Why it took 11 years for the Pittsburgh Symphony's return to Carnegie Hall in NYC

Getting to Carnegie Hall these days takes more than practice.

The Pittsburgh Symphony first played in New York City’s famous Carnegie Hall in 1899, only a year after its founding. It has returned dozens of times over the years, including a run of about 18 years of yearly appearances from the late 1980s to the mid-aughts.

Since 2006, however, the orchestra has only been back twice to that hallowed hall.

We’ll get to why shortly.

On Wednesday, the orchestra returns to Carnegie Hall — the most famous classical music hall in the country — for the first time in 11 years. The concert is completely sold out and will be broadcast on the national classical music radio station WQXR-FM at 8 p.m.

The night before, the Pittsburgh Symphony, with its music director of 18 years, Manfred Honeck, perfo