Pre-Concert Talks

Want to know more about the music you'll be hearing? Concert ticket holders are invited to join us one hour before concert time for an engaging and insightful backstage musical preview. Tickets are $5. Held in Helen Huntington Hull Room, Avery Fisher Hall, Second Tier (unless otherwise noted)..

Many of these talks will be hosted by James M. Keller, the Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence and Program Annotator at the New York Philharmonic. Additional pre-concert talks are given by scholars, composers, conductors, and New York Philharmonic Teaching Artists.

2008-2009 Pre-Concert Talks

Pre-Concert Talk: Yefim Bronfman Plays Rachmaninoff Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Thu, Sep 18, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Sep 19, 2008, 1:00 PM  view details Sat, Sep 20, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Tue, Sep 23, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Music by Philharmonic Music Directors Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Thu, Sep 25, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Sep 26, 2008, 10:00 AM  view details Sat, Sep 27, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Dvorák's Symphony No. 9, From the New World Joseph Horowitz, Speaker Tue, Oct 7, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Saturday Matinee Joseph Horowitz, Speaker Sat, Oct 11, 2008, 1:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Dvorák's Symphony No. 9, From the New World Joseph Horowitz, Speaker Sat, Oct 11, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Falla's La vida breve David Wallace, Speaker Thu, Oct 16, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Oct 17, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Tue, Oct 21, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Robertson Conducts Mozart, Bartók and Brahms Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Thu, Oct 23, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Oct 24, 2008, 10:00 AM  view details Sat, Oct 25, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Eschenbach, Lang Lang, Beethoven and Bruckner Arbie Orenstein, Speaker Wed, Nov 5, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Thu, Nov 6, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Nov 7, 2008, 1:00 PM  view details Sat, Nov 8, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Gil Shaham and Stravinsky's Firebird Victoria Bond, Speaker Wed, Nov 12, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Thu, Nov 13, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Sat, Nov 15, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Maazel Conducts Beethoven's Fifth Symphony Lawrence Tarlow, Speaker Thu, Nov 20, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Nov 21, 2008, 10:00 AM  view details Sat, Nov 22, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Julia Fischer Plays Mozart Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Tue, Nov 25, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Nov 28, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Saturday Matinee Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Sat, Nov 29, 2008, 1:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Julia Fischer Plays Mozart Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Sat, Nov 29, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Maazel Conducts Beethoven's Fifth Symphony James M. Keller, Speaker Wed, Dec 3, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Richard Strauss's Elektra , Thu, Dec 4, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Maazel Conducts Beethoven's Fifth Symphony James M. Keller, Speaker Fri, Dec 5, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Richard Strauss's Elektra , Sat, Dec 6, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Tue, Dec 9, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Bach, Prokofiev and Mozart James M. Keller, Speaker Thu, Dec 11, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Dec 12, 2008, 1:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Richard Strauss's Elektra , Sat, Dec 13, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Handel's Messiah Joelle Wallach, Speaker Wed, Dec 17, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Thu, Dec 18, 2008, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Dec 19, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Sat, Dec 20, 2008, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Bach, Strauss and Pictures at an Exhibition Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Fri, Jan 2, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Saturday Matinee Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Sat, Jan 3, 2009, 1:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Bach, Strauss and Pictures at an Exhibition Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Sat, Jan 3, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Tue, Jan 6, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Mozart, Messiaen and Debussy Arbie Orenstein, Speaker Thu, Jan 8, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Jan 9, 2009, 1:00 PM  view details Sat, Jan 10, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Gustavo Dudamel and Pinchas Zukerman David Wallace, Speaker Thu, Jan 15, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Jan 16, 2009, 10:00 AM  view details Tue, Jan 20, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Muti, Quasthoff, Haydn and Brahms Victoria Bond, Speaker Thu, Jan 22, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Sat, Jan 24, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Tue, Jan 27, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Riccardo Muti and Radu Lupu James M. Keller, Speaker Thu, Jan 29, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Jan 30, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Sat, Jan 31, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Masur, Mutter and Mendelssohn James M. Keller, Speaker Wed, Feb 4, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Thu, Feb 5, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Feb 6, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Sat, Feb 7, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Fri, Mar 13, 2009, 1:00 PM  view details Sat, Mar 14, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: McGegan, Schäfer and Handel Kyle Dzapo, Speaker Thu, Mar 26, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Mar 27, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Sat, Mar 28, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Charles Dutoit and Lisa Batiashvili Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Fri, Apr 3, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Saturday Matinee Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Sat, Apr 4, 2009, 1:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Charles Dutoit and Lisa Batiashvili Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Sat, Apr 4, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Muti, Uchida, Ravel and Schubert Joelle Wallach, Speaker Wed, Apr 15, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Apr 17, 2009, 10:00 AM  view details Sat, Apr 18, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Muti Conducts The Pines of Rome Victoria Bond, Speaker Wed, Apr 22, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Thu, Apr 23, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Apr 24, 2009, 1:00 PM  view details Sat, Apr 25, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Alan Gilbert and Joshua Bell Paul Moravec, Speaker Thu, Apr 30, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, May 1, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Sat, May 2, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Tue, May 5, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Salonen Conducts Sibelius Paul Moravec, Speaker Thu, May 14, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Sat, May 16, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Maazel conducts Britten's War Requiem James M. Keller, Speaker Thu, Jun 11, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Jun 12, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Sat, Jun 13, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Maazel Conducts Sibelius's Second Symphony Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Wed, Jun 17, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Thu, Jun 18, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Sat, Jun 20, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Pre-Concert Talk: Maazel Conducts Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand Charles Zachary Bornstein, Speaker Wed, Jun 24, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Thu, Jun 25, 2009, 6:30 PM  view details Fri, Jun 26, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details Sat, Jun 27, 2009, 7:00 PM  view details

Programs and artists are subject to change.

For information and to buy tickets for specific pre-concert talks, visit the program listing for that day's concert.

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The Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence program is underwritten by a generous gift from Sandy and Steve Perlbinder with additional generous support from Richard Nordlof and The Elmar Fund.