New York Philharmonic Orchestra: America's Oldest Professional Symphony, Founded 1842
New York Philharmonic, founded in 1842, is the United States' oldest professional symphony. Based at Lincoln Center, it commissions new works, makes recordings and tours internationally.
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.
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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.
Questions and answers
Q: What is the New York Philharmonic?
A: The New York Philharmonic is the oldest symphony orchestra in the United States.
Q: Where does the New York Philharmonic perform most of its concerts?
A: The New York Philharmonic performs most of its concerts at the Avery Fisher Hall in New York.
Q: When did the orchestra start?
A: The orchestra started in 1842.
Q: What was the orchestra called at the time of its inception?
A: At the time of its inception, the orchestra was called the Philharmonic Society.
Q: What happened during the orchestra's first concert?
A: During the orchestra's first concert, they played a very long programme which included Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 conducted by Ureli Corelli Hill.
Q: How was the orchestra run in the beginning?
A: In the beginning, the orchestra was run by the musicians themselves as a cooperative or "communistic" society. They made up the rules about how the orchestra should be run, who would become a member, which music would be performed, and who would conduct.
Q: What did the musicians do at the end of each season?
A: At the end of each season, the musicians divided any money the orchestra had earned amongst themselves.
Related articles
Author
AlegsaOnline.com New York Philharmonic Orchestra: America's Oldest Professional Symphony, Founded 1842 Leandro Alegsa
URL: https://en.alegsaonline.com/art/69674
Sources
- nyphil.org : "Overview"
- npr.org : National Public Radio retrieved February 25, 2008