Meet Jaap: A New Conductor Takes the Baton

New Yorkers will meet the new leader of the New York Philharmonic this week as Dutch-born Jaap van Zweden takes the stage on Thursday, Sept. 20 for his opening gala concert. Van Zweden will take the helm as the orchestra’s new conductor at a moment when Lincoln Center is going through a tumultuous period of changing leadership.

The longtime conductor has led orchestras all over the world, most recently at the Dallas Symphony. Van Zweden spoke with WNYC’s John Schaefer ahead of opening night where he will start with a world premiere by the American composer and Dartmouth College professor, Ashley Fure. (She won the 2017 Rome Prize and was awarded a 2017 Guggenheim Fellowship.)

"There was a lot of criticism of me not enjoying contemporary  music and I have to admit, it was not always easy to sell contemporary music in Dallas," said van Zweden. "So for me, it’s sort of a celebration, actually, as well. I mean, without new music, our profession is completely dead, in my opinion."

Schaefer also spoke with Robin Pogrebin, culture reporter for the New York Times, who’s been covering the recent changes and controversies at Lincoln Center.