Conductor Reads Israel Statement Before New York Philharmonic Debut

Lithuanian conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla dedicated the performance to those impacted by the conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip

In a concert last week at Lincoln Center, conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla made her debut with the New York Philharmonic in a program including Raminta Serksnytė’s 1998 De Profundis, excerpts from Sibelius’s Lemminkainen Suite, and R. Schumann’s Piano Concerto with soloist Daniil Trifonov. 

As reported in symphony.org, Gražinytė-Tyla read the following statement from the podium before the performance:

“The New York Philharmonic dedicates this concert to those impacted by the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Israel and the Gaza Strip. We denounce acts of terror, mourn the loss of innocent life, and hold in our hearts and minds those in our community whose friends, family, and loved ones have been affected.”

Similarly, before the start of the Metropolitan Opera’s October 11 performance of Verdi’s Nabucco, its general manager Peter Gelb had mentioned the conflict in Gaza. The Met Chorus sang Va, pensiero, sometimes known as the “Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves,” from the opera.

Additionally, violinist and pedagogue Itzhak Perlman recently posted on Facebook, "My heart is breaking. I'm praying for peace."