David Newman on the First Sundance Film Music Preservation Concert

This was the First Sundance Film Music Preservation concert. I was one of just a handful, but it was a truly an “A LIST” crowd. The thing I remember most about that night was that Alex North, who was very frail at the time, was in attendance. After we performed the Spartacus Main Title, I looked at the audience and had him stand. I don’t believe anyone knew he was in attendance. There was deafening applause that seemed to go on for 15 mins. I believe it was a pivotal moment for Alex, as most film composers work alone and are not out in public. It was an incredible evening.

New York Philharmonic Announces Partnership With Michigan Musical Society

The New York Philharmonic and the University Musical Society of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, will undertake a residency partnership that will involve concerts, master classes and workshops.

The partnership, which is expected to be announced on Tuesday, will begin next October, and will include three visits by the Philharmonic as part of a larger program that will also include residencies by the Berlin Philharmonic, during the 2016-17 season, and a third, as-yet-unnamed orchestra during the 2018-19 season.

The Philharmonic’s first visit will include performances conducted by Alan Gilbert, the orchestra’s music director, and programs that balance new music and the standard symphonic repertory. The composers whose works will be performed include Magnus LindbergEsa-Pekka Salonen, Ravel, Beethoven and Mahler. A film program is also planned, to be conducted by David Newman.

The Philharmonic will alternate with the other orchestras in the program, appearing again in Ann Arbor during the 2017-18 and 2019-20 seasons.

*Originally posted on the New York Times