A visceral work headlined the opening program of the NY Philharmonic’s 2026-2027 season at Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center on September 16: John Adams’ On the Transmigration of Souls, a work written in response to the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. As the 25^th anniversary of the tragedy was just a few days prior, my gut was still tender from the echoes of the memories of that day.

The work included a recording on which the names of some of the victims were spoken. Even a quarter century later, hearing the names put me right into that somber feeling I had experienced last week. The work effectively conveyed the desperation, shock and numbness, grief and sadness of those days. In a way, the orchestra provided a soundtrack for this actuality, and the overall effect was mystical, otherworldly and deeply affecting. At the conclusion, an exceptionally long “hang time” of silence hung over the concert hall – even after conductor Gustavo Dudamel lowered his arms, a visual signal that the piece was over, the audience stayed quiet, giving a bit of contemplative quiet before the roaring applause.

I didn’t feel like hearing anything else after that – I just wanted to go to a bar and have a stiff drink. I was curious how the next piece, a world premiere by Zosha Di Castri, would land directly after the emotional tension of the Adams piece.

Di Castri’s Invisible House — co-commissioned by the Philharmonic — opened with low brass and bass, a rumble that I felt in my chest. The Philharmonic’s brass had a starring role here, and the entire section sounded brilliant. The piece felt a little unfocused, although that could have been me — my head was still occupied with the sounds and emotions of Transmigration of Souls.

The program closed with Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, and on this more familiar ground it was apparent how utterly terrific the Philharmonic sounded. Timbres of the various orchestral sections blended beautifully – achieving a very well-balanced sound. The symphony’s dark undercurrent showed off the winds especially well. Gustavo Dudamel‘s energetic conducting style was entertaining to watch as his entire body twitched and convulsed in the bombastic sections.

In this concert, the New York Philharmonic sounded as good, and as present, as I’ve ever heard them. Finally, four years after Geffen Hall’s renovation, the orchestra has settled into the hall, and the hall has wrapped itself around the orchestra. Both the band and the space have gotten used to each other and found ways to work together as a single organism.