The New York Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the Big Five American orchestras. Having been an institution since 1842, it is one of the oldest and most respected symphony orchestras in the world. It performed for the 14,000th time in 2004. The Philharmonic has seen an extensive ensemble of respected historical names take its helm, including Theodore Thomas, Antonín Dvorák, Gustav Mahler, Otto Klemperer, Richard Strauss, Willem Mengelberg , Wilhelm Furtwängler, Arturo Toscanini, and Igor Stravinsky. It has seen the advent of radio and television and, in 2009, this historical institution announced its first podcast, Alan Gilbert: The Inaugural Season, available on iTunes. To this day, watching the New York Philharmonic Orchestra is a breathtaking experience. Playing the masterpieces of the maestros who helped to sculpt it into what it is today, and a staggering range of others from classical composers by no means limited to Beethoven and Mozart, to the modern jazz of George Gershwin, the many compositions are delivered with world-class passion and poise.
Under the current direction of Alan Gilbert, the Philharmonic has taken a more contemporary turn, and embarked upon a far-reaching tour of Asia and the Middle-East.