Carnegie Hall Celebrates 50th Anniversary Of Its ‘Concert Of The Century’

Carnegie Hall celebrated the 50th anniversary of its “Concert of the Century” with a once-in-a-lifetime convening of musical all-stars on Tuesday, May 5. Organized by famed violinist Isaac Stern, the original 1976 event brought together some of the world’s greatest musicians for a now-legendary “concert-celebration” that commemorated the anniversary of the Hall’s opening on May 5, 1891. Fifty years later — and 135 years after the Hall’s opening — a new lineup of Carnegie Hall icons came together to honor the Hall’s legacy, telling its story to a new generation.

Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin led the NYO-USA All-Stars, an ensemble of distinguished alumni from Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America. The program opened with the overture to Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, which premiered at the Hall in 1957 by the New York Philharmonic under the composer’s baton. It continued with the third movement of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 6” — honoring the composer who led Carnegie Hall’s inaugural concert in 1891 — and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Laudate Dominum,” featuring soprano Renée Fleming, also the evening’s host, with the orchestra and the Oratorio Society of New York, the same chorus for which Carnegie Hall was originally designed and built.

Highlights of this special program also included mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato joining pianist Emanuel Ax for two of Gustav Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder; the third movement of Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto No. 1” with pianist Lang Lang; mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard singing Non più mesta accanto al fuoco from Rossini’s “La Cenerentola;” and the third movement of Gershwin’s “Piano Concerto in F” with pianist Daniil Trifonov. Vocalist Audra McDonald partnered with longtime music director Andy Einhorn for songs by Ellington and Gershwin. Vocalist and pianist Michael Feinstein collaborated with the orchestra on songs by Michel Legrand and Arthur Schwartz. The program also featured Valerie Coleman’s “Seven O’Clock Shout” and Bernstein’s inspiring “Make Our Garden Grow” from “Candide.”

Elizabeth Segerstrom was the Gala Lead Chair for the black-tie evening. Robert F. Smith, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Carnegie Hall, shared, “Elizabeth Segerstrom has been a dedicated supporter, champion, and friend of Carnegie Hall for almost two decades. We were so fortunate and grateful to have her lead this event tonight to carry on her late husband Henry’s legacy for our Hall. What we experience at Carnegie Hall — what so many have experienced here over the years — is the depth of expression, the connection to history, the nuance, the storytelling. It is not simply a feat of the technical; it is the triumph of the human spirit. The connection we feel in this hall reminds us of the importance of sharing moments that renew and inspire us. Through art, we develop a deeper understanding of our place in the universe and what it truly means to be human. That is the power of this institution, and that is why the support in this room matters so profoundly for generations to come.”

Gala Chairs included Anya Gillinson, Ila and Dinesh Paliwal, and Hope and Robert F. Smith. Gala Co-Chairs were Marco Argenti and Nanyan Li, Mercedes T. Bass, Sandra Segerstrom Daniels, and Joan and Sanford I. Weill, Weill Family Foundation. South Coast Plaza was the Gala Sponsor.

The gala evening benefited Carnegie Hall’s artistic, education, and social impact programs and included a pre-concert cocktail party in Carnegie Hall’s Rohatyn Room and a post-concert dinner at the Waldorf Astoria New York.

The dinner celebrated Executive and Artistic Director Clive Gillinson’s twenty years of visionary leadership at Carnegie Hall. Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, said, “What is extraordinary is that Clive is, at his core, a musician, and leads with the heart of a musician. That is what makes such an incredible difference at Carnegie Hall — not just in New York, but far beyond. In a world that often feels uncertain, Carnegie Hall stands as a beacon — of openness, of creativity, of diversity, of freedom of expression. And that is not by accident. It is the result of vision, of leadership, and of a deep belief in what music can do for people.”

Anya Gillinson shared, “My husband sees Carnegie Hall not simply as an institution, but as something entrusted to him — to cherish, to protect, and to build upon. And yet, he has done more than preserve it. He has breathed new life into it, honoring its history while reimagining what it can mean for the future.”

“One of the things I love about America is that people do not just support good ideas — they support great ideas,” said Clive Gillinson. “The willingness of this community to believe in ambition, to take risks, and to make things possible is what allows Carnegie Hall to keep evolving and reaching further than we ever thought possible.”

The gala raised $3.5 million in support of Carnegie Hall’s artistic, education and social impact programs. The 600 guests included Katie Holmes, Liev Schreiber and Taylor Neisen, Constance Wu, Victoria and Michael Imperioli, Candace Bushnell, Lou Diamond Phillips, Colleen and Gary Rein, Maria Manetti Shrem, Daniil Simkin, Dana and Robert Kraft, Barbara Tober, Marilyn Minter, Famke Janssen, Ellen Burstyn, Kehinde Wiley, and more.