Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall served as a home for all music lovers this season, playing a major role in fueling New York City’s comeback. Featuring the best of many types of music, the Hall presented more than 100 performances for concertgoers who returned to enjoy live events, with many more tuning into selected radio and digital broadcasts that reached people worldwide. Major highlights included The Philadelphia Orchestra’s complete Beethoven symphony cycle, which kicked off on Opening Night; living legend John Williams conducting his iconic music with superstar violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter; an inventive citywide Afrofuturism festival; and so much more. Visionary composer Julia Wolfe held the 2021–2022 Debs Composer’s Chair, and inventive Perspectives series were curated by pianist Mitsuko Uchida—her first in a three-year series—and one of today’s brightest stars, the multitalented Jon Batiste.

Music education and social impact programs created by the Weill Music Institute (WMI)—all available at low or no cost—served more than 75,000 New Yorkers of all ages, with close to 500 schools, venues, arts organizations, and partners hosting WMI programming last season. Local organizations in 41 states partnered with Carnegie Hall, and WMI programs reached more than 800,000 people worldwide last season, as well as significantly more online. These programs nurture talent, make music a meaningful part of everyday life, and create valuable opportunities for students, teachers, aspiring musicians, young professionals, and members throughout our communities. Ensemble Connect—Carnegie Hall’s prestigious fellowship for young professional players—works with New York City public schools, reaching more than 4,500 students across the five boroughs.

Outside the concert hall, Carnegie Hall renewed its commitment to serving local communities and music lovers around the world. Citywide concerts brought 20 free, world-class performances to neighborhoods throughout New York City and beyond. Beautify NYC—a special NeON Arts initiative—offered paid opportunities for more than 50 local artists and 200 young people to create public art and revitalize community spaces. PlayUSA provided 19 organizations nationally with funding and support for participatory K–12 instrumental training programs. Carnegie Hall’s three national youth ensembles made their long-awaited returns to touring, and NYO Jazz released its acclaimed debut album.

Carnegie Hall continues to reimagine the role of the concert hall in the 21st century. Rapidly growing digital initiatives reached more than 3 million people in 2021–2022, bolstering a full return to in-person activities. The popular Carnegie Hall Live—co-produced with WQXR and now in its 11th season—provided concert streams from throughout the Hall’s season to listeners worldwide. Online premieres across artistic disciplines added new dimensions to citywide festivals, and created unique opportunities for commissioned composers like Debs Composer’s Chair Julia Wolfe. Innovative uses of technology brought the Hall’s education and social impact programs to more families, teachers, students, and artists, while elevating these programs to new standards of excellence and innovation.