Description
The Westchester Philharmonic carries out its mission in the concert hall, in the community, and in the classroom. Under the direction of esteemed conductor Paul Lustig Dunkel, the Philharmonic performs a Mainstage Concert Series of five performances, offered in pairs on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons at the Performing Arts Center, Purchase College. It focuses on presenting the best music of the past and present, with a particular emphasis on providing young musicians with an important opportunity to perform with, or compose for, a professional symphony orchestra early in their careers. The orchestra is comprised of the finest musicians from the greater New York area, and many have played with the Philharmonic since the orchestra's debut as The New Orchestra of Westchester in 1983. The orchestra has proudly worked with the world's finest soloists, including Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, and the late Isaac Stern. During the course of 23 seasons, the Philharmonic has proudly premiered many new orchestral works, including Melinda Wagner's Concerto for Flute, Strings and Percussion, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. In service to the community, the Philharmonic partners with Westchester County government and the City of White Plains to present free summer concerts for all County residents. It has created innovative and collaborative programs, in partnership with the Westchester Library System, that bring students into the process of orchestral composition. In classrooms across the County, the orchestra's award-winning Education Program serves over 7,000 elementary school students in over 50 schools with a curriculum based program that integrates the arts throughout the regular school day. The Philharmonic's Special Audiences Project reaches out to over 3,000 at-risk youth of all ages and works to build their self-esteem through hands-on experience with making music.
