Award-Winning Sound Designer Nevin Steinberg Will Serve as The Town Hall New Board President

Nevin Steinberg, the award-winning sound designer for such Broadway shows as Hamilton (2015), Sweeney Todd (2023), and Hadestown (2019), will become the President of the Board of Trustees of Town Hall, the historic New York City venue that has, for more than 100 years, hosted legendary performances from Richard Strauss and Isaac Stern to Marian Anderson, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.

The legendary Town Hall stage has showcased lectures and debates, with such notable Americans as Eleanor Roosevelt, Langston Hughes, and Jackie Robinson, and presented the debuts of Ravi Shankar (1965), Nina Simone (1959), Bob Dylan (1963), Judy Collins (1964), and Philip Glass Ensemble (1974). In the 21st century, audiences have welcomed everyone from the Beastie Boys to Darlene Love, Mavis Staples, and Elvis Costello.  

 

“It has been a privilege to serve the Town Hall Foundation and its incredible staff as a Trustee for the last ten years,” Nevin Steinberg said. “Under Tom Wirtshafter's exceptional leadership, we expanded our impact, weathered Covid, and thrived when the entertainment sector reopened. Our exciting and diverse programming, and innovative educational programs continue to impress our audiences, constituents, and funders. I'm very excited to lead the board in promoting our mission, connecting our compelling history to our organization's future, and re-establishing The Town Hall as one of New York's and America's vital cultural institutions.” 

 

“After twenty-one extraordinary years, working with some of the most creative and original people in theater anywhere, I'm excited to welcome Nevin as the new President of the Board of Trustees,” said Tom Wirtshafter, who has served on the Board for two decades and as its President since 2013. “Town Hall is lucky to have Tony Award winner Nevin Steinberg at its helm. Not only has he helped create amazing experiences on Broadway and throughout the world, but he has also engineered and made possible Town Hall's new state-of-the-art sound system.” 

 

During Wirtshafter's tenure, Town Hall's annual budget has grown from just over $3 million to over $6 million in 2024. Wirtshafter spearheaded important renovations and upgrades and led the theater's robust post-Covid return. There are nearly 200 shows planned for 2024. 

 

“I am thrilled to work alongside such a talented and knowledgeable individual as Nevin,” said Town Hall Executive Director Ted Lambert. “Nevin has already been an incredibly important member of the Board and was instrumental in our technical overhaul. His strong vision, leadership, and commitment to Town Hall's growth comes at a moment when we are poised to achieve greater reach and impact than ever before.” 

 

“While we are expanding quickly and taking on new projects and partnerships like never before, it's very important that our leadership remains mission-driven and ambitious,” said Melay Araya, Artistic Director. “Nevin's ethical, artistic, and business-minded work have long been an inspiration, as part of the board and beyond. We're all extremely excited to have him in this new position.” 

 

New to this season's programming are two series: Live Scores and The Korean Arts Series, complementing the ongoing Black Voices series. The Live Score series, which earlier this season included Jose Gonzalez's A Tiger in Paradise (2023), The Philip Glass Ensemble performing Koyaanisqatsi (1982) and as part of AnimeNYC, The Sinfonietta performing Cowboy Bebop (1998), is set to continue this February with a live presentation of the award-winning video game Stardew Valley. The Korean Arts series, inspired by historic Korean events at Town Hall, is designed to feature the spectrum of creative work from South Korea and its diaspora, with events including film live score presentation of Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho's Mother conducted by Tania León with a New York debut by South Korean guitarist and composer Lee Byung-Woo.  

 
The Black Voices series, co-curated by multi-instrumentalist Damien Sneed, will continue to explore the broad scope of Black music, from gospel to R&B. This season's lineup includes an opera about James Baldwin and a tribute to R&B legend Faith Evans. 

 

In addition to its performances, Town Hall's Education Department, which was founded in 1998, serves a diverse population in New York City through storytelling and creative arts.  

 

“We're very excited about Nevin's new position with the board and the vision he brings to it,” said Taione Martinez, Director of Education. “Our planned expansion throughout the greater New York City community will benefit schools and students who lack the resources to provide quality arts education.” 

 

The School Residencies program led by Town Hall's teaching artists, serves NYC public schools, offering a variety of creative arts courses. Last year, these programs served 550 students at 11 schools last year. Town Hall's Intergenerational Devised Theater program helps high school students create original works inspired by the experiences of formerly homeless adults. The program offers students insights into support systems for unhoused New Yorkers. 

 

The Storyteller's Lab, a partnership with The Fortune Society, supports formerly incarcerated participants in expressing their experiences through storytelling. Led by Broadway performer Chesney Snow, the program culminates in performances at Berklee College of Music and Princeton University. And Town Hall's Senior Center Programs, taking place at three senior centers in Brooklyn and Manhattan, provide programming in painting, theater, and playwriting, integrating storytelling and artmaking with lived experiences.  

 

About Nevin Steinberg: 

Nevin Steinberg is a Tony Award-winning sound designer for Broadway, off-Broadway, touring, and international live productions. His recent Broadway projects include the 2023 revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Tony Award), Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (Tony Nomination), Hadestown (Tony Award), Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Freestyle Love Supreme, The Cher Show, Bandstand, Bright Star and Rodgers+Hammerstein's Cinderella (Tony nomination). He designed over thirty Broadway productions with ACME Sound Partners and received five additional Tony nominations for The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Fences, Hair, and In The Heights. 

 

Steinberg serves as the Audio Consultant for The Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall. 

 

He holds a bachelor's degree from Harvard College in English and American Literature and Language, and in 2011 completed a Certificate Program in Arts Management at NYU's School for Continuing Professional Studies. Until his election to President, Nevin served as Vice President and a Trustee of the Town Hall Foundation, Inc., the non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and support of The Town Hall, a cultural and education center as well as a national historic landmark in the center of Times Square in New York City. Steinberg first joined the Board of Trustees in 2013. 

 

About Town Hall 

For more than 100 years, Town Hall has welcomed great thinkers, activists, and artists to its Broadway stage. Legendary performances hosted by Town Hall range from Richard Strauss and Isaac Stern to Marian Anderson, who presented her first New York recital there. Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker debuted bebop to the world at Town Hall. The venue has hosted lectures and debates including the Peabody Award-winning public radio program. “America's Town Meeting of the Air,” which aired from 1935-1956 and featured Eleanor Roosevelt, Langston Hughes, and Jackie Robinson. Other great debuts include Ravi Shankar (1965), Nina Simone (1959), Bob Dylan (1963), Judy Collins (1964), and Philip Glass Ensemble (1974). In the 21st century, audiences have enjoyed appearances by Beastie Boys, Darlene Love, Mavis Staples, and Elvis Costello. More recently, audiences have enjoyed virtual events that have included Anita Hill and Eddie Glaude Jr. as well as in-person events featuring Eddie Izzard, Fatoumata Diawara, and Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. 

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