Carnegie Hall opens its 2010–2011 season with a gala benefit concert featuring the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

 
  Yo-Yo Ma at the anniversary concert in May

In the 2009 Quentin Tarantino film Inglourious Basterds, the character Lt. Aldo Raine says, “You know how you get to Carnegie Hall, don’t ya? Practice.” The New York music institution is so well-known, among music buffs and laymen alike, that a mainstream movie can refer to that classic joke with no reservations. Yet not many are familiar with Carnegie Hall’s rich history. Now, 120 years since the industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie opened it as Music Hall on May 5, 1891, the venue is offering visitors a potent reminder of why it has developed such an enduring reputation.

Last spring, Carnegie Hall kicked off a suite of stellar events to celebrate the milestone. On May 5—the actual anniversary date—the New York Philharmonic, with conductor Alan Gilbert, pianist Emanuel Ax, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Gil Shaham and Tony Award-winning singer and actress Audra McDonald, performed a special concert. The show featured a selection of Duke Ellington songs and a full performance of George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, which had its New York premiere in December 1928 at Carnegie Hall. “The Symphony Society of New York, which evolved into the New York Philharmonic, was the orchestra that opened Carnegie Hall in 1891,” says Carnegie Hall’s executive and artistic director, Clive Gillinson, of the esteemed organization, which had its home at Carnegie Hall from 1891 until 1962. “It was very important to honor that part of our history on the birthday itself.”

This fall, the anniversary events take an even more indepth look at the world Carnegie Hall was born into. “We specifically wanted to honor Tchaikovsky, since his visit was such an important part of our early history,” says Gillinson, referring to the opening of Carnegie Hall, when Andrew Carnegie invited Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky—one of the most famous musicians in the world at that time—to come to New York to conduct. It was the only visit the Russian composer made to the US in his lifetime, and the performance helped establish Carnegie Hall’s reputation as one of the nation’s top music venues. “We thought the ideal person to collaborate with is conductor Valery Gergiev, with his Mariinsky Orchestra of St. Petersburg,” says Gillinson. Gergiev and the Mariinsky will be part of a series of five concerts from October 5 to 11 that will include Tchaikovsky’s six symphonies.

Throughout October and into December, a program of events at Carnegie Hall and partnering institutions will be devoted to the themes of “New York City at the Turn of the Century” and “Tchaikovsky in St. Petersburg,” including performances, lectures and panel discussions. Highlights include a recital by the famed Russian soprano Anna Netrebko and two afternoon-long “Discovery Day” events, which explore St. Petersburg and New York City in the 1890s, to name just a few.

“Carnegie Hall was created not only to be, and remain, the ultimate destination for great music and musicians, but also to engage and welcome the entire community,” says Gillinson, who adds that, “despite changes, the hall has remained true to its original ideals.” For the full anniversary calendar, visit carnegiehall.org