Young People's Concerts

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The Young People's Concerts was a series of performances by the New York Philharmonic, designed to open the world of music to children and to encourage youth to be more involved in music. The first performance was on March 27, 1924 and was conducted by Ernest Schelling. Schelling directed the series from 1924 until 1958. By combining musical performances of the Philharmonic with lectures, Schelling set the stage for the program. During that time period, the show went on the road multiple times, travelling to Philadelphia, London, Rotterdam, and Los Angeles.

Leonard Bernstein became the conductor and directed his first Young People's Concert performance on January 18, 1958 at Carnegie Hall, New York. It was the first of these concerts to be televised. Beginning in 1962, the Young People's Concerts became the first series of concerts ever televised from Lincoln Center. Bernstein conducted a total of 53 such performances, all of which were telecast on CBS and syndicated in over 40 countries. Bernstein's performances have become famous, and twenty-five of them are still available on DVD. However, the airing of the program was halted in the 1970s, three years after Bernstein left the Philharmonic.

Michael Tilson Thomas became director of the program in 1971, a post he held until the series was discontinued in 1977. However, the program was later restarted, with the New York Philharmonic hosting four concerts each season under the name.