Sing for One-Million Suppers

On Wednesday evening, Music Director Alan Gilbert joined Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child fame (center) and model Lauren Bush Lauren (left) for Clarins Million Meals Concert, celebrating the fifth anniversary of FEED, which Lauren co-founded to combat child hunger. The benefit was a resounding success, raising one million school meals for the World Food Programme.

Alan Gilbert performed with John Legend, Natasha Bedingfield, violist David Aaron Carpenter, pianist Christoph Eschenbach, and the Salomé Chamber Orchestra. Bill Clinton spoke, and Michelle Williams hosted.

Music for a Million Meals

Music Director Alan Gilbert will conduct and play violin at tonight’s benefit for FEED, which has provided nearly 60 million school meals around the world, mostly in Africa and Haiti. The concert, at Alice Tully Hall, honors The FEED Foundation’s fifth anniversary, and will feature a special appearance by former President Bill Clinton and performances by John Legend, Natasha Bedingfield, violist David Aaron Carpenter, and Christoph Eschenbach with the Salomé Chamber Orchestra.

Tune in to the live stream here.

One Lucky Duck

As a college student, how did Alan Gilbert get into a photo with the legendary Leonard Bernstein? Find out by taking a tour of the Music Director’s private studio at the Philharmonic’s home in Avery Fisher Hall, courtesy of a new, iPad app by Global Sponsor Credit Suisse. Download it for free.

Encore! Encore!! … Encore!!! Encore!!!!

Superstar pianist Evgeny Kissin capped off his one-night-only performance of piano concertos by Scriabin and Grieg with Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic by playing no fewer than four solo encores:

• Carnival Scene, the third movement of Grieg’s Scenes from Folk Life, Op. 19
• Scriabin’s Etude in C-sharp minor, Op. 42, No. 5
• Grieg’s own piano arrangements of two songs in his set Melodies of the Heart, Op. 5 — “I Love Thee,” Op. 41, No. 3
• and “Poet’s Heart,” Op. 52, No. 2

Flash Forward: Too Many Notes?

Who doesn’t love Brahms, who once said “It is not hard to compose, but what is fabulously hard is to leave the superfluous notes under the table.” Listen to the ones that made the cut as we revel in the ultra-Romantic’s music throughout the 2012–13 season. 

Check out clips of his brainy Fourth Symphony, expressive Violin Concerto, and more to find your favorites.

Open Ears, Open Arms

Connection and trust, exploration and risk-taking, “and the possibility to essentially program something that might be totally unknown, and have it received with open arms, and with enthusiasm, despite the fact that many people in the audience may have never heard it before.”

Music Director Alan Gilbert share’s his vision for forging a relationship with audiences in this keynote conversation with Executive Director Matthew VanBesien from the San Francisco Symphony’s American Orchestra Forum event on Sunday

Check out the video for their full conversation.

I Spy

Check out this video for a sneak peak at Alan Gilbert: A Study, a new app from Credit Suisse that allows you to explore the New York Philharmonic Music Director’s inner sanctum. Download the free app here.

East Coast, Represent!

The Philharmonic Penguins, led by Zubin Mehta (pictured),won the prized Davies Cup in a 24-16 game against the San Francisco Symphomaniacs in 1981. Sadly, they then lost the trophy two years later when the West Coasters met their rivals in New York in 1983 with an 11 to 6 win. The team - now led by Captain Alan Gilbert - is poised for a comeback to settle the score this Sunday, when the Penguins and the Symphomaniacs square off again for the trophy in SF during the CALIFORNIA 2012 tour. Look closely at this 1981 photo, and you’ll spot a young Alan Gilbert celebrating. (Photo courtesy of New York Philharmonic Digital Archives).

Organized by “Coach” Walter Rosenberg, the Philharmonic’s former Principal Percussionist, the Penguins have played in New York and all over the world. Famous maestros who have led the Penguins onto the field have been Seiji Ozawa, Leonard Bernstein, Leopold Stokowski, and Leonard Slatkin.

What role does live music play in a world of changing audience habits? Music Director Alan Gilbert and Executive Director Designate Matthew VanBesien will share their thoughts during the keynote conversation in “Talking About Audiences“ — a free public event in San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall at 1:30 p.m. (PDT)  Be sure to check out the live webcast.

In the meantime, listen as Alan Gilbert describes his approach to programming and how audiences play into his choices, above.

And catch up on the what critics described as the Philharmonic’s “blistering” debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles in our California 2012 Virtual Tour.