It’s a GAS!

Given the smiles above, it’s clear that director/designer Doug Fitch  proves that if you love what you do, you can’t call it work. Want more behind-the-scenes action from Giants Are Small as they prepare to put Philharmonic audiences under the spell of A Dancer’s Dream? Check out their Facebook for constant updates as they make their Dream our reality.

Winterwear

The front of Avery Fisher Hall has acquired a new look for the month of June as we count down the days to our season finale, A Dancer’s Dream. Check out what we have brewing for the double-bill of Stravinsky ballets starring New York City Ballet principal dancer Sara Mearns and helmed by Giants Are Small (the creative dynamite behind Le Grand Macabre and The Cunning Little Vixen). If nothing else, the frosty touches are helping to alleviate the humidity New York has been experiencing for the last few days…

Boldog Születésnapot, György!

On what would have been composer György Ligeti’s 90th birthday, we turn our eye back to our 2010 performance of the composer’s raucous, dystopian opera Le Grand Macabre. Though Ligeti passed away in 2006, his wife Vera was able to see the performance and met with Alan Gilbert backstage (seen above in this photo by Chris Lee).

Le Grand Macabre, a riotous finale to Alan Gilbert’s first season as the Philharmonic’s Music Director, also marked a milestone collaboration between the Orchestra and production company Giants Are Small. The two reunite next month with A Dancer’s Dream,featuring two ballets by Stravinsky conducted by Alan and starring ballerina Sara Mearns.

Dream a Little Dream

Delve into our season finale, A Dancer’s Dream, with a look at our newest Pinterest board: Inside “A Dancer’s Dream.” Director and designer Doug Fitch (who helped create our productions of Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre and Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen) has given us an exclusive peek at the inspiration boards that went into costuming Columbine, the Moor, Petrushka, and the Ice Maiden for Petrushka and The Fairy’s Kiss, two ballets by Stravinsky that make up our season finale in June that stars NYC Ballet principal dancer Sara Mearns. See how designers like Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior, Comme des Garçons, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Viktor & Rolf combine with artful origami and the looks of everyone from Mad Max to classical ballet to create this one of a kind Dream.

Bustin’ Out All Over

The Orchestra may be back from a three-week tour, but there’s no rest for the wicked as we prepare to launch into our final month of the 2012–13 season. Following next Monday’s Free Annual Memorial Day Concert at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, we host a slew of guest artists including Wynton Marsalis, Paulo Szot, Megan Hilty, Marin Mazzie, Lisa Batiashvili, Gerald Finley, Patricia Racette, Lionel Bringuier, Leonidas Kavakos, Emanuel Ax, and Sara Mearns. For a full calendar of our June journey, click here.

Mearns’s Turn

“I think if you are a true artist, passionate about your art form, who can’t imagine life without it, you are kissed with this curse of always trying to do your art form justice, create the beauty it deserves. It’s our job as performing artists to give the audience a taste of that passion — to let them fall into that world.” says New York City Ballet principal dancer Sara Mearns, who is featured in this month’s Playbill as we gear up for A Dancer’s Dream: Two Works by Stravinsky at the end of June. Learn  how she’ll be transforming into an Ice Fairy and a marionette when she appears with Alan Gilbert and the Phil by clicking here.

Dreams Do Come True

“It’s been a dream of mine to perform with an orchestra like that. Classical music for me, now, is equal to classical ballet. You can’t have one without the other.”

—  New York City Ballet principal dancer Sara Mearns talks with Classical TV about her collaboration with the Philharmonic on the upcoming multimedia production A Dancer’s Dream: Two Works by Stravinsky. 

We’ve enjoyed seeing Sara at the concerts she’s attended all season, but we can’t wait to welcome her as a guest performer. Stay tuned for more. 

(Chris Lee photo)

Starry, Starry Night

Famous friends of the Philharmonic were out in full force last week following the New York Premiere of Steven Stucky’s Symphony and Gil Shaham’s performance of Barber’s Violin Concerto led by Alan Gilbert. Pictured here (clockwise from top left): Elvis Costello and Alan Gilbert; Alec and Hilaria Baldwin with Gil Shaham and Philharmonic Executive Director Matthew VanBesien; Gil Shaham and New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Sara Mearns; and Steven Stucky with conductor Matthias Pintscher.

That’s more star power than an N64 game.

What are you looking forward to most in the coming Philharmonic season? The Rite of Spring, on tomorrow night’s opening program? The Bach B-minor Mass in March? CONTACT!? Manny’s Mozart, or Rouse’s World Premiere? The all-Stravinsky season finale, with Sara Mearns? Get a sneak peak at Superconductor blogger Paul Pelkonen’s picks in his article that will appear in this month’s Playbill.