New York Philharmonic Opens Bravo! Vail Residency with Dvořák and Tchaikovsky

VAIL, Colo. - July 17, 2013 - PRLog -- The New York Philharmonic opens its Bravo! Vail residency on Friday, July 19 with Music Director Alan Gilbert conducting Dvořák’s beautiful Cello Concerto with Principal Cello Carter Brey as soloist, and Tchaikovsky’s stirring Symphony No. 5. Friday evening marks the first of six concerts featuring the New York Philharmonic at Bravo! Vail. The concert, titled “Tchaikovsky’s Fifth,” begins at 6 p.m. at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater and promises all the passion, exuberance and majesty Bravo! Vail audiences have come to expect from the New York Philharmonic.

One of the greatest cello concertos of the 19th century, Dvořák’s Cello Concerto is bursting with fire and well-crafted melodies, and an unforgettable, ethereal quality that firmly established it as one of the most treasured works in the repertoire. The Concerto also has a direct connection to the United States: Dvořák composed the piece during his tenure as director of the National Conservatory of Music (1892–95) in New York City.

Earlier this summer, Mr. Gilbert led the New York Philharmonic in performance of the Dvořák Cello Concerto, with Mr. Brey as soloist, at an outdoor concert at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park before an estimated crowd of 17,000 people. Praising the performance, the New York Times wrote, “Mr. Brey’s cello came through vividly. His playing was probing, supple and, when called for, brilliant. Mr. Gilbert gracefully shaped the wistful passage for a choir of woodwinds at the opening of the great slow movement. Mr. Brey brought dancing vitality to the rustic finale.”

Mr. Brey was appointed Principal Cello of the New York Philharmonic in 1996. He made his official subscription debut with the Orchestra in May 1997 performing Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations under the direction of then Music Director Kurt Masur, and has since performed as soloist each season. From the time of Mr. Brey’s New York and Kennedy Center debuts in 1982, he has been regularly hailed by audiences and critics for his virtuosity, flawless technique, and complete musicianship. He rose to international attention in 1981 as a prizewinner in the Rostropovich International Cello Competition.

The New York Philharmonic and Mr. Gilbert will conclude the opening night of their Bravo! Vail residency with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. In their biography of Tchaikovsky, Lawrence and Elisabeth Hanson characterized Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony in the following manner: “The Fifth Symphony is splendid music, grand and dignified, and its form expresses the content more satisfactorily than in any other of Tchaikovsky’s large works for orchestra. But the final thought must be, as with so many of this composer’s works, a thought transcending the obvious pleasure of tunefulness, superb orchestration, and passionate self-questioning; it is from first note to last noble. Never querulous, never playing to the gallery, it exposes the soul of a man which all must feel the better for knowing.”

Come hear for yourself on Friday, July 19 as the New York Philharmonic begins its weeklong residency at Bravo! Vail.

How to Purchase Tickets
Tickets range from $32 to $165. Lawn tickets for children 12 and under are $5. Tickets are available for purchase at www.bravovail.org or by calling the box office at 877.812.5700. Tickets for concerts featuring the New York Philharmonic may also be purchased in-person at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater.

About Bravo! Vail
Bravo! Vail, Colorado’s premier international six-week summer music festival, brings world-renowned musicians to venues throughout Eagle County each season and draws guests 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 26th season June 28th through August 3rd, 2013, under the direction of artistic director Anne-Marie McDermott and new executive director James W. Palermo. The 2013 season features residencies by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, with popular concerto artists plus a wide array of stellar chamber music performances. For more information about Bravo! Vail visit www.bravovail.org or call 970.827.5700.