New York Philharmonic Returns to Bravo! Vail 7/18-25

The New York Philharmonic begins its 12th annual Bravo! Vail residency on Friday, July 18 with renowned pianist Yefim Bronfman playing Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto, led by Music Director Alan Gilbert at the outdoor setting of Vail's Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. The following evening, Saturday, July 19, Bronfman returns with Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerto, subtitled "Emperor," as part of an all-Beethoven program. Conductors Bramwell Tovey and Ted Sperling also return to lead the New York Philharmonic during its weeklong residency. The New York Philharmonic has performed at Bravo! Vail each summer since 2003.

"The New York Philharmonic is really a centerpiece of summer in Vail," said James W. Palermo, president and executive director, Bravo! Vail. "I marvel at the precision, power, and soul of their performances. Each one comes with great commitment, spirit, and energy. Audiences are in for a special treat this summer with the great variety of programs the New Yorkers will offer."

Gilbert, who conducts three concerts during the New York Philharmonic's residency, has selected works by composers for whom he has advocated during his tenure, ranging from the great Danish composer Carl Nielsen, to American composer Christopher Rouse, the New York Philharmonic's Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence.

Gilbert's concluding Bravo! Vail concert on Sunday, July 20 features New York Philharmonic Principal Oboe Liang Wang in a performance of Rouse's work from 2004, the Oboe Concerto. The Concerto received its New York premiere in November 2013 with Gilbert conducting Wang and the New York Philharmonic. This concert marks its Bravo! Vail debut.

Rouse, whose term as Composer-in-Residence was recently extended for a third season, explains the Oboe Concerto: "It's a real workout for the oboist. It is one of my more genial works. There aren't too many clouds in the sky. It's meant to have a kind of amorous, romantic quality."

"What I've always loved most about the Philharmonic is that they play as though it's a matter of life or death," continued Rouse. "The energy, excitement, commitment, and intensity are so exciting and wonderful for a composer. Some of the very best performances I've ever had have been by the Philharmonic."

Bramwell Tovey, the Grammy Award-winning music director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, returns for his 11th summer at Bravo! Vail to conduct two programs. The first concert on Wednesday, July 23 features Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man, Gershwin's Strike Up the Band, and Copland's Clarinet Concerto, with New York Philharmonic Associate Principal and Solo E-flat Clarinet Mark Nuccio as soloist.

Tovey conducts the residency's concluding program on Friday, July 25, featuring Shostakovich's Festive Overture; Rachmaninoff's arrangement of his own Vocalise; Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker, and Marché slave; and Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1, with local favorite Joyce Yang as soloist.

Tony and Drama Desk award-winning Broadway conductor Ted Sperling returns to Bravo! Vail to conduct Broadway Night with the Philharmonic: The Music of Frank Loesser, on Thursday, July 24. This eagerly-awaited concert features Broadway stars Christine Ebersole, Laura Osnes, and Santino Fontana. Fontana, who is marking his New York Philharmonic debut at this concert, will be recognized by fans of the Academy Award-winning Disney animated feature Frozen as the voice of Prince Hans.

Tickets are on sale and start at $28. For more information about the New York Philharmonic's residency and to purchase tickets, visit bravovail.org or call 877.812.5700.

Bravo! Vail, one of North America's premier summer music festivals, brings world-renowned musicians to venues throughout Eagle County, Colorado for six weeks each summer, drawing music lovers from around the world. The only festival in North America to host three of the world's finest orchestras in a single season, Bravo! Vail celebrates its 27th season June 27 through August 2, 2014, under the direction of Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott and President & Executive Director James W. Palermo. The 2014 season features residencies by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic, with celebrated concerto artists plus a wide array of stellar chamber music performances.

For more information about Bravo! Vail visit bravovail.org or call 970.827.5700.