
New David Geffen Hall Opens tomorrow, October 8, 2022
The new David Geffen Hall opens to the public tomorrow, October 8, 2022, the home of the New York Philharmonic and new welcoming cultural home for New York. Completed two years early with a transformative design by Diamond Schmitt Architects and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the project represents a statement of faith in New York and its artistic community.
Opening will be marked throughout the month of October and feature many firsts, beginning with the World Premiere performances of San Juan Hill: A New York Story by composer Etienne Charles, commissioned by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for the New York Philharmonic, and performed by Etienne Charles and Creole Soul alongside the orchestra, conducted by Music Director Jaap van Zweden.
Choose-What-You-Pay tickets for San Juan Hill: A New York Story are now on sale. In addition, a limited number of free tickets will be available on October 8 at the Welcome Center at David Geffen Hall, opening at 10am. More information is available here.
In addition to two celebratory galas held on October 26 and October 28, the crescendo culminates with a free open house weekend on October 29 and 30 featuring hundreds of artists animating the entire hall with performances, participatory activities and family events.
“A huge community came together around the idea of a bright future at a dark time for our city. Now, we are able to celebrate an economic engine, a vibrant creative hub, and a cultural home for both the New York Philharmonic and all New Yorkers,” said Katherine Farley, Chair of the Board of Directors at Lincoln Center.
The project re-imagines the entire concert-going experience, creating a new state-of-the-art theater serving as the home of the New York Philharmonic and accommodating a diverse range of artists and audiences. The new David Geffen Hall features improved accessibility throughout.
At the same time, thousands of square feet of new public space for diverse cultural performance and community uses has been created—much of it free to the public. The reimagined space has achieved all this while respecting the iconic exterior.
The Wu Tsai Theater has been transformed into a warm, curvilinear hall that creates a more welcoming and intimate audience experience, with optimized sight lines and exceptional acoustics on each tier. The theater design’s state-of-the-art flexibility offers new capabilities and configurations, as motorized stage lifts and built-in screens will accommodate dance, film premieres, amplified rock concerts and more, ensuring new and exciting opportunities for the next generation of composers and performers.
The reimagined David Geffen Hall welcomes all who visit with generosity, warmth and fun. Its public spaces, include: the Karen and Richard LeFrak Lobby nearly doubled in size from the previous version; the Hauser Digital Wall, which will display visual art as well as live-streamed performances from inside the hall for anyone to enjoy free of charge; Tatiana, a restaurant exploring Afro-Caribbean flavors; the Kenneth C. Griffin Sidewalk Studio – an innovative venue for smaller-scale performance, rehearsals, and community gatherings, prominently positioned at, and visible from, the corner of Broadway and 65th street; and the Leon and Norma Hess Grand Promenade will be the center of activity in the hall’s public spaces.
The New York Philharmonic’s season at David Geffen Hall is broadly categorized by key themes: HOME, a monthlong, multifaceted festival where concerts activate the reinvented performance spaces, and programming reflects the institution’s ever-evolving conversation with the community. LIBERATION presents themes of social justice and equity. New York Philharmonic Music Director Jaap van Zweden takes the podium during two additional artistic explorations: SPIRIT, a musical expression of the exploration of the human spirit, and EARTH, a focus on humanity’s impact upon the planet and climate crisis.
At the same time, Lincoln Center is launching the ’Wu Tsai Series’ at David Geffen Hall that showcases performances that celebrate interdisciplinary and socially-engaged works from diverse voices that take advantage of the Wu Tsai Theater’s unique flexibility. The series will highlight synergies between art forms and cultures, inspired by Clara Wu Tsai’s commitment to reaching new audiences and championing new voices at Lincoln Center.
Full programming for the New York Philharmonic can be found at nyphil.org