Music: New York Philharmonic's New Year's Eve Gala

Live From Lincoln Center, featuring the New York Pianist Lang Lang photographed by tk Philharmonic's New Year’s Eve Gala celebrates the music of Tchaikovsky, conducted by Music Director Alan Gilbert with star pianist Lang Lang. This televised evening features Tchaikovsky’s second act of The Nutcracker, his Polonaise from Eugene Onegin, and Piano Concerto No. 1. The program will be presented on Friday, December 31, 2010 at 8:30 pm on PBS*.

Heralded as the "hottest artist on the classical music planet" by The New York Times, 28-year-old Lang Lang, has played sold out recitals and concerts in every major city in the world and is the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, and all the top American orchestras.

In 2008, a reported five billion people viewed Lang Lang’s performance in Beijing’s opening ceremony for the Olympics, which may have inspired millions of Chinese children to learn to play classical piano and termed by The Today Show as "the Lang Lang effect."

Alan Gilbert, now in his second season as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, is the first native New Yorker to hold the post. For his inaugural season he introduced a number of new initiatives: the positions of The Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence, held by Magnus Lindberg; Artist-in-Residence, this season to be held by violinist Anne Sophie-Mutter. In the 2010–11 season Mr. Gilbert will lead the Orchestra on two tours of European music capitals; two performances at Carnegie Hall, including the venue’s 120th Anniversary Concert; and a staged presentation of Janáček’s opera The Cunning Little Vixen, among other highlights.

Founded in 1842, the New York Philharmonic is one of the oldest orchestras in the world. Since its inception, it has played a leading role in American musical life, reaching out to audiences with touring that began in 1882; recordings beginning in 1917; and radio broadcasts since 1922, now represented by The New York Philharmonic This Week, syndicated nationally 52 weeks a year.

Live From Lincoln Centeris in its 35th broadcast season. The series has received 13 Emmy Awards, most recently for the broadcast of New York City Opera’s Madama Butterfly. It is the only series of live performing arts telecasts on American television today.

*Check PBS local listings. Photographs are by Chris Lee.

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Music: New York Philharmonic's New Year's Eve Gala

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