Dudamel Kicks Off Philharmonic Era With Manhattan Tour — SkimNews
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- Gustavo Dudamel has begun his tenure as music and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic after just one week on the podium, with the critic noting the players already appear to be having more fun and performing with renewed excitement.
- The New York Philharmonic staged a "barnstorming tour" of Manhattan to mark Dudamel's arrival, hitting Radio City Music Hall, the World Trade Center, and Lincoln Center's Geffen Hall in successive days.
- Dudamel led an intimate commemorative concert at the World Trade Center the afternoon after his Radio City appearance, timed to the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11.
- The opening Radio City Music Hall concert drew an audience of roughly 6,000.
- Subway and street ads reading "OUR NEW ERA STARTS NOW" — plastered with Dudamel's image — preceded his arrival, signaling a heavy promotional push for the new directorship.
- The Philharmonic's first Geffen Hall concert of the season took place on Wednesday, closing out the Manhattan tour at the orchestra's home venue.
Why it matters: Dudamel's arrival marks a high-profile leadership change at one of America's flagship orchestras, and the three-stop Manhattan rollout — capped by a sold-scale 6,000-seat Radio City opener and a solemn 9/11 anniversary concert — signals the Philharmonic is treating his debut as a civic event, not just a season opener.
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