Founded in 1842, the New York Philharmonic is the oldest symphony orchestra in the United States and one of the oldest in the world, having performed its 15,000th concert in May 2010. Music Director Alan Gilbert, The Yoko Nagae Ceschina Chair, began his tenure in September 2009, succeeding a distinguished line of 20th-century musical giants that goes back to Gustav Mahler and Arturo Toscanini. Long a leader in American musical life, commissioning and premiering works by each era’s leading composers, the Orchestra is renowned around the globe, having appeared in 430 cities in 63 countries — including the February 2008 historic visit to Pyongyang, DPRK, for which the Philharmonic earned the 2008 Common Ground Award for Cultural Diplomacy. The Philharmonic, which appears annually on PBS’s Live From Lincoln Center, is the only American orchestra to have a weekly, nationally syndicated radio series — The New York Philharmonic This Week — also streamed on nyphil.org. The Philharmonic has made nearly 2,000 recordings since 1917, with more than 500 currently available. The most recent initiative is Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic: 2010–11 Season — 12 downloadable concerts, recorded live, available either as a subscription or individually. Famous for the longrunning Young People’s Concerts, the Orchestra has a wide range of education programs, including the School Partnership Program, enriching music education in New York City, and Learning Overtures, fostering international exchange among educators.
Credit Suisse is the exclusive Global Sponsor of the New York Philharmonic.