Nézet-Séguin's fresh beginning

One can't help wondering: With so many young conductors such as Nézet-Séguin making big careers, do they confer among themselves?

Short answer: No. They're too busy. "Recently, Daniel Harding [the young British conductor] was in New York. He texted me. He Facebooked me. He said 'Let's have a beer, if nothing else.' It didn't happen. I was here. He was there. "And Gustavo [Dudamel]? We've never even shaken hands. Andris Nelsons, same thing."

Still, he said, "We all seem to have our places well assured for the future in this great world. And that's great."

The Orchestra's 2012-2013 Season

Notable events

Oct. 18: The centenary season of Leopold Stokowski opens with a gala featuring soprano Renee Fleming.

Oct. 19-21: Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the Verdi Requiem with Marina Poplavskaya and Rolando Villazón

Feb. 21, 23, and 24: Nézet-Séguin conducts The Rite of Spring, staged in collaboration with the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and the Ridge Theater.

March 28 and 30: Nézet-Séguin leads soloists, children's choir, double choir, and double orchestra in the orchestra's first performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion in 30 years.

Guest conductors

Giancarlo Guerrero (Nov. 1-3); Emmanuel Krivine (Nov. 8-10); Stéphane Denève (Nov. 15-17, Nov. 23-25); Donald Runnicles (Nov. 29-Dec. 1, April 25-27); Gianandrea Noseda (Dec. 6-8, Dec. 13-15); Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (Jan. 31-Feb. 2, Feb. 14-16); Christoph von Dohnányi (March 8-10, March 14-16); Andrey Boreyko (March 21-23); Jaap van Zweden (April 4-6, April 11-13); Nicholas McGegan (April 18-20); Simon Rattle (May 9-11, May 16-19, May 17 at Carnegie Hall).

Guest artists

Pianists: Jonathan Biss (April 25-27); Rudolf Buchbinder (March 8-10); Imogen Cooper (Jan. 10-12); Kirill Gerstein (Nov. 1-3); Lang Lang (May 9-11); Denis Matsuev (Dec. 6-8); Christina and Michelle Naughton (Nov. 8-10); Garrick Ohlsson (April 4-6); Jean-Yves Thibaudet (Feb. 21, 23, 24); Lars Vogt (Nov. 29-Dec. 1); André Watts (Feb. 1-2). Violinists: Joshua Bell (Oct. 25-27); Leonidas Kavakos (Jan. 16-19); Hilary Hahn (May 3-5); Gil Shaham (May 23-25). Cellist: Alisa Weilerstein (Dec. 13-15). Principal trumpet: David Bilger (Feb. 14-16). Percussionist: Colin Currie (March 21-23).

Guest vocalists

Sopranos: Renée Fleming (Oct. 18); Marina Poplavskaya (Oct. 19-23); Barbara Hannigan (May 16-19). Mezzo-soprano: Christine Rice (Oct. 19-23). Tenor: Rolando Villazón (Oct. 19-23). Bass: Mikhail Petrenko (Oct. 19-23).

Choirs: American Boychoir (March 28, 30); Philadelphia Singers Chorale (Nov. 15-17; Dec. 23 (Handel's Messiah); Feb. 14-16); Westminster Symphonic Choir (Oct. 19-23; March 28, 30).