An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.7 hit the northeastern U.S. on Friday April 5.
The ground shook, objects slid off the tables, but no one was injured. American conductor Karina Canellakis was unfazed when the audience's phones began to ring and vibrate to warn of the consequences of an earthquake. At intermission, the management of Lincoln Center asked spectators to check their cell phones and, above all, to turn the sound down as much as possible. These SMS alerts, accompanied by disturbing sounds, are triggered even if spectators have taken the trouble to place their cell phones in silent mode. This function is an absolute security mode that goes beyond the usual filters. The alerts were transmitted on the phones for the next few hours until the earthquake subsided at 11 a.m. (GMT) and 11:30 p.m., respectively, on April 6 and 7. The New York Philharmonic was playing Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto in G at the time.