The Long Island Philharmonic
This summer's theme, "Classics Around the World," will bring all-time favorites to the stage as the Long Island Philharmonic and Music Director David Stewart Wiley once again present free outdoor summer parks concerts in mid-August. "Music Under the Stars" comes to Huntington on August 14 at 8:30 p.m. at the Chapin Rainbow Stage in Heckscher Park, part of the 45th Annual Huntington Summer Arts Festival.
The other concerts are Friday, August 13, 7:30 p.m. at Eisenhower Park, East Meadow and Sunday, August 15, 7:30 p.m. at Brookhaven Amphitheater, Farmingville.
David Stewart Wiley will conduct the orchestra in such works as "Dance of the Hours" from La Gioconda, Bizet's "March of the Toreadors" from Carmen, "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Go West: Themes from American Westerns," and Sousa's "The Stars and Stripes Forever." A more detailed program is available at the orchestra's website.
The Long Island Philharmonic is Long Island's resident professional symphony orchestra. The Long Island Philharmonic Chorus, founded by Frances C. Roberts, has performed continuously with the orchestra since its inception. In these challenging economic times, the Philharmonic remains a strong and vital presence for exciting concerts and educational outreach throughout Long Island.
The Philharmonic was founded in 1979 by singer/songwriter Harry Chapin in collaboration with Maestro Christopher Keene and area business leaders. Though young by American orchestra standards, the Philharmonic, in 31 years under four music directors, has created an impressive array of programs and offers a musical product of the highest caliber.
The 2009-10 concert season consisted of eight Classics Concerts, highlighted by performances with renowned artists such as Seymour Lipkin, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, and Joseph Kalichstein; a New Year's Eve concert featuring the cast of Forbidden Broadway; three Non-Subscription concerts with Franc D'Ambrosio, Chita Rivera, and the Long Island Philharmonic Chorus; six Youth Concerts and a free Summer Park concert.
The Long Island Philharmonic is noted for excellent artistic leadership beginning with founding Music Director Christopher Keene (1979-1990), followed by Marin Alsop (1990-1996), David Lockington (1996-2000), and current Music Director David Stewart Wiley, who has led the Orchestra since 2001.
In recognition of its artistic achievements, the State of New York designated the Long Island Philharmonic a "Primary Arts Organization," and in 2006, the Philharmonic was part of the inaugural class inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.
More than 30,000 lives are enriched each year by the Philharmonic's extensive Arts-In-Education and Community Engagement programs, presented in schools, concert halls, libraries, hospitals, museums and community centers. Among these are Youth Concerts, the Annual Young Artist Competition, the Master Class Series, numerous In-School Programs, Performance Partners, Orchestra at Work and Random Acts of Music (RAM).
