Afterward, renowned Chinese pianist Lang Lang—who’s on speed dial to perform for everyone from Pharrell to the Pope and Presidents worldwide—mastered Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with spine-tingling vigor. Later in the program, acclaimed baritone Gustavo Castillo from Venezuela delivered a powerful solo from Ginastera’s ballet, Estancia.
With gusto, Opening Night also served to usher in the 2024-2025 season Nuestros Sonidos—Our Sounds—which recognizes what Carnegie Hall chairman Robert F. Smith calls the “enormous influence of Latin culture and music in the U.S” through a “joyous ongoing celebration” highlighting classical, pop, salsa, and reggaeton music.
Not in New York? Not a problem. Smith proudly noted how the hallowed Hall’s thriving Carnegie Hall+ streaming program is fast becoming one of the largest providers of music-focused content to a global audience, with access to unforgettable concerts and programming for $7.99 a month. Along with education and appreciation, ensuring the legacy of Carnegie Hall remains for future generations is of the utmost importance to Smith and his fellow custodians on the Board.
And so, nourished with world-class music, all that remained was to enjoy the festivities and a late-night dinner of Waygu beef and warm apple pie. Town cars, chauffeurs, yellow cabs, and Ubers lined up on 7th Avenue to spin guests over to Cipriani in Midtown East, where the Big Apple-themed fête awaited. Showing the breadth that the storied institution reaches, musicians mixed with Hollywood stars, philanthropists, tastemakers, dancers, entertainers, writers, fashion favorites, and financiers of all ages well into the wee hours.
“Carnegie Hall makes sure that fine music reaches young people, enriches their lives, and makes them better people—I don’t know an institution that does that better than Carnegie Hall,” Schumer opined. “All of this gives me hope during times like these. We need the arts more than ever to help us make sense of the world and our place in it, to bring us together and help connect us with our shared humanity, and to express our feelings when words fall short.”