philip Smith, Ethan Bensdorf, Trumpet Philip Myers, Horn , Alan Baer,

Lee Musiker Trio Lee Musiker, , Celesta, Arranger Jay Leonhart, Bass Rick Cutler, Drums /Percussion

Global Sponsor

Alan Gilbert, Music Director, holds The Yoko Nagae Ceschina Chair .

The gratefully This concert will last approximately two hours, acknowledges support for its activities which includes one intermission. from the Gurnee and Marjorie Hart Endowment Fund.

Avery Fisher Hall at Home of the New York Philharmonic Exclusive Timepiece of the New York Philharmonic

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New York Philharmonic

HOLIDAY BRASS

New York Philharmonic Principal Brass Quintet Philip Smith, Trumpet Ethan Bensdorf, Trumpet Philip Myers, Horn Joseph Alessi, Trombone Alan Baer, Tuba

Lee Musiker Trio Lee Musiker, Piano, Celesta, Arranger Jay Leonhart, Bass Rick Cutler, Drums/Percussion

The program, featuring new arrangements of holiday classics by Lee Musiker, will be announced from the stage.

Special thanks to Steve Cohen for music preparation and additional arranging.

Classical 105.9 FM WQXR is the Radio The New York Philharmonic’s concert -recording Station of the New York Philharmonic. series, and the New York Phil - harmonic: 2012 –13 Season, is now available for download at all major online music stores. The New York Philharmonic This Week, Visit nyphil.org/recordings for more information. nationally syndicated on the WFMT Radio Network, is broadcast 52 weeks per year ; Follow us on Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, and visit nyphil.org for information . YouTube.

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The Artists

The New York Philharmonic Principal Brass Quintet has been a regular encore fea - ture on the ’s tours, with appear - ances in Europe, South America, Asia, and in the U.S., as well as at the Orchestra’s resi - dencies in Cagliari, Italy and Vail, Colorado. The ensemble has performed solo concerts throughout the U.S. and Japan, and in the cities of Luxembourg, Monterrey (Mexico), Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo.

Philip Smith joined the New York Phil- harmonic as Co-Principal Trumpet in 1978, The New York Philharmonic Principal becoming Principal Trumpet, The Paula Levin Brass Quintet enjoys worldwide exposure Chair, in 1988. His early training was and an international reputation. The group’s provided at The Salvation Army and by his debut came at the invitation of the Canadian father, Derek Smith. He is a graduate of The Brass, when they joined that ensemble in a Juilliard School. While still a student, he was 1983 concert in Ottawa, Canada. The two appointed to the Chicago Symphony Orch- groups have since collaborated at the sum - estra. Mr. Smith performs regularly as soloist, mer festivals of Tanglewood, Wolf Trap, Great recitalist, chamber performer, clinician, and Woods, and Mostly Mozart; with their brass recording artist. He has been featured as a colleagues from the Boston Symphony Or - soloist with the Philharmonic almost 100 chestra and The on times, in New York and on tour, under con- five recordings and one educational video; ductors such as Bernstein, Järvi, Leinsdorf, and for performances in cities throughout Masur, and Mehta. In addition to releasing Canada and the United States. solo albums on the Deutsche Grammophon, Since 1995 the New York Philharmonic Cala, Summit, New World, and Arabesque Principal Brass Quintet has hosted an annual labels, Mr. Smith has also recorded with the New York Philharmonic Christmas Holiday , Empire Brass, Chamber Concert at Lincoln Center. Its guests have in - Music Society of Lincoln Center, Mostly cluded groups such as the Canadian Brass Mozart Orchestra, New York Virtuosi Cham- and the German Brass. The Principal Brass ber Symphony, and Bargemusic . Quintet also joined forces with the Salvation Army’s New York Staff Band in two Gala Fes - Ethan Bensdorf joined the New York Phil - tivals at Alice Tully Hall in New York City. In ad - harmonic’s trumpet section in June 2008, dition, the Principal Brass Quintet performed after spending the 2007–08 season as act - with the Empire Brass at the Carnegie Hall ing assistant principal trumpet with the Centennial Gala in May 1991. Naples Philharmonic Orchestra in Naples,

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Florida. He received his bachelor of music de - Joseph Alessi was named Principal Trom - gree from Northwestern University in 2007. bone , The Gurnee F. and Marjorie L. Hart While a student at Northwestern, Mr. Bens - Chair , of the New York Philharmonic in 1985. dorf performed with the Civic Orchestra of He has often performed as a soloist with the Chicago, the New World Symphony , and the Philharmonic. Mr. Alessi began his musical Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s contempo - studies in his native California with his father, rary ensemble, MusicNOW. In May 2005 he Joseph Alessi, Sr., and continued his training appeared at the Kennedy Center for the Per - at The Curtis Institute of Music, in Philadel - forming Arts , representing Northwestern phia. Prior to joining the Philharmonic, he University as part of “The Conservatory Proj - was second trombone of The Philadelphia ect” recital series. Orchestra and principal trombone of the Mr. Bensdorf has participated in the Pa - Montreal Symphony Orchestra. He is an ac - cific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, and tive soloist, recitalist, and chamber performer, the National Orchestral Institute in Maryland; appearing with ensembles such as the Na - he was a Fellow at the Tanglewood Music tional Repertory Orchestra, Santa Barbara Center in 2006 and 2007, where he received Symphony, New Japan Philharmonic, Or - the Roger Voisin Trumpet Award. In Septem - chestra of Teatro Bellini in Catania, Sicily, and ber 2006 he received the Armando Ghitalla The Hague Philharmonic; he has also partic - International Trumpet Classic Award, which ipated in many music festivals throughout the included solo appearances with the United world. As a clinician for the Edwards Instru - States Coast Guard Band and the Berkshire ment Co., Mr. Alessi has given master Symphony Orchestra. classes and recitals worldwide. He received the 2002 International Trombone Associa - Philip Myers joined the New York Philhar - tion Award, for having greatly influenced the monic as Principal , The Ruth F. field of trombone playing. Joseph Alessi is a and Alan J. Broder Chair, in 1980, making his founding member of the Summit Brass en - solo debut with the Orchestra that season in semble at the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute the premiere of Schuman’s Three Colloquies in Tempe, Arizona. for French Horn and Orchestra. His most re - cent solo appearance was this past October Alan Baer joined the Philharmonic in June in Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 3, led by 2004 as Principal Tuba, having served as Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos. He began his or - principal tuba with the Milwaukee Symphony, chestral career in 1971 as principal horn of Long Beach Symphony, and Louisiana Phil - the Atlantic Symphony in Halifax, Nova Sco - harmonic . He has recorded with tia, followed by a term as third horn with the The Cleveland Orchestra, led by Vladimir Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (1974 –77). Ashkenazy, and performed with the Los As principal horn of the Minnesota Orches - Angeles Philharmonic, New Orleans Sym - tra, he made a solo debut with that ensemble phony, and the Peninsula Music Festival, Los in 1979, in Strauss’s Horn Concerto No. 1, Angeles Concert, Ojai Festival, and Chicago under Sir Neville Marriner. A native of Elkhart, Symphony orchestras. Mr. Baer has also per - Indiana, Mr. Myers holds two degrees from formed as a featured soloist, touring several Pittsburgh’s Carnegie-Mellon University. He countries in Europe, including Switzerland, plays Engelbert Schmid French Horns. Austria, Germany, and France. He began his

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undergraduate work at Indiana University of He served as music director and pianist for Pennsylvania and completed his bachelor of the Grammy Award –winning album Tony music degree and did graduate work at the Bennett: Duets — An American Classic and University of Southern California, Cleveland the recent Duets 2. A Steinway Artist, Mr. Institute of Music, and California State Musiker has performed with the New York University–Long Beach. He taught at Cali - Philharmonic, , Ameri - fornia State University, where he also di - can Ballet Theatre, Orpheus, New York Pops, rected the university tuba ensemble and the Boston Pops, Hollywood Bowl, and the Lon - brass choir. Alan Baer was adjunct professor don Symphony Orchestra, and has con - of tuba and euphonium and director of the ducted the New York Philharmonic and the Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble at the University Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Milwau - of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. kee, and Pittsburgh symphony orchestras. He has also conducted the Jerry Lewis Mus - cular Dystrophy Labor Day Telethon; Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestras; and at the Henry Mancini Institute. As an arranger and orchestrator, Mr. Musiker has written for symphony orches - tras, recordings, movies, and television, and has shared Grammy and Emmy Awards. A native New Yorker from a family of mu - sicians, Lee Musiker received degrees from the Manhattan and Eastman Schools of Music, with further studies at The Juilliard School. He has served on the faculties of Pianist, conductor, music director, arranger, and Mannes College of Music, the New School, orchestrator Lee Musiker is well known for and New York University (as part of the dis - his wealth of experience working with the pre - tinguished Piano Faculty Master Class Se - miere artists in the jazz, classical, Broadway, ries). After a two-year tour as pianist with the and pop genres. These include Tony Bennett, Buddy Rich Band, he returned to New York Mel Tormé, Barbara Cook, Maureen McGovern, and began playing in the orchestra pits Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Brian of many hit Broadway shows. He was a Stokes Mitchell, Joel Grey, James Taylor, Renée guest on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz Fleming, Marilyn Horne, Dawn Upshaw, Debo - and has been featured in Steinway and Key - rah Voigt, Kathleen Battle, Denyce Graves, board magazines. Mr. Musiker returns to the Nathan Gunn, Sylvia McNair, Julia Migenes, New York Philharmonic Holiday Brass con - , Buddy Rich, Doc Severinson, Wyn - cert for a second consecutive year with this ton Marsalis, Chris Botti, and John Pizzarelli. performance.

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Jazz bassist Jay Leonhart studied classical Drummer and percussionist Rick Cutler has piano at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hop - performed in many Broadway shows includ - kins University in his native Baltimore. Dis - ing Hair, The Wiz, Candide, They’re Playing covering a love for jazz, he gave up the piano Our Song, Woman of the Year, and Seesaw . and soon picked up the banjo and guitar with He has written for television, film, and radio, his older brother, Bill; the two quickly became including the Emmy-nominated theme for a duo that toured around the country. In Dateline NBC, Later Today (on NBC), as well 1955 he took up the bass after hearing the as the themes for the New York Yankees on Oscar Peterson Trio with Ray Brown. He has MSG Cable and the Outlaws & Lawmen mini- since played with most of the great jazz series on the Discovery channel. He served artists and has made recordings with Judy for 18 years as keyboardist and musical di - Garland, Madonna, Vaughn Monroe, Sting, rector for tap dance legend Gregory Hines. Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Liza Minnelli, He was one of the original percussionists for and Carly Simon, among others. He has also ’s Mass, and performs on recorded six CDs of his own songs. Mr. the original recording of that work. Mr. Cutler Leonhart has twice been named the Most has also played on countless television and Valuable Bassist by the National Association radio commercials and themes. He has per - of Recording Arts and Sciences. Since the formed and recorded with Herbie Hancock, 1990s he has toured Europe twice a year Freddie Hubbard, Don Rickles, Billy Eckstine, with Bucky Pizzarelli and John Bunch in the Gloria Gaynor, Rodney Dangerfield, Donna group known as New York Swing. He per - Summer, Johnny Hartman, Savion Glover, and formed with the Lee Musiker Trio for the Charles Aznavour. Rick Cutler currently tours New York Philharmonic Holiday Brass con - as drummer with Liza Minnelli and he returns cert in 2011. to the Holiday Brass concert for a second time with this performance.

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New York Philharmonic

The New York Philharmonic , founded in 1842 (Music Director 1922–30), Wilhelm Furtwängler, by a group of local musicians led by American- (Music Director 1928–36), Igor born Ureli Corelli Hill, is by far the oldest sym - Stravinsky, Aaron Copland, (Music phony orchestra in the United States, and one of Advisor 1947–49), (Music Di - the oldest in the world. It plays some 180 con - rector 1949–58), Klaus Tennstedt, certs a year, and on May 5, 2010, gave its (Music Advisor 1969–70), and Erich Leinsdorf. 15,000th concert — a milestone unmatched by Long a leader in American musical life, the Phil - any other symphony orchestra in the world. harmonic has become renowned around the Music Director Alan Gilbert, The Yoko Nagae globe, appearing in 431 cities in 63 countries on Ceschina Chair, began his tenure in September 5 continents. Under Alan Gilbert’s leadership, the 2009, the latest in a distinguished line of 20th- Orchestra made its Vietnam debut at the Hanoi century musical giants that has included Lorin Opera House in October 2009. In February 2008 Maazel (2002–09); (Music Director the Philharmonic, conducted by then Music Di - 1991–2002, Music Director Emeritus since rector , gave a historic performance 2002); (1978–91); in Pyongyang, D.P.R.K., earning the 2008 Com - (1971–77); and Leonard Bernstein (appointed mon Ground Award for Cultural Diplomacy. In Music Director in 1958; given the lifetime title of 2012 the Philharmonic became an International Laureate Conductor in 1969). Associate of London’s Barbican. Since its inception the Orchestra has champi - The Philharmonic has long been a media pio - oned the new music of its time, commissioning neer, having begun radio broadcasts in 1922, and and/or premiering many important works, such is currently represented by The New York Phil - as Dvo rˇák’s Symphony No. 9, From the New harmonic This Week — syndicated nationally and World; Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3; internationally 52 weeks per year, and available at Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F; and Copland’s nyphil.org. It continues its television presence on Connotations . The Philharmonic has also given Live From Lincoln Center on PBS, and in 2003 the U.S. premieres of such works as Beethoven’s made history as the first symphony orchestra ever Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9 and Brahms’s Sym - to perform live on the Grammy Awards. Since phony No. 4. This pioneering tradition has con - 1917 the Philharmonic has made nearly 2,000 tinued to the present day, with works of major recordings, and in 2004 became the first major contemporary composers regularly scheduled American orchestra to offer downloadable con - each season, including John Adams’s Pulitzer certs, recorded live. Since June 2009 more than Prize– and Grammy Award–winning On the 50 concerts have been released as downloads, Transmigration of Souls; Melinda Wagner’s Trom - and the Philharmonic’s self-produced recordings bone Concerto; Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Piano Con - will continue with Alan Gilbert and the New York certo; ’s and Al largo ; Philharmonic: 2012– 13 Season, comprising 12 re - Wynton Marsalis’s Swing Symphony (Symphony leases. Famous for its long-running Young People’s No. 3); Christopher Rouse’s Odna Zhizn; and, by Concerts, the Philharmonic has developed a wide the end of the 2010–11 season, 11 works in range of educational programs, among them the CONTACT!, the new-music series. School Partnership Program that enriches music The roster of composers and conductors who education in New York City, and Learning Over - have led the Philharmonic includes such historic tures, which fosters international exchange among figures as Theodore Thomas, Antonín Dvo rˇák, educators . (Music Director 1909–11), Otto Credit Suisse is the Global Sponsor of the New Klemperer, Richard Strauss, York Philharmonic.

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The Music Director

including the season finale: a theatrical reimagin - ing of Stravinsky ballets, directed and designed by Doug Fitch and featuring New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Sara Mearns. Last season’s highlights included performances of three Mahler symphonies, with the Second, Resurrection, on A Concert for New York; tours to Europe (including the Orchestra’s first International Associ ates res - idency at London’s Barbican Centre) and Cali - fornia; and Philharmonic 360, the Philharmonic’s and Park Avenue Armory’s acclaimed spa tial- music program featuring Stockhausen’s Gruppen, building on the success of previous seasons ’ pro - ductions of Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre and Janá cˇek’s The Cunning Little Vixen , each ac - claimed in 2010 and 2011, respectively, as New New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan York magazine’s number one classical music Gilbert, The Yoko Nagae Ceschina Chair, began event of the year. his tenure in September 2009 . The New York In September 2011 Alan Gilbert became Di - Times has said: “Those who think classical music rector of and Orchestral Studies at needs some shaking up routinely challenge music The Juilliard School, where he is the first to hold directors at major orchestras to think outside the the William Schuman Chair in Musical Studies. box. That is precisely what Alan Gilbert did.” The Conductor Laureate of the Royal Stockholm Phil - first native New Yorker to hold the post, he has harmonic Orchestra and Principal Guest Con - sought to make the Orchestra a point of civic ductor of Hamburg’s NDR Symphony Orchestra, pride for the city and country. he regularly conducts leading ensembles such as Mr. Gilbert combines works in fresh and innova - the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Amsterdam’s tive ways ; has forged important artistic partner - Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra , Leipzig ships, introducing the positions of The Marie-Josée Gewandhaus Orchestra, and Berlin Philharmonic . Kravis Composer-in-Residence and The Mary and Alan Gilbert’s acclaimed 2008 Metropolitan James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence ; and intro - Opera debut , leading John Adams’s Doctor duced an annual multi-week festival and CON - Atomic , received a 2011 Grammy Award for TACT!, the new-music series. In 2012–13, he Best Opera Recording. Earlier releases garnered conducts world premieres; presides over a cycle Grammy Award nominations and top honors of Brahms’s complete symphonies and concertos; from the Chicago Tribune and Gramophone continues The Nielsen Project, the multiyear ini - magazine. Mr. Gilbert studied at Harvard Univer - tiative to perform and record the Danish com - sity, The Curtis Institute of Music, and Juilliard poser’s symphonies and concertos; conducts and was assistant conductor of The Cleveland Bach’s Mass in B minor and an all-American pro - Orchestra (1995–97). In May 2010 he received gram, including Ives’s Fourth Symphony; and leads an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Cur - the Orchestra on the EUROPE / SPRING 2013 tis, and in December 2011 he received Colum - tour. The season concludes with June Journey: bia University’s Ditson Conductor’s Award for his Gilbert’s Playlist, four programs showcasing commitment to performing American and con - themes and ideas that Alan Gilbert has intro duced, temporary music.

New York Philharmonic