Throughout the world, great cities are defined by their unique icons; London has Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament; Paris has its Eiffel Tower; Washington has the Washington Monument, the Capitol and the White House; Athens has the Acropolis; and New York has the Statue of Liberty, the Great White Way of Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and Carnegie Hall.
The world-famous Carnegie Hall is primarily a concert venue, but it is also a place of extraordinary excellence. For over a century, it has been the dream and crowning achievement of every musician to perform at Carnegie Hall.
From the outside, the building is not very imposing. It is a brick and terra cotta building in the style of the Italian Renaissance. It is the 2,760 seat, multi-balconied, main concert hall that makes the venue so impressive. It is well known for its amazing acoustics.
In 1889, Andrew Carnegie presented the city of New York with a $2-million gift for the Music Hall. The site purchased by the philanthropist for the concert house (renamed Carnegie Hall in 1898) was located on Seventh Avenue and Fifty-seventh Street, near a stretch of vacant lots, coal yards, and scattered row houses.
The opening of Carnegie Hall took place on the 5th May 1891. Walter Damrosh and Peter Llyich Tchaikovsky lead the opening ceremony of the hall. The building continued to be owned by the Carnegie family until 1925. Because of its outstanding acoustics, Carnegie Hall became the home of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
Carnegie Hall has conducted more than fifty thousand performances since it’s opening. It presents classical, jazz, folk, world and popular music with breakthrough and veteran performers. Since opening in 1891, this concert hall has become the emblem of musical achievement around the world, and has showcased the world’s finest artists—from Tchaikovsky to Mahler, Horowitz to Callas to Bernstein, and even Judy Garland and the Beatles.
After February 20, 2012, the name of Clay Aiken can be added to the list of musicians that have performed at Carnegie Hall.
The Distinguished Concerts International – New York announced earlier this week that Clay will be a special guest on their President’s Day concert titled “Reflections of Life.” Clay will be joining Conductor, Timothy Seelig and composer/conductor, Greg Gilpin in an evening filled with musical excellence.
Do you plan on attending the concert in February? If so, please take notes of Clay’s performance, as the venue does not allow any recording or videos.
2012 – The year of Clay Aiken!!
