| NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC LUNAR NEW YEAR CONCERT AND GALAHonoring Long Yu and Starr International FoundationConducted by Long Yu and Featuring Soprano Kathleen Kim, Baritone Changyong Liao, and Morin Khuur Player Hasibagen February 25, 2026 Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall |
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| The New York Philharmonic celebrates the Lunar New Year, welcoming the Year of the Horse with a Concert and Gala on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, in the Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall. This year’s Gala honors Long Yu — artistic director of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, music director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and a longtime friend of the New York Philharmonic — who also conducts the concert, as well as Starr International Foundation, which has been the presenting sponsor of the Philharmonic’s annual Lunar New Year Gala since 2014. The concert opens with two purely orchestral works, Li Huanzhi’s Spring Festival Overture and the US Premiere of selections from Elliot Leung’s Chinese Kitchen. Following this, two acclaimed vocal soloists join the Orchestra in juxtaposed Eastern and Western selections: Chinese baritone Changyong Liao sings Lu Zaiyi’s Prelude to the Water Melody and an aria from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville; Korean soprano Kathleen Kim (in her NY Phil debut) sings New Arirang, Phil Young’s orchestration of the traditional Korean folk song, and a second aria from The Barber of Seville; and Liao and Kim share the stage in a duet from Lehar’s The Merry Widow. To conclude the program, Mongolian morin khuur player Hasibagen (NY Phil debut) performs Rhapsody for Morin Khuur and Orchestra: Longing, arranged by Zou Ye. |
NY Phil Lunar New Year Gala Welcomes Year of the Horse.
