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.

Biennial Beat Episode Two: The Importance of Being Earnest

Posted May 25, 2016


The NY PHIL BIENNIAL got off to a boundary-pushing start on Monday with JACK Quartet in a concert of World and New York Premieres at 92nd Street Y, followed by the launch of Jennifer Koh’s sprawling Shared Madness at National Sawdust last night.

“Do You Love Quoting Oscar Wilde’s Bons Mots?” asked The New York Times in its super-helpful NY PHIL BIENNIAL guide. “If you’re intrigued by all things Wilde … try the Irish composer Gerald Barry’s opera based on ‘The Importance of Being Earnest.’ It is having its first staged production in the United States from June 2 through 4 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theate.”

See you there? Great. Get ready with episode two of Biennial Beat — a video series filling you in on the stories behind the biennial — featuring The Importance of Being Earnest and its wild staging.