Carnegie Hall

In November 2007, Carnegie Hall presented its first major international festival, Berlin in Lights. With more than 50 performances and events presented at the Hall and partner venues across New York City, Berlin in Lights invited audiences to explore the culture of a fascinating city, reborn since the reunification of Germany. A multitude of offerings that encompassed music, film, art, and architecture unfolded over the course of 17 days, creating a vivid snapshot of Berlin—a city that has largely reshaped its identity through culture.

Wonderful musical performances were at the center of Berlin in Lights, beginning with an eight-day residency by Sir Simon Rattle and the stellar Berliner Philharmoniker. Electrifying concerts by Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, orchestral and chamber music performances, neighborhood concerts, and extensive education programs that engaged hundreds of students in creative learning projects collectively ensured that both the festival and world-class music making reached wide and far across the city.

Berlin in Lights enjoyed both an enthusiastic audience response and widespread critical acclaim. The festival encouraged Carnegie Hall’s regular concertgoers to explore an array of art forms, while newcomers to the Hall joined in the discovery of Berlin’s numerous cultural treasures.