With a Pickup Truck and an Open Mind, the Philharmonic Returns

The NY Phil Bandwagon’s pop-up concert series, the orchestra’s first public performances since March, debuted despite rain and other obstacles.

By Joshua Barone

“For months, the internet has been the Philharmonic’s only venue for performances — archived material streamed on Facebook, videos of pieces recorded individually and edited together in “Brady Bunch”-like tiles. The orchestra’s last public appearance was an open rehearsal on the morning March 12; by the afternoon, that evening’s concert had been canceled, and now a return to David Geffen Hall is unlikely before a coronavirus vaccine becomes widely available.

The NY Phil Bandwagon, conceived by Mr. Costanzo, is bringing the orchestra out of its dormancy. The truck — a Ford F-250 decorated in Philharmonic red, white and black, with touches like a gas cap cover that says “PHIL ’ER UP” — will drive to three unannounced locations each Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the next eight weeks, with small ensembles performing chamber works and recently commissioned premieres.”

Source: The New York Times