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PHOTOS: 50th Anniversary of Concerts in the Parks Begins in Central Park

The New York Philharmonic and 55,000+ of its fans gathered in Central Park Wednesday for a night of musical fireworks (and actual fireworks) celebrating 50 years of the beloved New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer. Music Director Alan Gilbert and the Orchestra played Barber, Rodgers, and Sousa, plus Bernstein with violinist Joshua Bell.

Concerts in the Parks Scavenger Hunt: Staten Island Clues

Concerts in the Parks New York Philharmonic

Last week we launched the New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks 50th Anniversary Scavenger Hunt with five clues each for Manhattan and Brooklyn. Congrats to sisters @mauiiwowwie (on Twitter) and @jilliansadsad (on Instagram), joint Grand Prize winners for Manhattan, and @sim_inthecity (on Instagram), Grand Prize winner for Brooklyn!

Staten Island, you're up! The Grand Prize includes two VIP passes for the Free Indoor Concert in Staten Island on June 24, a deluxe Picnycs basket, and two tickets to a subscription concert next season. Full details and instructions.

Staten Island Clues

  1. The first Staten Island venue for Concerts in the Parks was this park in the Sunnyside neighborhood. Take a photo there and post with #nypparks50!
  2. On March 12, 1957, the Philharmonic, led by Dimitri Mitropoulos, performed at this grand Art Deco theater on Bay Street, which has been shuttered for more than 25 years. Take a photo there and post with #nypparks50!
  3. From 1995 to 2002, the Philharmonic performed at this former Army Air Corps base, now a recreational area. Take a photo there and post with #nypparks50!
  4. This year the Philharmonic performs at the Music Hall of this former “haven for aged, decrepit and worn out sailors.” Take a photo there and post with #nypparks50!
  5. As part of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Concerts in the Parks, this summer local musicians open for the Philharmonic in Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island. The Staten Island opening act are folk musicians from this living history village and museum complex. Take a photo there and post with #nypparks50!

Happy hunting!

(Photo: Chris Lee)

Concerts in the Parks Scavenger Hunt: Bronx Clues

Concerts in the Parks New York Philharmonic

Last week we launched the New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks 50th Anniversary Scavenger Hunt with five clues each for Manhattan and Brooklyn. Congrats to sisters @mauiiwowwie (on Twitter) and @jilliansadsad (on Instagram), joint Grand Prize winners for Manhattan, and @sim_inthecity (on Instagram), Grand Prize winner for Brooklyn!

The Grand Prize includes two VIP passes for the Concerts in the Park Bronx concert, a deluxe Picnycs basket, and two tickets to a subscription concert next season. Full details and instructions.

Bronx, you're up!

Bronx Clues

  1. Arturo Toscanini, New York Philharmonic Music Director from 1928 to 1936, lived in this Riverdale estate from 1942 to 1945. It is now a public garden and cultural center. Take a photo of it and post with #nypparks50!
  2. The first “park” the Philharmonic performed in in the Bronx, starting in 1965, is this botanical gem of New York City. Take a photo there and post with #nypparks50!
  3. Leopold Damrosch, Music Director of the New York Philharmonic from 1876 to 1877, is buried in the Bronx. Take a photo of his grave and post with #nypparks50!
  4. In The Godfather, which the New York Philharmonic presents in September with the Orchestra performing the score live, has an iconic scene in which Michael shoots and kills Sollozzo and police captain McCluskey. That scene was shot at the now-closed Luna Restaurant, in the Bronx. Take a picture of the street sign of the street it was on and post with #nypparks50!
  5. In Van Cortlandt Park, where the Philharmonic performs this summer, there is a statue evoking a famous Aesop’s Fable. Take a photo and post with #nypparks50!

Happy hunting!

(Photo: Chris Lee)

Concerts in the Parks Scavenger Hunt: Queens Clues

Concerts in the Parks New York Philharmonic

Last week we launched the New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks 50th Anniversary Scavenger Hunt with five clues each for Manhattan and Brooklyn. Congrats to sisters @mauiiwowwie (on Twitter) and @jilliansadsad (on Instagram), joint Grand Prize winners for Manhattan, and @sim_inthecity (on Instagram), Grand Prize winner for Brooklyn!

Queens, it’s your turn!

Queens Clues

  1. In 1956, this jazz great “and his All-Stars” performed “St. Louis Blues” with the New York Philharmonic and conductor Leonard Bernstein. He lived for many years in Corona, and his house is now a museum. Take a photo of the house/museum and post with #nypparks50!
  2. The official piano of the New York Philharmonic is a company with a factory in Long Island City. Take a photo of the factory sign or front door and post with #nypparks50!
  3. This Japanese-American sculptor designed the sets for Martha Graham’s dance for Copland’s Appalachian Spring, which the Philharmonic performs this summer in the Concerts in the Parks. There is a museum devoted to him in Long Island City. Take a photo of it and post with #nypparks50!
  4. From 1965 to 1989, the New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks performed in this park in Bayside when visiting Queens. Take a photo of the sign and post with #nypparks50!
  5. Music students at this Astoria performing-arts high school named for an iconic blue-eyed pop singer (and founded by another iconic pop singer) have benefited from exposure to New York Philharmonic musicians and Teaching Artists as part of the Philharmonic’s Education programs. Take a photo of the school and post with #nypparks50!

Happy hunting!

(Photo: Chris Lee)

Concerts in the Parks Scavenger Hunt: Brooklyn Clues

Concerts in the Parks Scavenger Hunt New York Philharmonic

Wednesday we launched the New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks 50th Anniversary Scavenger Hunt with five clues for Manhattan.

Brooklyn, you’re up. Be the first to solve these clues and you'll win VIP tickets to the concert in Prospect Park, a Picnycs picnic basket, and two free tickets to a subscription concert next season. Full details.

Brooklyn Clues

  1. Our Music Director from 1958 to 1969 is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery. Take a photo of the gravestone and post with #nypparks50!
  2. In Prospect Park’s Flower Garden is a memorial to the composer whose Ninth Symphony was performed at the first-ever Concerts in the Park, in 1965. Take a photo of it and post with #nypparks50!
  3. Benjamin Britten lived in Brooklyn Heights for two years starting in 1939. The house no longer stands, but take a photo of the street sign of the street he lived on and post with #nypparks50!
  4. As a child, Aaron Copland lived above his parents’ shop, H.M. Copland’s. Take a photo of the building at the store’s address, or the street sign at either end of that block, and post with #nypparks50!
  5. Next season, CONTACT!, our new-music series, expands to Brooklyn for three concerts at a soon-to-open Williamsburg venue housed in a century-old factory. Take a photo of the building and post with #nypparks50!

Don’t forget to follow us on TwitterInstagram, and Tumblr to participate, and happy hunting!

(Photo: Chris Lee)

Game On! Concerts in the Parks Scavenger Hunt Launched in Manhattan

Concerts in the Parks Scavenger Hunt New York Philharmonic

Welcome to the New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks 50th Anniversary Scavenger Hunt!

Here’s how it works. For each borough, we’ll post five clues here on What’s New and on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr leading you to places of special significance to classical music, the Concerts in the Parks, or to the borough itself.

Today’s borough is Manhattan (the clues are below). We’ll post clues for Brooklyn June 12, Queens June 15, Bronx June 16, and Staten Island June 17.

When you solve a clue, go to the location and post a photo with the hashtag #nypparks50 to complete the clue. (Yes, go there! Enjoy the weather, take a walk; Google Images submissions won’t count!) The first fan to get all five for a given borough will win:

• a pair of VIP tickets to that borough’s Concerts in the Parks

• a deluxe Picnycs basket, complete with blanket, featuring gourmet delicacies

• a pair of tickets to a Philharmonic concert in the 2015–16 season

The first four runners-up for each borough will win a 2015 Concerts in the Parks t-shirt.

Manhattan Clues

  1. In Central Park, at East 71st Street near the Rumsey Playfield, there is a statue of a beloved children’s character whose name is also a piece by Ravel. Take a photo of it and post with #nypparks50!
  2. In Central Park, near the Delacorte Theater, there is a statue with a connection to Tchaikovsky. Take a photo of it and post with #nypparks50!
  3. Bartók lived in midtown Manhattan for the last year of his life. A bust and plaque adorn the building’s façade. Take a photo of it and post with #nypparks50!
  4. On the west side of Central Park, near 69th Street, stands a war memorial that would be a fitting backdrop for a performance of Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, which the Philharmonic performed in Central Park on July 4, 1976, to help celebrate the U.S. Bicentennial. Take a photo of it and post with #nypparks50!
  5. Leonard Bernstein lived in Apt. 4B in this building in the 1950s, when he wrote West Side Story, the second-most performed work performed at Concerts in the Parks since 1965. Take a photo of the awning and post with #nypparks50!

Don’t forget to follow us on TwitterInstagram, and Tumblr to participate, and happy hunting!

50th Anniversary Parks Perks

The New York Philharmonic, trees and lawn, and fireworks … what more could you want? Well, there are a few extras in store for our fans in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.

Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, June 19: In addition to Share the Stage — Brooklyn, featuring the Brooklyn Interdenominational Choir, led by Frank Haye, look for:

  • Local food trucks, including Carpe Donut and Nuchas;
  • a photo exhibit in a white tent next to the Prospect Park Alliance table.

Queens’s Cunningham Park, June 22: In addition to Share the Stage — Queens, featuring jazz percussionist Steven Kroon, check out

  • Local food trucks, including Andy’s Italian Ices, Big D’s Grub Truck, and Souvlaki GR
  • a photo exhibit in a white tent under a large tree on the way to the bathroom building. When looking at the stage, the table will be on the left side of the field. 
  • Philharmonic staff gathering memories from audience members to be added to Crowdsourcing Memories: 50 Years of the Philharmonic in New York City’s Parks
  • And in the lead-up to the concert, 50 Years of the New York Philharmonic in Queens Parks, multimedia talks created by the Philharmonic Archives and the Queens Library, about the Orchestra’s relationship with Queens through the Concerts in the Parks. These take place at the following Queens Library branches: Windsor Park (June 11, 2:30 p.m.), Central Library (June 11, 6:00 p.m.), Forest Hills (June 13, 3:00 p.m.), and Glen Oaks (June 19, 1:30 p.m.)

Bronx’s Van Cortlandt Park, June 23: In addition to Share the Stage — Bronx, featuring BombaYo, led by Jose L. Ortiz, also known as Dr. Drum, enjoy the photo exhibit in a white tent near the main entrance to the event (where most people enter the field).

Opening Acts 'Share the Stage' at Concerts in the Parks

Show your borough pride by cheering on your hometown bands as they Share the Stage with the New York Philharmonic this summer!

As part of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Concerts in the Parks, we will present Share the Stage in Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island, an opportunity for local musicians to perform in their home boroughs before the Philharmonic's concerts. Set up your blankets early to check out:

Brooklyn (Prospect Park, June 19, 6:30 PM): the Brooklyn Interdenominational Choir, led by Frank Haye

Queens (Cunningham Park, June 22, 6:30 PM): jazz percussionist Steven Kroon

Bronx (Van Corlandt Park, June 23, 6:30 PM): Afro-Puerto Rican drummers BombaYo, led by Jose L. Ortiz

Staten Island (Snug Harbor, June 24, 7:00 PM): Historic Richmond Town folk musicians Bob Conroy and Norm Pederson with Bill Doerge (skilled storytellers and instrumentalists on banjo, guitar, fiddle, and mandola from Staten Island’s Historic Richmond Town who lift traditional songs out of the faraway past into the vibrant present).

Think you know every inch of your borough? Prove it during our social-media scavenger hunt.

Starting June 10, we’ll start posting clues on Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr leading you to places of special significance to each borough or to the Concerts in the Parks. Post a photo of the location with the hashtag #nypparks50 to complete a clue. There will be five clues in each borough. Be the first to get them all for your borough and you'll win a pair of VIP tickets to one of the Concerts in the Parks, a deliciously deluxe picnic basket from Picnycs to enjoy during the concert, and a pair of tickets to a Philharmonic concert in the 2015–16 season. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to get more information and to participate.