New York Philharmonic's CONTACT!
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| New York Philharmonic's CONTACT! | |
|---|---|
| Name | CONTACT! |
| Type | contemporary music series |
| Organization | New York Philharmonic |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder | Alan Gilbert |
| Location | New York City |
| Venues | Avery Fisher Hall, David Geffen Hall, Alice Tully Hall |
| Genre | contemporary classical music |
| Website | New York Philharmonic |
New York Philharmonic's CONTACT!
CONTACT! is a contemporary music series established to showcase new works and living composers within the programming of the New York Philharmonic. Conceived as a platform bridging orchestral repertoire by figures such as Aaron Copland, Igor Stravinsky, Leonard Bernstein, Gustav Mahler and premieres from Elliott Carter, John Adams, Philip Glass, CONTACT! foregrounds composers, performers, and ensembles from across the contemporary music world. The series operates within a nexus of New York institutions including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Juilliard School, Columbia University, and the Miller Theatre ecosystem.
History and Origins
CONTACT! was inaugurated during the tenure of Alan Gilbert to reinvigorate programming that had historically featured conductors like Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, Klaus Tennstedt, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, and Pierre Boulez. Its origins trace to collaborative models practiced by organizations such as Ensemble InterContemporain, London Sinfonietta, New World Symphony, and festivals including Tanglewood Music Center and Aldeburgh Festival. Early seasons included engagements with composers associated with IRCAM, Bang on a Can, Mediation Festival, and curatorial ideas from figures like Esa-Pekka Salonen and Michael Tilson Thomas.
Programming and Format
CONTACT! programs often juxtapose canonical works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Antonín Dvořák, Sergei Prokofiev, and Dmitri Shostakovich alongside new commissions by Caroline Shaw, Mason Bates, Jennifer Higdon, Anna Clyne, and Thomas Adès. Formats include orchestral premieres, chamber collaborations with ensembles such as Kronos Quartet, Asko Ensemble, and Ensemble Signal, multimedia presentations with artists from Lincoln Center Out of Doors, and staged collaborations with directors from Metropolitan Opera and choreographers from New York City Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Notable Premieres and Commissions
CONTACT! has presented premieres and commissions from composers including Steve Reich, John Corigliano, George Benjamin, Kaija Saariaho, David Lang, Osvaldo Golijov, Julia Wolfe, Caroline Shaw, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Tania León, Thornton Wilder (libretto collaborations), and Esa-Pekka Salonen as composer-conductor. Collaborations extended to international figures like Krzysztof Penderecki, Arvo Pärt, György Ligeti, Pierre Boulez, Iannis Xenakis, Ravinia Festival commissions, and cross-genre partnerships with artists such as Björk, Paul Simon, Sting, and Lou Reed in festival contexts.
Artistic Leadership and Curators
Curatorial stewardship involved leaders such as Alan Gilbert, artistic advisors from Jaap van Zweden, guest curators like Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and partnerships with institutions including The Juilliard School, Mannes School of Music, Bard College, and Princeton University. Conductors and curators who shaped CONTACT! programs include Leon Botstein, James Levine, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Daniel Barenboim, Alan Gilbert, Zubin Mehta, Gustavo Dudamel, and guest programmers from The Kitchen, Bang on a Can, and Merce Cunningham Trust.
Venues and Performance Context
Performances have taken place at Lincoln Center halls including Avery Fisher Hall/David Geffen Hall and Alice Tully Hall, as well as at Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall, and offsite locations such as Brooklyn Academy of Music, St. Ann's Warehouse, The Cloisters, Brooklyn Museum, Queens Theatre, and pop-up spaces in Times Square. International presentation partners included Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, Sala São Paulo, and touring collaborations with orchestras like the London Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Reception and Impact
CONTACT! received critical attention from publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine, and The Village Voice. Reviews often compared programming strategies to those of Pierre Boulez's advocacy, Seiji Ozawa's promoting modern repertoire, and initiatives at Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. The series influenced commissioning practices at orchestras including Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and led to composer residencies with institutions like Columbia University's Computer Music Center and NYU's music programs.
Recordings and Media Presentations
Selected CONTACT! performances were documented in live recordings and broadcast partnerships with WQXR, WFMT, BBC Radio 3, NPR Music, and streaming platforms allied with Medici.tv and YouTube. Releases appeared on labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, Nonesuch Records, ECM Records, Sony Classical, New Amsterdam Records, and archival projects in collaboration with Library of Congress collections and New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
Education and Community Engagement
The initiative linked with education partners Juilliard, Columbia University, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, Mannes School of Music, and community organizations including NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Lincoln Center Education, Young People’s Chorus of New York City, and SummerStage. Outreach included composer workshops with Bang on a Can Summer Festival, masterclasses by visiting composers such as John Adams and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, and youth engagement modeled after programs at California Institute of the Arts and Curtis Institute of Music.
Category:New York Philharmonic Category:Contemporary classical music Category:Music festivals in New York City