She "has reluctantly had to withdraw due to [unforeseen] scheduling conflicts with her television series, Private Practice," according to a statement released by Philharmonic management this afternoon.
Happily, an old hand with the Berio folk songs is available — Dawn Upshaw, who will fill in for McDonald on all four dates (March 5-8) with no change in the program.
That program, conducted by Philharmonic music director designate Alan Gilbert, also includes Haydn's Symphony No. 48 and Beethoven's Symphony No. 4. Details and tickets are available at www.nyphil.org.
