Harlem Stage Will Host Renaissance Gala 2026 in May

Harlem Stage has announced its Renaissance Gala 2026. The event will be held on Monday, May 18 from 7 - 10pm at the Rainbow Room, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 65th Floor, New York, NY 10112.

Harlem Stage will inaugurate the Agnes Gund Medal of Visionary Philanthropy in recognition of Agnes “Aggie” Gund’s transformational vision at the intersection of creative leadership and social impact. The medal will be accepted by her daughter Catherine Gund, and presented alongside global leaders and initiatives whose lives and work illuminate the most profound and enduring expressions of our shared humanity, including the 2026 Honorees Courtney Lee-Mitchell, Board President, Harlem Stage and Fall of Freedom. 

“Inaugurating the Agnes Gund Medal of Visionary Philanthropy affirms the profound impact that courageous cultural leadership can have on our society,” said Dr. Indira Etwaroo, CEO & Artistic Director, Harlem Stage. “We are especially honored to celebrate Courtney Lee-Mitchell, whose steadfast leadership and commitment to Harlem Stage have been a source of strength, and Fall of Freedom, whose work calls us to confront history with honesty and purpose. This gala is a testament to the artists, philanthropists, and changemakers who remind us that art is not peripheral to democracy, it is its very center.”

This communal celebration includes unforgettable performances by extraordinary artists: Pauletta Washington, renowned actor and vocalist; Calvin Royal III, Principal Dancer, American Ballet Theatre; Jacek Mysinski, internationally recognized concert pianist; and an excerpt from Harlem Stage’s first national tour, featured in The 

New York Times, Freedom Riders: A Journey with No End in Sight with a live musical score collaboratively composed and performed by piano virtuoso Arden Altino, genre-defying violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain, and Grammy-nominated bassist and former Beyoncé musical director Divinity Roxx.