92NY Kicks Off 150th Anniversary Celebration with the 2023/24 Tisch Music Season

The 92nd Street Y, New York has announced its 2023/24 Tisch Music Season, as part of the institution’s far-reaching 150th anniversary celebration. Over the past century and a half, 92NY has grown into one of New York City’s — and the world’s — most influential cultural institutions. This season builds exponentially on the organization’s rich history of presenting the best and most innovative musicians performing across a wide range of genres, from classical to jazz and American Songbook, with the goal of advancing and expanding each genre through commissions and multi-disciplinary collaborations.

"Since the 92nd Street Y, New York was founded in 1874, we have been committed to showcasing the best musical performers and performances on our stages," said Seth Pinsky, Chief Executive Officer of 92NY. "While this commitment has always been important to us, allowing us to bring the restorative power of great art to our diverse community, it is particularly important at this moment when so many arts and cultural institutions are being forced to retrench. With our expanded 2023/24 Tisch Music Season, we aim to attract new audiences to 92NY to experience innovative programs featuring world-class artists, in the process sending an important signal that the future of the arts in New York and around the world remains bright."

Working within 92NY’s 150th Anniversary theme, Inspired by the Past, Transforming for the Future, 92NY’s Vice President, Tisch Music Amy Lam has curated a season featuring newly commissioned works and premieres and artist-driven programs that take, as a reference point, the history of 92NY, the artists themselves and music more broadly. Examples include the world premiere of a new, interdisciplinary project by Cécile McLorin Salvant that blends the old and new musically, as Salvant mines her classical music training to transform Baroque songs through a jazz-focused lens. The New York premiere of Damien Geter’s COTTON explores an African American narrative of past and present, performed by Denyce Graves and Justin Austin. And Audra McDonald takes the stage with a new program that is inspired by her 30-year Broadway career, including Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award wins.

Building on the theme of transformation, eleven of this season’s 42 concerts will be presented in 92NY’s newly renovated and creatively flexible Buttenwieser Hall at The Arnhold Center. In its Buttenwieser Hall programs, Tisch Music will continue to expand engagement on-site with audiences in new ways. And, as it continues to build its global audience (having secured approximately 5 million views from 200 countries and all 50 states for its original programming across the institution last year), 92NY will maintain its commitment to making its offerings available globally, with more than 20 events available for streaming and on-demand viewing.

The 2023/24 Tisch Music Season builds on the recent success of its Midsummer MusicFest, launched this year in celebration of 92NY’s 150th anniversary. Consistent with 92NY’s anniversary theme, the annual Festival will look back on 92NY’s musical history and will focus on programming that is inspired by that history, with 2023’s festival inspired by 92NY’s role in bringing jazz from small clubs to a concert hall setting. The Season also continues the evolution of Tisch Music’s flagship Lyrics & Lyricists series, doubling the American Songbook offerings and focusing on the genre as defined, not only by Broadway, but in the many genres of American music found across the country.

Highlights of the 2023/24 Tisch Music Season include:

• Opening night performance by the great jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman
• Celebrations of the 150th Anniversary of the 92NY with shows featuring six-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald and the world premiere of a new, interdisciplinary project by genre-sweeping songstress Cécile McLorin Salvant
• NY premieres of new work by Tyshawn Sorey and COTTON by composer Damien Geter
• New York concert debuts of the Isidore String Quartet and of pianist Tony Siqi Yun
• Pianist Conrad Tao returns to 92NY as part of the global celebration of Rachmaninoff at 150
• Ongoing partnerships continue with concerts from the Curtis Institute of Music, the New York Philharmonic, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with special guest artists
• Art of the Guitar Series with Beijing Guitar Duo, David Russell and Manuel Barrueco
• 2023/24 Lyrics & Lyricists series celebrating Howard Ashman, Laura Nyro, Stevie Wonder, and Sheldon Harnick in a special event led by Ted Sperling honoring the legacy of the triple Tony Award winner and Broadway legend, as well as a one-night-only appearance by three-time Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown
• Expanded American Songbook offerings to include exclusive concerts by Audra McDonald, Joshua Henry and Stephanie J. Block

“This season will be an expansion of what Tisch Music built last year – rich, diverse and forward-looking, providing a platform for the most defining artists and brightest creators in our field today,” said Amy Lam, Vice President, Tisch Music, 92NY. “Inspired by the icons who graced our stages and the trailblazers who advanced the art form - and with it, our institution - through innovation over the past century and a half, our 150th Anniversary Season celebrates our history and redefines what music means to all of us against an ever-evolving cultural landscape. In every category, we celebrate tradition as well as newer directions. From programmatic content to concert experiences, we continue to explore new models to forge meaningful connections with our audiences. The restoration and reimagining of the historic Buttenwieser Hall at The Arnhold Center exemplifies this dual commitment and provides the perfect backdrop as we celebrate our 150 years of culture, connection and enrichment and lay the groundwork for continued expansion and innovation.”

The full slate of performances and dates are listed below. For more information, please visit 92NY.org/Concerts.

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