In Monday’s (5/11) New York Times, Adam Nagourney writes, “Gustavo Dudamel stepped to the podium at David Geffen Hall … and gazed across a stage crammed with players from the New York Philharmonic and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. It was their first rehearsal together, and Dudamel was trying to decide how he would count this unwieldy assembly of classical and salsa dura musicians into the opening bars of Carlos Cascante’s ‘La Música Latina.’… Dudamel looked over to Oscar Hernandez, the leader of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, who was seated at a piano, then back to the players…. And so began a collaboration that opened with three performances at Lincoln Center and ended Saturday night with an explosive finale at United Palace Theater in Washington Heights. The 184-year-old Philharmonic and the 25-year-old Spanish Harlem Orchestra represent vastly different New York worlds … Dudamel’s decision to put them on one stage—with a program including salsa compositions—and with a performance in Washington Heights, signaled how much he intends to change the orchestra when he officially takes the helm in September…. [The performance] received cries of approval from the younger crowd in Washington Heights and cheers from the more dressed-up Lincoln Center audience.”
