CARNEGIE HALL PRESENTS ITS FIRST-EVER VIRTUAL OPENING NIGHT GALA CELEBRATION ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7 AT 7:30 PM

MARKING THE HALL’S 130TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

James Taylor & Yoyo Ma

Free Online Program Invites Music Lovers Everywhere To Explore Carnegie Hall’s History With

Musical Highlights from the Hall’s Illustrious Past and Newly-Recorded Selections by Leading Artists

Special Presentation Available on Facebook,
YouTube, and carnegiehall.org

NYO Musician Plays InstrumentOn Wednesday, October 7 at 7:30 p.m. (EDT), Carnegie Hall presents its first-ever Virtual Opening Night Gala Celebration, inviting music lovers worldwide to mark the Hall’s 130th anniversary season, honoring its illustrious past and looking to the future. This free online program will feature leading musicians, including Jon Batiste, Joyce DiDonato, Gustavo Dudamel, Michael Feinstein, Renée Fleming, Rhiannon Giddens and Our Native Daughters, Angélique Kidjo, Lang Lang, Wynton Marsalis, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, James Taylor, Michael Tilson Thomas, and more exploring Carnegie Hall’s remarkable legacy and the special place that it represents for artists from all around the world. The celebration, directed by Emmy Award-winner Habib Azar, will include highlights of legendary performances from throughout the Hall’s history as well as newly recorded musical selections.

“We are deeply grateful to all those who have stood by Carnegie Hall in recent months as we have all faced this unprecedented crisis brought on by COVID-19,” said Clive Gillinson, Carnegie Hall’s Executive and Artistic Director. “While this has been an incredibly difficult time, we also know it is important to take this time to celebrate this milestone season, reflecting not only on the history of our Hall, but also the many ways it will contribute to the lives of huge numbers of New Yorkers as well as others in the future. We especially want to thank the amazing artists who have collaborated with us on this first-ever virtual celebration, sharing their talents and reminding us why there is no place for music like Carnegie Hall, anywhere in the world.”

Viewers everywhere will be able watch this complimentary streamed presentation on carnegiehall.org as well as on Carnegie Hall’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Lang Lang

Mercedes T. Bass and Hope and Robert F. Smith are the Gala Lead Chairmen for Carnegie Hall’s Opening Night of the 130th Anniversary Season: A Virtual Gala Celebration. The Gala Chairmen Committee includes Len and Emily Blavatnik; Maral and Sarkis Jebejian; Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis; Jean and Melanie Salata; Beatrice Santo Domingo; David M. Siegel and Dana Matsushita; Ian and Margaret Smith; S. Donald Sussman; and Joan and Sanford I. Weill. PwC is the Opening Night Gala Lead Sponsor for the 17th consecutive season, and Roy Weathers, Vice Chairman, PwC is the Corporate Chairman for the event. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is the Opening Night Gala Supporting Sponsor.

Funds raised from this Opening Night celebration will support the Hall’s artistic and education programming and help ensure that the Hall will continue to serve audiences for many years to come.

Supporters interested in learning more about gala participation, including exclusive event benefits, can call Carnegie Hall’s Special Events Office at 212-903-9679 or visit carnegiehall.org/openingnight2020.

About Carnegie Hall

Since it opened in 1891, Carnegie Hall has set the international standard for musical excellence as the aspirational destination for the world’s finest artists. From Tchaikovsky, Dvorák, Mahler, and Bartók to George Gershwin, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Judy Garland, and The Beatles, music making by a long list of artists representing the best of every genre has filled Carnegie Hall over the years. The Hall’s unique history has grown out of its stunning acoustics, the beauty of its three concert halls, and its location in New York City, where it has played a central role in helping to elevate the city into one of the world’s great cultural capitals.

Carnegie Hall presents a wide range of performances each season on its three stages—the renowned Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, intimate Weill Recital Hall, and innovative Zankel Hall—including concert series curated by acclaimed artists and composers; citywide festivals featuring collaborations with leading NYC cultural institutions; orchestral performances, chamber music, new music concerts, and recitals; and the best in jazz, world, and popular music. Many concerts each season are heard by listeners worldwide via the Carnegie Hall Live radio and digital broadcast series, produced in partnership with WQXR, and select concerts have been webcast on medici.tv.

Complementing these performance activities, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute creates wide-reaching music education and social impact programs that annually serve more than 800,000 people in the New York City area, nationally, and internationally. These programs play a central role in delivering on Carnegie Hall’s commitment to making great music accessible to as many people as possible.

While its landmark building has been closed to the public since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Carnegie Hall has actively continued to serve its audiences in New York City and beyond. Beginning in April, the Hall launched new online series—including Live with Carnegie Hall and Learn with Carnegie Hall—connecting leading artists and audiences digitally with original programming that has included music, conversation, and behind-the-scenes perspectives, streamed for free via the Hall’s website and social media channels. Most of the Hall’s extensive music education and social impact programs have also pivoted to digital throughout this period, with innovative initiatives engaging with families, educators, community members, and aspiring young musicians at home.

Carnegie Hall’s online streaming programs will continue this fall with a schedule of upcoming episodes and artist line-up to be announced. Archived programs available for on-demand viewing can be found on carnegiehall.org/live and carnegiehall.org/learn.

Program Information

Wednesday, October 7 at 7:30 p.m. EDT

CARNEGIE HALL OPENING NIGHT

130th Anniversary Season

A Virtual Gala Celebration

Featuring:

Jon Batiste

Joyce DiDonato

Gustavo Dudamel

Michael Feinstein

Renée Fleming

Rhiannon Giddens and Our Native Daughters

Angélique Kidjo

Lang Lang

Wynton Marsalis

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

James Taylor

Michael Tilson Thomas

Habib Azar, Director