Thousands settled onto blankets and folding chairs across Van Cortandt Park\u2019s Parade Ground June 9. Far from the velvet seats and chandeliers of Lincoln Center, one of the world\u2019s most celebrated orchestras was preparing to perform on a towering stage free of charge.<\/p>\n
Part of its Concerts in the Park series, the New York Philharmonic\u2019s free summer programming has brought orchestral sounds to public green spaces across the city since 1965. First launched\u00a0 in Van Cortlandt Park in 1971, the grounds have transformed into an open-air concert hall for one night nearly each summer since then.<\/p>\n
Just before the 8 p.m. performance, audience members streamed into the field, where families were already unpacking sandwiches and dogs lounged beside picnic blankets as friends shared bottles of wine. Anticipation for the concert was brewing in the air.<\/p>\n
Kingsbridge Heights resident Jeanine Mapenze sat on a tapestry with her husband, her three children scampering after the family\u2019s pup nearby.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe probably wouldn\u2019t go down to Lincoln Center as a family, but here the kids can run around, listen for a little while, come back and listen again,\u201d Mapenze said. \u201cIt feels welcoming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the crowd was 42-year-old Martin Brown, who traveled from Hunts Point with his 9-year-old son, Trey. Neither had attended a live orchestral performance before.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy son has never seen live classical music before, I\u2019ve never seen it,\u201d Brown said. \u201cI don\u2019t know if he\u2019ll become a musician, but now he knows this world exists.\u201d<\/p>\n
That idea surfaced repeatedly throughout the evening, that children would see possibilities they might not otherwise encounter.<\/p>\n
On stage, 11-year-old Celine Kim\u2019s composition, \u201cHappy Cities,\u201d inspired by New York City and Busan, South Korea, was featured alongside \u201cOrchestra on E,\u201d written by 9-year-old Peace Dixon. Both young composers emerged from the Philharmonic\u2019s Very Young Composers program, which allows students to write original music and hear it performed by professional musicians.<\/p>\n
On stage, cellist Carter Brey, who was entering the final weeks of a nearly three-decade career with the Philharmonic, performed Camille Saint-Sa\u00ebns\u2019 Cello Concerto No. 1. He later told The Press the annual parks event remains among his favorite performances.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s more important than ever that we go out into the communities,\u201d he said. \u201cWe bring this music to people for free in an environment where they don\u2019t feel that they need to be following some sort of dress code or rules of behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, who attended the concert, said opportunities like this are particularly important in communities where orchestral music may not be as visible as other art forms.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor families that can\u2019t necessarily afford programs if there\u2019s a fee for service, that\u2019s why you have to make it free,\u201d Gibson said. \u201cI think it\u2019s about choice and about accessibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
Representation, she added, matters too.<\/p>\n
Leading the orchestra was Elim Chan, who is set to become music director of the San Francisco Symphony and is among a growing number of women conducting major orchestras. Yet women remain significantly underrepresented on the podium.<\/p>\n
According to data compiled by Women\u2019s Philharmonic Advocacy, women accounted for just 33 of the 159 conductors scheduled to lead concerts with the nation\u2019s 21 largest orchestras during the 2024-25 season.<\/p>\n
Though progress has been made, Brey said female conductors continue to encounter challenges in a profession long dominated by men.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s still challenging to be taken seriously as a woman in that arena,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope that her appointment to this very high-profile position in San Francisco will do a lot to put that to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chan was not available for an interview.<\/p>\n
15-year-old Veronica Chang was among those who watched the orchestra from the lawn. A Spuyten Duyvil resident who hopes to attend Juilliard and pursue a career as a violinist, Chang said seeing musicians perform at that level made her goals feel more tangible.<\/p>\n
\u201cI play violin at school, so seeing people do it at this level is really inspiring,\u201d she said. \u201cIt makes it feel like something I could actually pursue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\tKeywords<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tNew York Philharmonic,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Van Cortlandt Park,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Concerts in the Park,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Bronx events,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t free concert,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t classical music,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t New York City parks,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Elim Chan,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Carter Brey,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Lincoln Center,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Bronx arts,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t live orchestra,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t outdoor concert,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Very Young Composers program,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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