[VT | February 25, 2026 | New York]
The New York Philharmonic presented its 2026 Lunar New Year Concert and Gala at the Wu Tsai Theater in David Geffen Hall, welcoming the Year of the Horse with a program that celebrated cultural heritage, renewal, and the unifying power of music.
Since launching the tradition in 2012, the annual Lunar New Year Concert has become a signature event for the orchestra. The evening honored internationally acclaimed conductor Yu Long and the Starr International Foundation for its longstanding support of the orchestra’s Lunar New Year initiatives and its collaboration with the Shanghai Orchestra Academy.
A Program Bridging East and West
Under the baton of Yu Long, the concert opened with Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man and Li Huanzhi’s Spring Festival Overture, symbolically connecting American and Chinese musical traditions.
A highlight of the evening was the U.S. premiere of selections from Chinese Kitchen by Hong Kong composer Liang Hao-yi. Inspired by the vitality of Chinese culinary culture, the work transformed familiar dishes into vivid orchestral imagery, blending everyday life with symphonic imagination.
Vocal performances added further brilliance. Soprano Andrzej Filończyk and Kathleen Kim baritone made their Philharmonic debuts with arias from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, while Kim also performed New Arirang, arranged by Phil Young.
In keeping with the Year of the Horse theme, the orchestra presented Horse Racing by Huang Haihuai. Mongolian morin khuur virtuoso and throat singer Hasi Bagen made his Philharmonic debut with the orchestral rhapsody Nian, arranged by Zou Ye, drawing enthusiastic applause for its distinctive fusion of tradition and symphonic color.
The evening concluded with festive encores including Lehár’s “Lippen schweigen,” Copland’s Hoe-Down, and a cross-cultural pairing of Jasmine Flower with Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever.
Voices from the Evening
During the event, New York Philharmonic President and CEO Matías Tarnopolsky reflected on the orchestra’s evolving relationship with China. Asked about his transition from leading the Philadelphia Orchestra to heading the New York Philharmonic, he noted that working with two world-class orchestras has been a profound honor and emphasized that the connections between them outweigh the differences.
He described the Lunar New Year Concert as more than a celebration — “a symbol of friendship and understanding across borders,” highlighting music’s role in fostering empathy and shared humanity. He concluded with New Year wishes for joy, prosperity, and greater understanding in the year ahead.
Composer Liang Hao-yi shared that Chinese Kitchen was inspired by his love of food and the universality of Chinese cuisine, expressing his hope that audiences could connect emotionally through familiar cultural imagery.
Consul General Chen Li of the Chinese Consulate in New York underscored the importance of cultural exchange, noting that music serves as a universal language that strengthens mutual understanding and friendship between peoples.
