New York Philharmonic is the oldest professional symphony orchestra in the United States. The ensemble is based in New York and gives the majority of its subscription concerts at the principal concert hall at Lincoln Center, a venue that was long known as Avery Fisher Hall and was renamed in the 2010s.
Founding and early years
The ensemble was established in 1842 under the name Philharmonic Society. Its inaugural season presented an unusually long programme; among the works performed at the orchestra’s first concerts was Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, led by the conductor Ureli Corelli Hill. From the beginning the musicians organized themselves collectively and took responsibility for many administrative choices.
Early governance
In its first decades the orchestra operated as a cooperative in which the players determined membership, repertoire and leadership, and shared the season’s receipts among themselves. This model meant the musicians had direct control over artistic and financial decisions, a practice that later changed as the ensemble adopted modern management structures and appointed designated conductors and administrators.
Role and development
Over the years the New York Philharmonic has become one of the leading orchestras in the United States, commissioning new works, making commercial recordings, and touring nationally and internationally. While its methods of governance and its concert hall have evolved, the orchestra’s continuous performance history since 1842 remains a defining feature of its identity.