"With the greatest orchestras in the world performing at Carnegie Hall, Robert envisioned a project that each season would integrate the activities of a particular orchestra more fully into all our communities," said acting executive director Klaus Jacobs in a statement. "Robert felt strongly that we fully utilize the talents of the musicians we present, striving not only to have a greater impact inside of our halls, but equally important, outside of our walls and into our communities."

Over eight days in November 2007, the Philharmonic and music director Simon Rattle will give concerts on Carnegie Hall's three stages, appear at community and school events in all five of New York's boroughs, and perform with student dancers in a new production of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. In addition, the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra, which already has a relationship with the Philharmonic, will travel to New York to work with local youth orchestras.

"Robert Harth spoke to me about the basic concept of this project in one of our last conversations," Rattle said. "I, for one, was amazed at his insistence that we could try to distill all of our different strands of activity into such a short space of time. It will be exhilarating and demanding, and we are happy to share some of our ideas and projects with this great hall, which is so close to our hearts."

The program is part of Carnegie's Weill Music Institute, which oversees the hall's educational and outreach programs.