Young People's Concerts
The Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic are the longest-running series of family concerts of classical music in the world.
| Abbreviation | YPC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1924 |
| Founder | Ernest Schelling |
| Type | Orchestral music |
| Location |
|
Key people | Leonard Bernstein, conductor (1958-72) |
Parent organization | New York Philharmonic |
| Subsidiaries | Very Young People's Concerts |
| Affiliations | CBS |
| Award(s) | 4 Emmy Awards |
| Website | https://nyphil.org/education/family-programs/ypc-family |
Symphony concerts for young people in New York City (before 1924) edit
On November 26, 1898, conductor Frank Damrosch and the New York Symphony Orchestra, presented one of the first orchestra concerts in New York City directed at a younger audience, entitled "Symphony Concert for Young People".[1] A year prior, in 1897, Damrosch was named the head of music education for New York City's public schools because of his social mission to teach music to impoverished New Yorkers.[2]
Decades later, between 1914–16, the New York Philharmonic's music director Josef Stránský began leading concerts for young people.[3]
Founding of an annual concert series (1924–1939) edit
The New York Philharmonic's annual "Young People's Concerts" series was founded in 1924 by conductor "Uncle" Ernest Schelling and Mary Williamson Harriman and Elizabeth "Bessie" Mitchell, co-chairs of the Philharmonic's Educational and Children's Concerts Committee.[4] Schelling designed the concerts to encourage a love of music in children, augmenting the music with demonstrations and talks featuring picture slideshows about composers, instruments, history, and other educational topics. Schelling created over 4,000 magic lantern glass slides to showcase a variety of subjects.[5][6]
Beginning in 1930, the Young People's Concerts were broadcast as a parallel feature with the Philharmonic's Sunday concerts on CBS Radio to homes across the United States and in Europe.[7] Schelling and the Philharmonic also went directly into New York City's public schools, presenting "School Day" concerts to young students.
The Young People's Concerts became very popular with children and their parents, as well as music lovers of all ages. In his first ten years, Schelling led two series of five to six concerts each season.[4] In addition to presenting concerts for children in New York, Schelling also presented concerts on the road in cities such as Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Rotterdam, and London. Schelling conducted the Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic from 1924 until his death in 1939.[8]
After Schelling (1940 to 1958) edit
Following Schelling's death in 1939, the Young People's Concerts were taken over by Swiss conductor Rudolph Ganz, from 1940 to 1947.[9] Ganz had initially planned six concerts each season at Carnegie Hall, plus a series of three "Elementary", or "Introductory", concerts at New York City's Town Hall for "children with little or no musical training" under the age of nine. However, the Elementary concerts were suspended in 1942 due to World War II and did not resume again until 1947.[4]
In 1947, the Young People's Concert Committee held interviews for the series' next conductor. The Committee voted American conductor Walter Hendl, who went on to lead four concerts.[10] Other conductors were vying for the position, including a young Leonard Bernstein, who had only debuted with the Philharmonic four years prior. Bernstein received only three votes and would not conduct a Young People's Concert until he became music director in 1958.
In 1950, American conductor Igor Buketoff was placed at the helm of all the Philharmonic's children's concerts, following his first guest appearance in the role just two years prior.[11]
In 1953, Canadian conductor Wilfrid Pelletier was appointed conductor of the Young People's Concerts.[12] In Pelletier's final season, 1956-17, the elementary series for younger children was dissolved yet again.[4]
Leonard Bernstein on CBS (1958–72) edit
Leonard Bernstein brought the Young People's Concerts to a new level of popular attention as music director of the New York Philharmonic, beginning in 1958. Bernstein wrote, conducted, and narrated a total of 53 episodes from 1958 to 1972, all of which were telecast on CBS and syndicated in over 40 countries.[13] Reaching millions of families across the United States and around the world, these concerts inspired entire generations of musicians and music lovers.[14]
Bernstein's first concert as music director and Conductor, on January 18, 1958, at Carnegie Hall in New York, was the first of these programs to be televised, "What Does Music Mean?" In 1962, the Young People's Concerts became the first series of concerts broadcast live from Lincoln Center. Initially broadcast on Saturdays (episodes 1–7) and Sundays (episodes 8–15), the concerts eventually moved to primetime (episodes 16–40) before returning to Sunday afternoons (episodes 41–53).[15]
Although Bernstein left the position of music director in 1969, he continued to lead the Young People's Concerts as Conductor Emeritus until 1972, concluding in March 1972 with a television series finale devoted to Gustav Holst's The Planets.[16]
The series won five Emmy Awards between 1962 and 1966.[17]
| Ep. No. | Title | Original airdate | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What Does Music Mean? | January 18, 1958 | |
| 2 | What is American Music? | February 1, 1958 | Aaron Copland |
| 3 | What is Orchestration? | March 8, 1958 | |
| 4 | What Makes Music Symphonic? | December 13, 1958 | |
| 5 | What is Classical Music? | January 24, 1959 | |
| 6 | Humor in Music | February 28, 1959 | |
| 7 | What is a Concerto? | March 28, 1959 | John Corigliano Sr.; John Wummer; William Lincer |
| 8 | Who is Gustav Mahler? | February 7, 1960 | Reri Grist; Helen Raab; William Lewis |
| 9 | Young Performers No. 1 | March 6, 1960 | Daniel Domb; Kenneth Schermerhorn; Barry Finclair; Stefan B. Mengelberg; Alexandra Wager |
| 10 | Unusual Instruments of Present, Past, and Future | March 27, 1960 | New York Pro Musica; Noah Greenberg; Vladimir Ussachevsky; Anita Darian |
| 11 | The Second Hurricane | April 24, 1960 | High School of Music & Art |
| 12 | Overtures and Preludes | January 8, 1961 | |
| 13 | Aaron Copland Birthday Party | February 12, 1961 | Aaron Copland; William Warfield |
| 14 | Young Performers No. 2 | March 19, 1961 | Lynn Harrell; Elyakum Shapirra; Jung-Ja Kim; Russell Stanger; Veronica Tyler; Gregory Millar; Henry Chapin |
| 15 | Folk Music in the Concert Hall | April 9, 1961 | Marni Nixon |
| 16 | What is Impressionism? | November 23, 1961 | |
| 17 | The Road to Paris | January 18, 1962 | Zara Nelsova |
| 18 | Happy Birthday, Igor Stravinsky | March 26, 1962 | |
| 19 | Young Performers No. 3 | April 14, 1962 | Seiji Ozawa; Gary Karr; Maurice Peress; John Canarina; Ruth & Naomi Segal; Paula Robison; Paul Green; Tony Cirone; David Hopper |
| 20 | The Sound of a Hall | November 21, 1962 | Shirley Verrett; John Corigliano, Sr.; Frank Gullino; Joseph Bernstein; William Dembinsky |
| 21 | What is a Melody? | December 21, 1962 | |
| 22 | Young Performers No. 4 | January 15, 1963 | Joan Weiner; Yuri Krasnopolsky; Claudia Hoca; Zoltán Rozsnyai; Pamela Paul; Serge Fournier; André Watts |
| 23 | The Latin American Spirit | March 8, 1963 | Netania Davrath |
| 24 | A Tribute to Teachers | 29 November 1963 | |
| 25 | Young Performers No. 5 | December 23, 1963 | Heidi Lehwalder; Amos Eisenberg; Weldon Berry, Jr.; Claudio Abbado; Shulamit Ran; Pedro Calderon; Stephen E. Kates; Zdeněk Košler |
| 26 | The Genius of Paul Hindemith | February 23, 1964 | |
| 27 | Jazz in the Concert Hall | March 11, 1964 | Richard Davis, Don Ellis, Benny Golson, Eric Dolphy, Joseph Cocuzzo, Gunther Schuller; Aaron Copland |
| 28 | What is Sonata Form? | November 6, 1964 | Veronica Tyler |
| 29 | Farewell to Nationalism | November 30, 1964 | Seymour Lipkin |
| 30 | Young Performers No. 6 | January 28, 1965 | Patricia Michaelian; James Buswell IV |
| 31 | A Tribute to Sibelius | February 19, 1965 | Sergiu Luca |
| 32 | Musical Atoms: A Study of Intervals | November 29, 1965 | |
| 33 | The Sound of an Orchestra | December 14, 1965 | |
| 34 | A Birthday Tribute to Shostakovich | January 5, 1966 | |
| 35 | Young Performers No. 7 | February 22, 1966 | Paul Schoenfield; Stephanie Sebastian; David Oei; Horacio Gutiérrez; James DePreist; Jacques Houtmann; Edo de Waart |
| 36 | What Is a Mode? | November 23, 1966 | |
| 37 | Young Performers No. 8 | January 27, 1967 | Elmar Oliveira; Mark Salkind; Fred Alston; Donald Green; Juan Pablo Izquierdo; Sylvia Caduff; Stephen Dominko; George Reid; Young Uck Kim |
| 38 | Charles Ives: American Pioneer | February 23, 1967 | Simon Estes |
| 39 | Alumni Reunion | April 19, 1967 | Stephen E. Kates; Veronica Tyler; André Watts |
| 40 | A Toast to Vienna in 3⁄4 Time | December 25, 1967 | Christa Ludwig; Walter Berry |
| 41 | Forever Beethoven | January 28, 1968 | Joseph Kalichstein; Paul Capolongo |
| 42 | Young Performers No. 9 | March 31, 1968 | Lawrence Foster; Alois Springer; Martin and Steven Vann; Helen Quach |
| 43 | Quiz-Concert: How Musical Are You? | May 26, 1968 | |
| 44 | Fantastic Variations | December 25, 1968 | Lorne Munroe |
| 45 | Bach Transmogrified | April 27, 1969 | Michael Korn; Leopold Stokowski; Moog synthesizer; David Nadien; Julius Baker; New York Rock & Roll Ensemble |
| 46 | Berlioz Takes a Trip | May 25, 1969 | |
| 47 | Two Ballet Birds | 14 September 1969 | |
| 48 | Fidelio: A Celebration of Life | March 29, 1970 | Forest Warren; Anita Darian; Howard Ross; David Cumberland |
| 49 | The Anatomy of a Symphony Orchestra | May 24, 1970 | |
| 50 | A Copland Celebration | December 27, 1970 | Stanley Drucker |
| 51 | Thus Spake Richard Strauss | April 4, 1971 | |
| 52 | Liszt and the Devil | February 13, 1972 | |
| 53 | Holst: The Planets | March 26, 1972 |
Kultur International Films released Volume I on DVD in 2004[18] and Volume II on DVD in 2013.[19] Each volume contains more than twenty hours of concerts.
International stage (1972–present) edit
Following their international rise to fame in the Bernstein era, the Young People's Concerts were subsequently presented by the New York Philharmonic on tour in concert halls throughout the world. The series began to expand its artistic leadership to develop a collective vision for its future.[20]
Following Bernstein's final Young People's Concert in 1972, Michael Tilson Thomas regularly led the series (1971–77),[21] in addition to conductors such as Erich Leinsdorf, Pierre Boulez, Igor Buketoff, Zubin Mehta, Aaron Copland, Kurt Masur, Leonard Slatkin, André Previn, Thomas Wilkins, and Jaap van Zweden.
In 2008, the New York Philharmonic was presenting four Young People's Concerts each season, in addition to concerts on tour to cities like Hong Kong. American conductor Delta David Gier hosted and led the programs and playwright Tom Dulack scripted them, which were themed as a unit and, as Schelling pioneered decades earlier, the live performances were complemented by live images projected on a large screen.[22][23]
As of 2024, the New York Philharmonic continues to present four Young People's Concerts each season. The contemporary concerts are thematically programmed, focusing 21st century issues like climate change, immigration, and social justice. The performances are complemented by live image and video projections, guest actors, dancers, singers, and community partners, with an interdisciplinary approach that brings elements like science, fantasy, and hip hop into the orchestra. These concerts have been streamed online for international audiences.[24][25]
Legacy and other educational programs edit
In 2005, the New York Philharmonic revived their "Elementary" series, renamed the Very Young People's Concerts, which is designed for younger children ages 3 to 6. The 30-minute concerts, hosted by the Philharmonic's Associate Principal Violist Rebecca Young, introduce children to music through games, stories, and musical performances of chamber music, as well as give children the opportunity to play musical instruments.[26][27]
References edit
- ^ "New York Philharmonic Program (ID: 9048)". New York Philharmonic Shelby White & Leon Levy Digital Archives. November 26, 1898. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "Juilliard School". Philanthropy Roundtable. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "New York Philharmonic Program (ID: 987)". New York Philharmonic Shelby White & Leon Levy Digital Archives. January 24, 1914. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Shanet 1975, p. 460.
- ^ "Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (slide) - Ernest Schelling". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "Ernest Schelling Lantern Slide Collection, New York Philharmonic Archives". archives.nyphil.org. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "Press Releases - 1940-1941, Sep 4, 1940 - Jan 27, 1941 (ID: 765-04-05)". archives.nyphil.org. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "Ernest Schelling, Famed Pianist, Dies; Composer Who Led Children's Concerts of the Philharmonic Since 1924 Was 63". The New York Times. December 9, 1939. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ Shanet 1975, p. 459.
- ^ "New York Philharmonic Program (ID: 4989), 1948 Feb 21". New York Philharmonic Shelby White & Leon Levy Digital Archives. February 21, 1948. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "Santa at Youth Concert; Leads Audience in 'Silent Night' – Igor Buketoff Conducts". The New York Times. December 17, 1950. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "New York Philharmonic Program (ID: 6816)". New York Philharmonic Shelby White & Leon Levy Digital Archives. November 28, 1953. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ Bernstein, Leonard (2005). Gottlieb, Jack (ed.). Leonard Bernstein's young people's concerts. Pompton Plains, New Jersey: Amadeus Press. ISBN 978-1-57467-102-5.
- ^ Kopfstein-Penk, Alicia (2015). Leonard Bernstein and his young people's concerts. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-8108-8849-4.
- ^ "Leonard Bernstein at 100 - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. September 23, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "Bernstein, Leonard: Young People's Concerts, Vol. .. - 800608 | Discover more releases from UNITEL Edition". www.naxos.com. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts with". Television Academy. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ Young People's Concerts, 9 DVDs, Kultur International Films (2004) OCLC 745367887
- ^ Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts with the New York Philharmonic. Volume 2, 9 DVDs, Kultur International Films (2013) OCLC 862170555
- ^ Westphal, Matthew (November 1, 2007). "New York Philharmonic Reveals Details of 2008 Asia Tour". Playbill.
- ^ "New York Philharmonic's Young People's Concerts: What is Noise? What is Music? (TV)". Paley Center for Media. 1975 [May 10, 1975 Saturday 5:00 PM]. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ Dulack, Tom. "Dramatists Play Service, Inc". www.dramatists.com. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ Smith, Steve (January 14, 2008). "Fanfare for the Common Kid: Fidgeting but Still Curious". The New York Times.
- ^ Cooper, Michael (November 3, 2016). "The Philharmonic to Stream Young People's Concerts". The New York Times.
- ^ "Young People's Concerts | Family-Friendly Concerts at NY Phil". nyphil.org. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "Classical Music for Children Ages 3-6 | NY Phil Family Concerts". nyphil.org. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ Ramey, Corinne (November 29, 2013). "Music to Really Young Ears: New York Philharmonic's Concerts Cater to Toddler Set". The Wall Street Journal.
Sources
- Shanet, Howard (1975). Philharmonic: A History of New York's Orchestra. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-08861-9.
Further reading edit
- Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts. Edited by Jack Gottlieb. New York: Doubleday, 1970.
- Olsen, Kathleen A. The Contributions of Leonard Bernstein to Music Education and Audience Development. Master's thesis from The Crane School of Music, Potsdam New York, 2009.
- Schonberg, Harold C. "Bernstein Offers a Lesson in Music", The New York Times, 19 January 1958, p. 81.
External links edit
- "Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts", TheTVDB (includes a list of all episodes)
- Bernstein's Studio, which includes some audio clips
- "Young People's Concerts Scripts" (Bernstein), Library of Congress
- Young People's Concerts at IMDb
- All 53 Bernstein episodes playlist on YouTube