Alan Gilbert has extended his contract as New York Philharmonic music director for a further three years. The conductor, whose tenure originally began on September 16, 2009, will remain the orchestra’s music director until the end of the 2016-17 season. During the last three years he has forged a strong bond with the Philharmonic, evident in confident performances and programming of a wide range of repertoire. His tenure has also been marked by successful tours to Vietnam, London’s Barbican and San Francisco, and a number of new initiatives, including the introduction of composer-in-residence and artist-in-residence schemes, and a new music series.

‘When I first became music director I said that this was the dream I hadn’t dared to dream,’ said Gilbert. ‘After these three amazing seasons, I can say it’s been a spectacular adventure. My relationship with these extraordinary musicians grows and deepens every day, and it infuses every concert with an intangible magic. Together, we’ve had a string of successes here at home and around the world, and I am particularly gratified to see that we’ve begun to stake a central place in the cultural life of New York.’

This season Gilbert will conduct world premieres by Anders Hillborg, Steven Stucky and Christopher Rouse, and preside over a cycle of Brahms’s complete symphonies and concertos. He will also lead the Philharmonic on its 2013 European tour, and continue 'The Nielsen Project' - a multi-year undertaking to perform and record the composer’s six symphonies and three concertos.