Founded in 1985, the Massapequa Philharmonic will hit some major milestones in 2025, in addition to commemorating its 40th anniversary.
One major development was this homegrown musical outfit being named the resident orchestra for the Tilles Center. As such, the philharmonic has engaged in many eclectic curated programs, with the next one being “Out of This World” on July 13.
This concert, centered on a presentation of Gustav Holst’s “The Planets,” is being performed with a twist. Conductor David Bernard will work alongside Dr. Jackie Faherty, senior scientist and astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium.
The duo has performed “The Planets” a couple of times since 2019, but this will be its Tilles Center debut. It’s a rare combination of science and music that continues to excite Bernard, who often asks attendees if anyone has ever been to space. He’s yet to have anybody answer in the affirmative, and as such, he sets the tone for the evening.
“The whole idea is if you’re trying to represent that nobody has ever seen, what do you do?” Bernard asked. “That’s kind of what anybody who writes music, creates films or whatever they’re doing—when they try to represent space, they put their ‘A’ game on and have to create wonder, mystery, magic and all of this stuff beyond your usual consciousness.”
He added, “Composers write with larger orchestras and more diverse sounds. They work in more creative ways with pacing. When you compare Gustav Holst and what he wrote to anything else that’s been written, it’s on an entirely different planet than anything else, so to speak. The interesting thing about it is that this type of creative impulse was an inspiration to composers for over a century after that. It’s amazing. It’s that element that is inspirational to audiences of all ages.”
Bernard first collaborated with Faherty in 2018, when the Great Neck native wanted to perform an integrated music and science event focused on sunrise. Maurice Ravel’s “Daphnis and Chloe, Suite #2” was a centerpiece of the program, and the idea was to have the astrophysicist describe the science behind sunrises.
Since then, Bernard has bonded with his creative partner while continuing to enjoy and be intrigued by performing this particular piece.
“It’s been so wonderful working with Jackie on this,” Bernard said. “We’ve done this several times and through the back-and-forth, I learn so much when I work with her. Not only is she the most prominent astrophysicist and senior scientist at the Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium, but she’s also really holistic in her perspective on this. She focuses on the intersection of philosophy, science, music and art and it’s wonderful working with her on that. We have an integrated approach to it.”
The partnership between the Massapequa Philharmonic and the Tilles Center has also yielded many other unique programs ranging from a Gerswin Centennial of “Rhapsody in Blue” centered on a collaborative performance with jazz pianist Ted Rosenthal of “An American in Paris” with Gershwin songs to the “Symphonic Mystery Tour,” which was produced by the same company that created “Beatlemania.”
This unique presentation of Holst’s best-known work also includes an additional twist. Following the show, the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium will provide the audience with activities related to space and astronomy in the Tilles Atrium. For Bernard, the upshot is seeing attendees experience classical music in a new and different way.
“The most enjoyable part of this program, which is similar to when I conduct any program, is to get a sense of the impact on the audience,” he explained “If we get audience members to engage and bolster their enthusiasm for the music and the science, that to me, is the best part of this—the impact on the audience. For me, the music for each of these planets has a special quality and brings something unique to our internal view of the universe.”
David Bernard and the Massapequa Philharmonic will be performing ‘Out Of This World” on July 13 at The Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, 720 Northern Blvd., Greenvale. For more information, visit www.tillescenter.org or call 516-299-3100.
