Philharmonic to cast a wide net of artists, repertoire in 2025-26 season
In New York City, at the foundation of American culture, and in parallel with Carnegie Hall just a few blocks away, the upcoming New York Philharmonic season will honor the 250th year of the United States’ existence. Future Philharmonic music director Gustavo Dudamel, fresh from rehearsing Edgard Varèse’s Amerique with the orchestra, joined new orchestra president Matias Tarnopolsky for the announcement Tuesday afternoon.
Dudamel will lead the season-opening concert, September 11, with a program of America old and new: Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 3—with soloist Yunchan Lim—written during the composer’s final years in this city; a world premiere from Leilehua Lanzilotti; and Charles Ives’ beautiful and revolutionary Symphony No. 2 (the program continues Sep. 12, 13, and 16).
Music of another revolutionary composer, Fred Rzewski, will be heard. The Philharmonic has commissioned an ambitious work, the orchestration of Rzewski’s extraordinary and politically incendiary The People United Will Never Be Defeated!, with 14 different composers tackling different parts; Dudamel explained that because of its length not every variation will be included, but the orchestra will tackle Rzewski’s call to improvise. That concert program, March 12-14 and 17, will include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3. Dudamel connected The People United to Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony as a symbol of “freedom and faith.” He added that the orchestra’s purpose is “not only entertainment…you get to listen, you get to think, to remember…this kind of ethereal contemplation is essential to our times.”
Ives appears twice more on the season: January 22-24, Thomas Adès returns to the Philharmonic, with pianist Yuja Wang and the debuts of the University of Michigan Chamber Choir and the EXIGENCE chorus, to lead his own America (A Prophecy), Kaija Saariaho’s Oltra mar, the Piano Concerto No. 1 from Einojuhani Rautavaara, and Ives’ Orchestral Set No. 2. On April 8-10 conductor Kwamé Ryan makes his subscription debut and will be joined by soprano Golda Schultz and the debut of the superb and innovative new music ensemble Yarn/Wire for a program that opens with Ives’ The Unanswered Question, and includes a world premiere from George Lewis and vocal music from Carlisle Floyd, Stravinsky, and Samuel Barber (Knoxville: Summer of 1915).
In addition to commemorating this country’s 250th year, the Philharmonic has a concert celebrating the 400th birthday of New York City. December 3-6, conductor Gustavo Gimeno will debut on the podium with Bernstein’s Three Dance Episodes from On the Town, Gershwin’s Concerto in F (played by Hélène Grimaud), and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.” Other notable conducting debuts will be those of Barbara Hannigan—who has sung with the orchestra—leading, and singing Strauss’ Metamorphosen and Francis Poulenc’s monodrama La Voix humane (April 23-25); Marta Gardolińska, with violinist Leila Josefowicz, will conduct the NY premiere of Mason Bates’ Devil’s Radio, alongside Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No. 2, and Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra (Sep. 27 and 30); and Stephen Mulligan will be at the podium for a notable Art of the Score program, Bernard Herrmann’s score for Psycho, played live with the film (October 30-November 1).
Brilliant young cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason is the season’s artist-in-residence. With Dudamel, he will play Bloch’s Schelomo along with a new piece from Ellen Reid, and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite (April 30-May 2); perform in recital with his sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason (March 24); and solo in Elgar’s Cello Concerto (May 27-30), with conductor Elim Chan also leading music from Noriko Koide and Prokofiev’s Cinderella Suite.
The orchestra will also honor an individual birthday, the centennial of composer, administrator, and former Philharmonic music director Pierre Boulez in two concerts led by Esa-Pekka Salonen. October 3-5, the program is selections from Notations, then Debussy, including La Mer and Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra, with Pierre-Laurent Aimard; the following week (Oct. 9-11), the L.A. Dance Project debuts with choreography by Benjamin Millepied (his own debut with the orchestra) set to Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna, along with Stravinsky’s Octet and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra.
Though he is not taking the music director reigns until the following season, Dudamel has a substantial presence in 2025-2026. Along with the above, he will conduct concerts featuring the debut of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra (May 6-8); the world premiere of an oratorio from David Lang, The Wealth of Nations, a setting of Adam Smith modeled after Handel’s Messiah with mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron (her debut) and baritone Davóne Tines (March 19-22); Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and John Corigliano’s Symphony No. 1 (September 18-21); and the Spring Gala (April 28).
Handel’s own Messiah will be back for the holidays, December 10-13, with Jane Glover conducting; November 13-14, and 16, David Robertson conducts a new installment in the orchestra’s Project 19 commissioning series, this one from Caroline Mallonee—the concert also has Nicola Benedetti playing Wynton Marsalis’ Violin Concerto and Stravinsky’s Petrushka.
Violinist Augustin Hadelich plays twice with the orchestra: a solo recital January 5, with a program that includes Bach, Ysaÿe, and Paganini; and Barber’s Violin Concerto, with conductor Dima Slobodeniouk also leading Sebastian Fagerlund’s Stonework and Symphony No. 2 by Sibelius (November 20-22). Pianist Behzod Abduraimov makes his Philharmonic debut January 7-10, playing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1—Gianandrea Noseda also leads Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4. Programs are to be determined, but the Sound On series will have vocalist Nathalie Joachim premiering her own new work, May 22, and conductor Brad Lubman leading students from Juilliard and the debut of Neue Vocalsolisten in concert that will include Chaya Czernowin’s Unforeseen dusk: bones into wings, a Philharmonic commission.
For more information and tickets, got to nyphil.org
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