The New York Philharmonic

Update Browser

Pages don't look right?

You are using a browser that does not support the technology used on our website.

Please select a different browser or use your phone or tablet to access our site.

Download: Firefox | Chrome | Safari | Microsoft Edge

Note that Internet Explorer is no longer supported as of June 15, 2022.

Blomstedt, Beethoven’s Fifth, and Nielsen’s Inextinguishable

Mar 03 - Mar 05

CYO

This week’s concerts are dedicated to the people of Ukraine. Read our statement.

Revered maestro Herbert Blomstedt returns to conduct Beethoven’s Fifth, instantly recognizable from the four powerful opening chords through its glorious and joyful conclusion. Nielsen’s most dramatic symphony, known as The Inextinguishable, evokes what the composer described as “the elemental will to live.”

Blomstedt, Beethoven’s Fifth, and Nielsen’s Inextinguishable
 
DATE / TIME

Thu

7:30 PM

3

Mar

2022

Fri

8:00 PM

4

Mar

2022

Sat

8:00 PM

5

Mar

2022

CYO

Subscriptions for the 2022–23 season are available now, subscribe today and secure your seats in the reimagined David Geffen Hall!

Location

Alice Tully Hall

Duration

1 Hour 45 Minutes with Intermission

Program

Nielsen

Symphony No. 4, The Inextinguishable

Listen

Beethoven

Symphony No. 5

Listen

Artists

  • Herbert Blomstedt

    Conductor

    Noble, charming, sober, modest. Such qualities may play a major role in human coexistence and are certainly appreciated, but are rather atypical in extraordinary personalities such as conductors. Whatever the public’s notion of a conductor may be, Herbert Blomstedt is an exception, precisely because he possesses those very qualities that seemingly have little to do with a conductor’s claim to power. Yet the fact that he disproves many clichés should not lead one to assume that he does not have the power to assert his clearly defined musical goals. Anyone who has attended his rehearsals and experienced his concentration on the essence of the music, precision in the phrasing of musical facts and circumstances as they appear in the score, and tenacity regarding the implementation of an aesthetic view, is likely to have been amazed at how few despotic measures were required. He has always represented the type of artist whose professional competence and natural authority make all external emphasis superfluous. His work as a conductor is inseparably linked to his religious and human ethos; his interpretations combine great faithfulness to the score and analytical precision with a soulfulness that awakens the music to pulsating life. Throughout the 60-plus years of his career he has acquired the unrestricted respect of the musical world.

    Herbert Blomstedt — born in the United States to Swedish parents and educated in Uppsala, New York, Darmstadt, and Basel — gave his conducting debut in 1954 with the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra; he subsequently served as chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic, Swedish and Danish Radio Orchestras, and Dresden Staatskapelle. Later, he became music director of the San Francisco Symphony, chief conductor of the NDR Symphony Orchestra, and music director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. His former orchestras in San Francisco, Leipzig, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Dresden, as well as the Bamberg Symphony and NHK Symphony Orchestra, have all honored him with the title of conductor laureate.

    Herbert Blomstedt holds several Honorary Doctorates, is an elected member of the Royal Swedish Music Academy, and was awarded the German Great Cross of Merit with Star. Over the years, all leading orchestras around the globe have been fortunate to secure his services.

    Having celebrated his 95th birthday in 2022, he continues to be at the helm of all leading international orchestra with enormous mental and physical presence, verve, and artistic drive.

     

    Learn more about Herbert Blomstedt

Special Thanks

These performances are supported by Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc.

Herbert Blomstedt’s appearance is made possible with generous support from the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation.

×

Purchase 3 or more eligible concerts & save.

About Create Your Own Series:

Pick three (or more) concerts and and enjoy exclusive Subscriber Benefits including unlimited free ticket exchange. Ideal for concertgoers who want the ultimate in flexibility and the benefits of being a subscriber.

Subscriber Benefits:

  • Free, easy ticket exchange (available online or by phone)
  • Save on subscription concerts all year long
  • Priority notice on special events

How it Works:

  1. Look for the Create Your Own Series icon CYO eligible icon next to a concert and add it to your cart.
  2. Simply follow the directions in the shopping cart and enter promo code CREATE3 at check out.

Members Get More

Free passes to donor rehearsals. Access to the new Ackman Family Patron Lounge. Concierge ticketing services. Champagne receptions with artists. All this – and more – when you become a member!