The Philadelphia Orchestra Is Back In The Recording Studio After 15 Years

By Pat Loeb

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Philadelphia Orchestra is making its first studio album with a major label in more than 15 years. Verizon Hall, in the Kimmel Center, has been transformed into a recording studio for the project.

This 1930 recording by the Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra is the first complete recording of Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring."

Now executive vice-president Ryan Fleur says the Orchestra is breaking ground with Rite of Spring, again, recording it for Deutsche Grammophon, under the baton of Yannick Nezet-Seguin.

"We're thrilled that the Kimmel Center has been a partner with us, our musicians have been great partners to add flexibility to their own schedules and Deutsche Grammophon's been a great creative partner enabling us to do something that no major orchestra does anymore, which is make studio recordings of core repertoire."

The studio is Verizon Hall, itself, "We have microphone arrays hanging throughout the hall. It's the first time we've used Verizon Hall this way.

Fleur says the possibility of future recordings will depend on how this weekend goes.