I never imagined I’d become the Artistic Director of an orchestra. And if I’d been approached by another institution in another location, I probably wouldn’t have been interested. But the possibility of working in Brooklyn where there is so much diverse and extraordinary music-making to connect with was too exciting to pass up. And the legacy of this orchestra is a particularly meaningful one to me.

I’ve been inspired in different ways by so many of the Philharmonic’s past conductors: I remember the thrill of meeting Lukas Foss backstage while I was growing up in Chicago after an incredible concert he’d conducted; he was an early inspiration for me.  Then the weeks I spent studying with Robert Spano at Tanglewood continue to shape how I think about conducting. I’m awed and humbled to be following in the footsteps of so many extraordinary musicians.

But the most exciting part of leading the Brooklyn Phil is imagining how to go forward. In re-imagining the Brooklyn Phil for our time, we believe the orchestra must connect deeply with all of the Borough’s people through events that celebrate and reflect its diverse communities. So the identity we’re crafting is one that is first and foremost about Brooklyn. Everything else follows from that: whether we’re playing standard repertoire or new music or collaborating with people like Mos Def, the big question we’re asking is what does this music say about Brooklyn, and how can it speak to Brooklyn’s people?

Because of this goal, the notion of an orchestra as a sort of movable feast about the Borough feels very powerful. There are so many different Brooklyns for us to connect with — going from one neighborhood to another can feel like traveling to a different world. I want to make sure that each of our programs not only speaks to the specific community it’s directly engaging with, but also brings that community to a larger audience as well. In imagining how the Brooklyn Phil can relate to all of these different communities, we’ve been exploring Brooklyn, building relationships around the Borough, and listening carefully to the people we encounter.

And our first re-launch season reflects that work. One of the very first meetings I had was in Brighton Beach trying to figure out what sort of music would connect with the Russian community there. We spoke with many different people in that community about what sort of events would touch their hearts, and we eventually decided to start with programs relating to two wonderful traditions: beloved classic Russian cartoons, and the powerful stories of writer Sergei Dovlatov.

In the Downtown Brooklyn area, we were curious to explore the founding of Brooklyn itself. So we began open ended discussions with lots of artists, writers, and historians. We soon became focused on Francis Guy’s 1820 painting, Winter Scene in Brooklyn, which remembers a quaint 19th century riverside Brooklyn Village centered where the the Brooklyn Bridge now lets off its endless torrents of traffic. That painting became the focal point of a collaboration with David Little, Royce Vavrek, and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, which combines new musical works with 19th century traditions and stories to bring Brooklyn’s history to life.

In Bed-Stuy we threw around a bunch of ideas about what a Bed-Stuy Brooklyn Phil concert might look like before we eventually imagined collaborating with one of Bed-Stuy’s great native sons: Mos Def. I’ve been blown away by how musically smart and aware Mos is, and we’ve been working together with composer Derek Bermel this past year to create something new and original just for Brooklyn, something none of us could do on our own. Mos is passionate about Brooklyn and really tuned into a wide range of music. I know our audiences will be electrified by what we produce together.

And this season is just the beginning. There is so much more to explore in Brooklyn, and we’re already hard at work imagining where the Phil will go next year and beyond. Please join us. Let’s create the future together.

Onward!

Alan Pierson
Artistic Director

(c) 2011 – 2012 Brooklyn Philharmonic