On November 19, the New York Philharmonic presented its first-ever virtual gala, ‘A Virtual Gala Celebrating New York City. The event included performances by Philharmonic musicians of works by Bernstein, Beethoven, among others, as well as appearances by Emanuel Ax, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Katie Couric, Renée Fleming, David Foster, Josh Groban, John Lithgow, Stephen Sondheim, Emma Thompson, John Williams and music director Jaap van Zweden, “who represent a combination of artistic collaborators and legendary New York entertainers.”
“The orchestra has provided an enormous amount of cultural oxygen that sustains all of our lives. My great hope and fondest wish is that we can all be together very very soon”, said Williams.
The full broadcast is now available on-demand through December 1 (Williams appears at 21:00 & 47:50).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZWDZSg0A04