Interlochen to Collaborate with New York Philharmonic in 2023

Interlochen to Collaborate with New York Philharmonic in 2023,
with Interlochen Arts Academy Performance at David Geffen Hall
and Interlochen Arts Camp Scholarship Program

As part of the New York Philharmonic’s 2022-23 season, Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra conductor
Leslie B. Dunner will lead the Philharmonic on March 2 and 4 and conduct the Arts Academy Orchestra
as part of a multidisciplinary performance presented by Arts Academy students on March 3
at the newly renovated David Geffen Hall

Visiting teaching-artists from Interlochen Arts Camp and Interlochen Arts Academy faculty will work
with NYC-based creative youth development and presenting organizations to mentor their
students in the months prior to the performance

The newly established NY Phil Interlochen Scholars program will award
30 young artists from multiple artistic disciplines with full-tuition scholarships
to attend Interlochen Arts Camp in the summer of 2023

An artist's rendering of David Geffen Hall
(Diamond Schmitt Architects)

The New York Philharmonic’s 2022-23 season will feature a collaboration with Interlochen Center for the Arts. Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra conductor Leslie B. Dunner will lead the Philharmonic on March 2 and 4, and as part of a weeklong residency in New York City, nearly 150 Interlochen Arts Academy students will present a multidisciplinary work at David Geffen Hall on Friday, March 3, at 8 p.m. The March 3 program will feature over a dozen Philharmonic musicians who are Interlochen alumni performing side by side with the Arts Academy Orchestra.

The two esteemed cultural institutions will also award 30 young artists from multiple arts disciplines with full-tuition scholarships to attend Interlochen Arts Camp in the summer of 2023 through the newly established NY Phil Interlochen Scholars program. 

“We’re thrilled and honored to partner with the New York Philharmonic,” said Interlochen Center for the Arts President Trey Devey. “Collaborating with the Philharmonic’s world-class musicians will be a formative experience that will inspire our young Interlochen artists for the rest of their lives. In turn, our NY Phil Interlochen Scholars program will make the transformative Interlochen Arts Camp experience accessible to talented young friends of the Philharmonic from across New York City.” 

“The rewards of mentorship go both ways,” said New York Philharmonic Managing Director Isaac Thompson. “Interlochen Arts Academy students will benefit from working with the world’s top orchestral musicians, and NY Phil players will be inspired by the passion and potential of these aspiring artists. Add to that our ability to engage with musicians across the city who aspire to be NY Phil Interlochen Scholars, and the results are truly multidimensional, combining top-level training with high-profile performance opportunities.” 

Interlochen Arts Academy Conductor Leslie B. Dunner will lead the New York Philharmonic in concerts on March 2 and 4 at 8 p.m. at David Geffen Hall, with a program inspired by the Philharmonic’s weeklong theme of “Liberation”: “Done Made My Vow” by Adolphus Hailstork; Symphony Number 2, “Song of a New Race” by William Grant Still; and a newly commissioned work by Courtney Bryan. 

“I’m thrilled to return to the New York Philharmonic for this important program,” Dunner said. “I’m also very excited that our young Interlochen artists will perform vital works that deserve to be included in the classical canon alongside the world-class musicians of the NY Phil.” 

Interlochen’s March 3 concert will draw inspiration from the Black experience as well as liberation of all kinds. “Fostering global and inclusive perspectives is core to an Interlochen education and to the creation of art that represents our modern world,” said Interlochen Center for the Arts Provost Camille Colatosti. “We’re proud to foster the next generation of creative changemakers.” 

The March 3 program will begin with an original multidisciplinary work by Interlochen Art Academy creative writing, dance, film & new media, interdisciplinary arts, theatre, visual arts, and music students. Next conductor Leslie B. Dunner will lead the Interlochen Arts Academy

Orchestra in the performance of “Umoja” by Valerie Coleman, “Soul of Remembrance” by Mary Watkins, and “Sahdji” (ballet music for orchestra and chorus) by William Grant Still—a pioneering composer whose work will also be performed by the New York Philharmonic under Dunner’s baton on March 2 and 4. The program will also include a side by side with members of the New York Philharmonic who are Interlochen alumni. 

During the months leading up to the March 3 performance, Interlochen students will join NYC-based creative youth development and arts presenting organizations associated with the Philharmonic to curate and present programs both at David Geffen Hall and other cultural venues around New York City. New York Philharmonic Director of Education and Community Engagement Gary Padmore explains, “Partnership is vital to our work at the NY Philharmonic and with Interlochen, we are honored to work with some of the leading organizations in this city, from Dance Theatre of Harlem to UpBeatNYC and DreamYard, to name a few.”

Interlochen students will perform at David Geffen Hall just months after it reopens to the public following a major renovation. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects in collaboration with acoustician Paul Scarbrough of Akustiks and theater designer Joshua Dachs of Fisher Dachs Associates, the hall’s design ensures superior acoustics. The renovation enhances the entire concert-going experience, with spacious new public spaces that encourage more interaction among visitors, as well as a media streaming wall. 

Interlochen Arts Academy’s 2023 New York City residency will build on many recent student touring opportunities, including a critically acclaimed 2016 performance by the Arts Academy Orchestra at the NY Phil Biennial featuring the premiere of Interlochen alum Ash Fure’s “Bound to the Bow.” The New York Times praised Interlochen for “[rising] to the occasion,” and in his review, The New Yorker’s Alex Ross wrote: “The most arresting of the world premières was Fure’s ‘Bound to the Bow’… I would happily have stayed in the world of this music for twice as long, not least because of the avid commitment of the Interlochen students.” Other recent Arts Academy tours include a multidisciplinary performance at Miami’s New World Center in early March 2020 and premieres of new works at National Sawdust and Carnegie Hall in February 2019. 

Approaching its Centennial in 2028, Interlochen has shifted its focus from establishing world-class facilities to enhancing the student experience and educational programs. Interlochen plans to dramatically expand financial aid to ensure that the Interlochen Arts Camp and Arts Academy experience is accessible to even more young artists. This academic year, 80% of Arts Academy students received need- and merit-based financial aid, totaling nearly $16 million, a level of financial aid that distinguishes the Arts Academy among other top private secondary schools. In addition, in a typical year, Interlochen awards over $2.5 million in financial aid to Interlochen Arts Camp students. 

Interlochen’s partnership with the New York Philharmonic exemplifies its institutional vision to enhance educational programs through innovative collaborations and by recruiting sought-after faculty and guest artists to further elevate the educational experience. These initiatives encompass touring opportunities that allow students to share their work more broadly in Michigan and in major cultural centers around the world. 

Additionally, Interlochen aspires to further strengthen its leadership in diversity and inclusion in arts education. Recent advances in this area include increasing the domestic diversity of the Academy student body from 22% to 30% between 2016 and 2021, and increasing domestic diversity among students attending Interlochen Arts Camp from 22% to 31% between 2016 and 2021. 

About Interlochen Center for the Arts 
A global destination for artists and arts enthusiasts, Interlochen Center for the Arts comprises Interlochen Arts Camp, a world-class multidisciplinary summer arts program for students ages 8-18; Interlochen Arts Academy, the nation’s premier arts boarding high school; Interlochen Online, the emerging leader in virtual arts education; Interlochen Presents, a producer of 600 performances annually by celebrated guest artists, Interlochen students, and faculty; Interlochen Public Radio, two listener-supported, 24-hour public radio stations (classical music and news); and Interlochen College of Creative Arts, a convener for continuing arts education. Since 1928, Interlochen has ignited and propelled a lifelong passion for the arts. For more information, visit interlochen.org. 

About Interlochen Arts Camp
Interlochen Arts Camp offers world-renowned summer arts programs that encourage emerging artists to transform their passion and potential into purpose. From across the nation and around the world, artistic students ages 8-18 convene at Interlochen to expand their capacity in music, theatre, dance, creative writing, visual arts, and film. Through daily classes, enriching electives, and frequent performances, Interlochen students explore the full breadth of the arts, pursue creative breakthroughs, and forge lifelong cross-cultural friendships. Immersed in a multidisciplinary artistic environment, young creatives find reflection, rejuvenation, and inspiration on Interlochen’s scenic 1,200-acre wooded campus. Learn more at interlochen.org/summer-arts-camp.

About the New York Philharmonic 
The New York Philharmonic connects with up to 50 million music lovers each season through live concerts in New York and around the world, as well as broadcasts, recordings, and education programs. The 2022–23 season marks a new chapter in the life of America’s longest living orchestra with the opening of the reimagined David Geffen Hall, programming that engages with today’s cultural conversations, and revitalized connections with New York City communities. The NY Phil has appeared in 435 cities in 63 countries, and commissioned and / or premiered important works, from Dvorák’s New World Symphony to Tania León’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Stride. The Orchestra streams performances on NYPhil and shares its extensive history through the New York Philharmonic Shelby White & Leon Levy Digital Archives. Jaap van Zweden became Music Director in 2018–19, succeeding titans including Bernstein, Toscanini, and Mahler. 

About Leslie B. Dunner
Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra Conductor Leslie B. Dunner maintains an active performance life. He has had numerous engagements with major orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia Orchestras in addition to his many years with the Detroit Symphony. An avid ballet conductor, Dunner has served as music director for the Joffrey Ballet as well as Principal Conductor for the Dance Theatre of Harlem and Louisville Ballet. He has conducted for American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, and Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, among others, nationally and abroad. Tours have included performances and festivals across the USA, in Europe and Scandinavia, South America, the former Soviet Union, and South Africa. In addition to his position as orchestra conductor for Interlochen Arts Academy, Dunner also serves as interim artistic director of the South Shore Opera Company and as resident conductor of New Jersey’s Trilogy: An Opera Company. His stirring performances with the Long Beach Opera of Anthony Davis’ historical work The Central Park Five received the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Music.