NY PHILHARMONIC OPENING NIGHT GALA 2012

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 27: NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC CELEBRATES THE LAUNCH OF THE 171ST SEASON WITH AN OPENING GALA SPONSORED by BREGUET on Thursday, September 27, 2012 at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center (65th Street & Broadway), New York City, NY New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert Conducts the New York Philharmonic with Star Violinist Itzhak Perlman Empire State Building Lit in Philharmonic Red in Honor of the Philharmonic’s 171st Season Gala Guests Included: Music Director Alan Gilbert and Kajsa William-Olsson; Executive Director Matthew VanBesien and Rosie Jowitt; New York Philharmonic Chairman Gary W. Parr; Gala Co-Chairmen Sung E. Han-Andersen and G. Chris Andersen, and Ronald and Christie Ulrich; Gala Executive Vice Chairman Agnes and Gerald L. Hassell, and Mark A. Hayek; Michael Nelson, President,Breguet North America; Thomas Adès, Sean Avery, Hilaria and Alec Baldwin, Christiane Amanpour and James Rubin, Barbara Cirkva, Honey M. Kurtz, Michael Mailer, Audra McDonald and Will Swenson, Sara Mearns, Anka K. Palitz, Itzhak and Toby Perlman, Barbara and Frank Sciame, Klara and Larry A. Silverstein, Paul and Daisy Soros, Gillian and Bob Steel, James Toback, Barbara and Donald G. Tober, Mary Wallach The launch of the Philharmonic’s 171st season continued with the Opening Gala concert, headlined by violinist Itzhak Perlman and presented by Breguet, the exclusive timepiece of the New York Philharmonic. The program opened and closed with Respighi’s monumental Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome and features Mr. Perlman as soloist in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Fantasy on Russian Themes, Massenet’s Méditation from Thaïs, Glazunov’s orchestration of Tchaikovsky’s Scherzo from Souvenir d’un lieu cher, John Williams’s Theme from Schindler’s List, and Sarasate’s Introduction and Tarantella. The program will be telecast nationally on Live From Lincoln Center on a tape-delayed basis on PBS stations at 8:00 p.m. [check local listings]. The Empire State Building took on the glow of Philharmonic red in celebration of the occasion. Photos: Courtesy of New York Philharmonic staff photographers