[MUSIC PLAYING]
INTERVIEWER: Jazz legend, Chick Corea
will serve as the 2020-21 season's Mary and James G.
Wallach Artist-In-Residence as both pianist and composer.
DEBORAH BORDA: What a multifaceted performer,
musician.
It's very special I think that we
can embrace a musician who is in our world
and in a special world besides.
INTERVIEWER: The Philharmonic has co-commissioned Chick Corea
to compose a trombone concerto, which the orchestra will
premiere with principal trombone, Joseph
Alessi as soloist.
CHICK COREA: The writing that I'm
doing for the trombone concerto is in my mind
expressing a lot of my sentiments
about growing up in New York.
For instance, one of the movements I'm calling a stroll.
What I've tried to do is put in music.
What it would be like taking a stroll from Harlem, all the way
down Broadway, down to Seoul.
JOSEPH ALESSI: What I like about his writing
is his ability to use rhythm and melody together.
There's always a sense of cohesiveness and fun.
INTERVIEWER: The legendary jazz musician
will also perform Chick and Friends, a one night only
concert and curate a post-concert, Kravis Nightcap
concert hosted by Kravis creative partner Nadia Sirota.
NADIA SIROTA: Talk about an artist who has constantly
reinvented himself.
I mean, he's worked with so many people.
He's pushed the medium.
He's pushed music in so many different directions.
INTERVIEWER: Chick Corea will open this season
with Mozart's Piano Concerto Number
24 with his own improvised jazz-inflected cadenzas
conducted by music director Jaap van Zweden.
It will be a reunion of sorts after 30 years.
JAAP VAN ZWEDEN: Many, many years ago, I
was still concertmaster in the Concerto Amsterdam
and Chick Corea came with Friedrich Gulda.
It was an amazing deal at that time.
So years later, here we are.
CHICK COREA: This collaboration with the orchestra
is-- it's like a New York thing to me.
It's like a love of New York City.
[MUSIC PLAYING]