Thomas Hampson Joins Sawallisch for Schumann Songs
Baritone Thomas Hampson and Music Director Wolfgang Sawallisch collaborate on a special program (January 31-February 4) as part of this season’s ongoing Schumann Festival, “Robert Schumann, Poet and Romantic.” For the first half of the concert, the Orchestra will not be on stage at all. Rather, Mr. Sawallisch will appear as pianist with Mr. Hampson in a recital that includes songs by Clara Schumann, as well as Robert Schumann’s 20 Songs from the “Lyric Intermezzo,” from Heinrich Heine’s Buch der Lieder, which later became Dichterliebe, his most famous song cycle. Sharing a love of the German Romantic repertoire and Schumann’s works in particular, Messrs. Sawallisch and Hampson have a long history of collaboration in both orchestral and recital settings. They performed this same version of Dichterliebe on a Philadelphia Orchestra chamber music concert in 1994. That same year, they made a compact disc recording of Schumann songs with texts by Heinrich Heine. Both close friends and colleagues, Messrs. Sawallisch and Hampson appear on a program that is structured around the historic friendship between the Schumanns and Brahms, with works dating from the years during which friendship blossomed between the three composers. “Robert Schumann, Poet and Romantic” is sponsored by First Union and funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Orchestra Premieres New York Commemorating Gettysburg
The Philadelphia Orchestra gave the world premiere performance of a work entitled We are Met at Gettysburg, a joint commission by The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra, at a Family Concert on Saturday, January 4. Written by Philadelphia-area composer Amy Scurria and Minnesota composer Steve Heitzeg, the work commemorates the 140th anniversary of the fateful Civil War Battle of Gettysburg. Received with a standing ovation, the first performance of We are Met at Gettysburg featured the Temple University Music Prep Children’s Choir. “I knew that the collaboration between Amy and Steve would be something particularly evocative and inspirational, but the work has exceeded my expectations,” said Gary Alan Wood, Orchestra director of education and community partnerships. The composition is the keystone to a yearlong educational project that has united schools in Pennsylvania and Minnesota through shared curricula and a joint project website. The project, which was featured recently in the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, drew its inspiration from the book The Last Full Measure by Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Mr. Moe participated in a roundtable discussion held at the Union League following the premiere of We are Met at Gettysburg. The program was repeated on Monday, January 13, at the Orchestra’s School Concerts for more than 4,200 students in grades four through six, and will premiere in Minnesota this spring. The Gettysburg project website can be found at www.philorch.org/imaginations/wearemetatgettysburg/.

Philadelphia Orchestra Goes Green for Eagles
The Philadelphia Orchestra showed its green side as the musicians—including Christoph Eschenbach, the Orchestra’s music director-designate—rallied in support of another hometown team, the Eagles, as they geared up for the NFC Playoffs. At the close of rehearsal on Thursday, January 9, Mr. Eschenbach conducted the Orchestra in a performance of the “Eagles Victory Song,” with Eagles fans in the Orchestra wearing team hats and jerseys over their formal concert attire. The videotaped performance was shown on the Fanavision at the Eagles game against the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday, January 11. During the concert that evening, Mr. Eschenbach kept Eagles fans in the audience informed of events at Veterans Stadium by announcing the game score from the stage—the first such announcement in the Orchestra’s 103-year history. Orchestra musicians were also featured on the cover of the Philadelphia Daily News (January 6), dressed in Eagles jerseys and face paint for the first in the newspaper’s series of green covers.

Orchestra's First Instrument Drive Helps Young Musicians in City Schools
The Philadelphia Orchestra extended a helping hand to aspiring musicians in five city schools during the 2002 holiday season, partnering with Strings for Schools in the Orchestra’s first-ever Instrument Drive. Held concurrently with the Winter Wonderland concerts presented by The Philadelphia Orchestra Association, the instrument drive collected more than 30 instruments that will be refurbished and distributed to students at D.N. Fell School, Francis Scott Key Elementary School, George Thomas Middle School, Meredith School, and Abram Jenks School. This unique way for the Orchestra and the community to participate in holiday charity sparked the interest of many generous volunteers and Orchestra musicians, who contributed their time and musical instruments.