“...we were very interested in bringing music to people, sharing it with them in ways that bordered on social engineering, as well as artistic ambition. We’ve developed a variety of different programs that seek to accomplish that.”
MTT is also Conductor Laureate of the London Symphony Orchestra and in 2010 was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama. Over the years, his fervent appreciation of music evolved into a desire to teach and pass on that passion to the next generation of musicians and music enthusiasts, prompting him to co-found the New World Symphony (NWS) with Ted and Lin Arison. The Miami Beach-based NWS is dedicated to the artistic, professional and personal development of young musicians. As Artistic Director, his vision for the Symphony stemmed primarily from his concern about the future of young musicians. “This started in a very personal way when I was working at Tanglewood and other summer programs. I would often ask them ‘what are you going to do next year?,’ and very often the answer was ‘I don’t know. I guess I could go to grad school, or try to break into the freelance pool.’ I thought it would be fantastic to have a place where they could continue to be on the cutting edge of honing their skills, where they could be in touch with many musicians representing different types of musical traditions, from Baroque to contemporary music, and that would serve as a launching pad for their careers.” In the 29 years since its cofounding, NWS has done just that, launching 40 | MetropolitanLuxe.com
the careers of more than 1000 alumni worldwide. Described as a ‘laboratory for the way music is taught, presented and experienced,’ it is no surprise that Miami, with its vibrant and diverse culture, was selected as the home of NWS. “We can take risks there,” said MTT during a 2014 interview with the Financial Times. And risks they are taking. Beyond an academy for up and coming musicians, the Symphony is exploring new ways to bring music to the masses. “[As co-founders] we were very interested in bringing music to people, sharing it with them in ways that bordered on social engineering, as well as artistic ambition. We’ve developed a variety of different programs that seek to accomplish that. We regularly commission video artists, filmmakers and animators to create visuals to accompany the music we perform so existing and new audiences can access the music in a different way. We produce evenings like New Work, dedicated to the commissioning and exploration of music, poetry, film and theater; Pulse: Late Night, which merges DJ music alongside classical music; evenings that combine activities such as a yoga class with a concert; and WALLCAST concerts, in which we project
Left to right from top: New World Symphony WALLCAST concert at New World Center - photo by WorldRedEye. com; Michael Tilson Thomas working with NWS conducting Fellow Christian Reif; New World Symphony - Pictures at an Exhibition - photo by Richard Patterson; Michael Tilson Thomas conducts ‘The Seasons’ in the New World Symphony’s John Cage festival - photo by Rui Dias-Aidos. Previous page: Michael Tilson Thomas Courtesy San Francisco Symphony