Tonight, the stars align! Latvian-born conductor Andris Nelsons makes his Philharmonic debut on the podium at Avery Fisher Hall, and pianist Jonathan Biss returns to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Come hear why Der Tagesspiegel calls Mr. Nelsons “a paragon of musicality,” February 10–12.

Photo by Marco Borggreve

Pianist Jonathan Biss discusses Beethoven’s revolutionary Piano Concerto No. 3 — which he will perform with the New York Philharmonic and guest conductor Andris Nelsons on February 10–12 at Avery Fisher Hall — and remembering to breathe at key moments in the music.

Podcast Preview:

This week’s On the Music Podcast series features composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who can be heard in an interview from a 1973 symposium at Northwestern University. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 will be performed by the New York Philharmonic, led by Andris Nelsons, who will be making his New York Philharmonic conducting debut. Also on the February 10–12 program: Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 3 with Jonathan Biss. 

Impress your friends: the New York Philharmonic’s first performance of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 was at Lewisohn Stadium on June 15, 1941, under the baton of then-music director Dimitri Mitropoulos.

Listen to more of the Philharmonic’s award-winning podcast series here.

Check out this Arts & Leisure piece from The New York Times on pianist Jonathan Biss, written by Allan Kozinn. Mr. Biss, whose “ability and interest go for things of transcendence and sublimeness” — according to his former teacher Leon Fleisher — makes his Carnegie Hall recital debut on January 21, and soon joins the Philharmonic on February 10–12 for the conducting debut of Andris Nelsons at Avery Fisher Hall. Enjoy!