Philadelphia Orchestra to add more performances to the season

Yannick Nezet-Seguin, the Orchestra’s music director designate, says he will conduct more performances than previously scheduled to help the organization thrive.

In November, he will take over the conducting duties from Nicholas McGegan during a week of Italian-themed classical music, including Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini, Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony, Verdi’s Overture to La forza del destino, and Respighi’s The Pines of Rome.

In naming Nezet-Seguin as music director, the orchestra was banking on the young, charismatic, and wildly talented conductor to help lagging ticket sales. But Philadelphia is not his only gig. He has ongoing committments with the Rotterdam and London, and guest appearances throughout the world.

That he would invest more of his time in Philadelphia is a vote of confidence in the future of the organization.

“It’s a very clear signal to all of us that he’s going nowhere,” said orchestra President Allison Vulgamore. “He’s finding more time to spend with us. People have been concerned about that, if some of our necessarily actions are keeping Yannick at abeyance. In fact, it’s the opposite.”

During the orchestra’s bankruptcy proceedings, the administration released a new strategic plan, which the musicians rejected saying they were not involved in the planning and are not confident it will work. They are also engaged in collective bargaining discussions.

Vulgamore said she will be talking with the musicians when they return from their current European tour.