David Geffen News

From May 23 to June 11, 2016, the New York Philharmonic and Music Director Alan Gilbert will present the second NY PHIL BIENNIAL, a wide-ranging exploration of today's music by an array of contemporary and modern composers. A flagship project of the New York Philharmonic, the NY PHIL BIENNIAL brings together an international roster of composers, performers, and curatorial voices for concerts presented both on the Lincoln Center campus and in venues throughout the city.

Semyon Bychkov will return to the New York Philharmonic to conduct works composed or inspired by Brahms: Brahms's Double Concerto for Violin and Cello, with violinist Lisa Batiashvili and cellist Gautier Capuc?on; Detlev Glanert's Brahms-Fantasie; and Brahms's Symphony No. 1.

It has been announced today that cult musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors will next year embark on an Australian Tour. Starring Brent Hill and Esther Hannaford, the production will premiere at Hayes Theatre Co in Sydney in February 2016 followed by seasons in Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane.

Pianist Maurizio Pollini will return to the New York Philharmonic for the first time since 1994 to join Music Director Alan Gilbert and the Orchestra for a one-night-only performance of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1, tonight, October 16, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. The program also includes Berlioz's Le Corsaire Overture and Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, Overture-Fantasy.

The New York Philharmonic will present Rachmaninoff: A Philharmonic Festival, November 10-28, 2015, featuring 24-year-old Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov performing three of the composer's piano concertos and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini over the course of three consecutive all-Rachmaninoff programs, each led by a different conductor: Cristian Macelaru (in his Philharmonic debut), Neeme Jarvi, and Ludovic Morlot.

Mezzo-soprano Deborah Nansteel, in her New York Philharmonic debut, will replace Marietta Simpson, who has withdrawn due to illness, in In Their Footsteps: Great African American Singers and Their Legacy.

Eric Owens will begin his tenure as The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence by curating, hosting, and performing in In Their Footsteps: Great African American Singers and Their Legacy, conducted by Thomas Wilkins in his Philharmonic debut.

Geffen Playhouse presents the West Coast premiere of GUARDS AT THE TAJ by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Steinberg Award recipient Rajiv Joseph. Raffi Barsoumian will star as Humayun, opposite Ramiz Monsef as Babur.

The 50th season of Lincoln Center's Great Performers series and the sixth season of its White Light Festival commence on October 14 with tenor Mark Padmore and pianist Paul Lewis in the first of three highly-anticipated Schubert song recitals.

New shows on sale this week at bergenPAC: Jackson Browne – Monday, January 25, 2015 at 8PM. Tickets go on sale Friday, October 16, 2015 at 11AM at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling bergenPAC's Box Office at 201.227.1030.

Mezzo-soprano Deborah Nansteel, in her New York Philharmonic debut, will replace Marietta Simpson, who has withdrawn due to illness, in In Their Footsteps: Great African American Singers and Their Legacy.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA) and the New York Philharmonic announce a gala fundraiser for the new David Geffen Hall by presenting a star-studded concert on Thursday, December 3, in the hall, celebrating the music of Frank Sinatra on the occasion of his 100th birthday. Earlier this year music and media executive David Geffen gave a $100 million gift to Lincoln Center to lead a complete renovation of its largest concert hall, which now bears his name.

Manhattan Concert Productions has announced initial casting, leadership, and ticketing information for their concert performances of Tony award-winning musical The Secret Garden in its 25th Anniversary year. Both concerts will take place at David Geffen Hall (formerly known as Avery Fisher Hall), Lincoln Center on February 21, 2016 and February 22, 2016, both at 8pm. The Secret Garden marks the fourth installment of Manhattan Concert Productions' Broadway Series that has included Ragtime, Titanic, and Parade. The concert performances of The Secret Garden will feature a chorus of over 200 singers from the across the United States, a professional cast and creative team, and the enlarged forces of the New York City Chamber Orchestra. 

Manhattan Concert Productions has announced initial casting, leadership, and ticketing information for their concert performances of Tony award-winning musical The Secret Garden in its 25th Anniversary year. Both concerts will take place at David Geffen Hall (formerly known as Avery Fisher Hall), Lincoln Center on February 21, 2016 and February 22, 2016, both at 8pm. The Secret Garden marks the fourth installment of Manhattan Concert Productions' Broadway Series that has included Ragtime, Titanic, and Parade. The concert performances of The Secret Garden will feature a chorus of over 200 singers from the across the United States, a professional cast and creative team, and the enlarged forces of the New York City Chamber Orchestra. 

Geffen Playhouse presents the West Coast premiere of GUARDS AT THE TAJ by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Steinberg Award recipient Rajiv Joseph. Raffi Barsoumian will star as Humayun, opposite Ramiz Monsef as Babur.

Music Director Alan Gilbert will conduct the New York Philharmonic in an all-Mozart program: his Divertimento in D major, K.136/125a; Horn Concerto No. 2, with Principal Horn Philip Myers; and Serenade for 13 Winds, Gran partita. The concerts take place Wednesday, November 4, 2015, at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, November 5 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, November 6 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, November 7 at 8:00 p.m.

New York Philharmonic Board Chairman Oscar Straus Schafer and his wife, Didi, are making the largest gift to the New York Philharmonic from an individual donor in the organization's history. The $25 million gift includes $20 million to help build the Philharmonic's endowment as well as the renovation of its concert home. The Schafers are also continuing their support of the Philharmonic's free Concerts in the Parks series with an additional commitment of $5 million.

The News & Documentary Emmy® Awards will be presented on Monday, September 28th, 2015, at a ceremony at Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall (

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts officially renamed its largest concert hall for entertainment icon and philanthropist David Geffen at a special ceremony today, as the New York Philharmonic opened its 2015-2016 season. Geffen's $100 million gift is the essential catalyst for the comprehensive renovation and re-imagination of the concert hall, a joint effort between Lincoln Center and the New York Philharmonic.

Jaap van Zweden will return to the New York Philharmonic to conduct Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, with Artist-in-Association Inon Barnatan as soloist; Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem; and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. The performances take place Thursday, October 29, 2015, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, October 30 at 2:00 p.m.; and Saturday, October 31 at 8:00 p.m.