To celebrate its 2023-2024 150th anniversary season, the 92nd Street Y in New York is offering a star-studded lineup of music programs, many of which will be offered both in-person and online.
The Woman to Woman band performs at Kaufmann Concert Hall at the 92nd Street Y, New York, New York, … [+]
Highlights of the season will include an opening night performance September 27 by jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman; concerts October 12 and 13 with six-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald; a new, interdisciplinary project by jazz singer Cecile McLorin Salvant April 13; Lyrics & Lyricists programs celebrating Howard Ashman (October 28-30), Stevie Wonder (December 2-4) and Laura Nyro (March 2-4); a celebration of triple Tony Award-wining lyricist Sheldon Harnick (June 1-3); a one-night-only appearance May 9 by three-time Tony Award-winner Jason Robert Brown; pianist Conrad Tao (December 6); Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with clarinetist Anthony McGill December 14; and New York Philharmonic String Quartet with pianist Emanuel Ax December 17.
“This season will be an expansion of what Tisch Music built last year, rich, diverse and forward-looking, providing a platform for the most defining artists and brightest creators in our field today,” said Amy Lam, vice president, Tisch Music, 92NY. “Inspired by the icons who graced our stages and the trailblazers who advanced the art form, and with it, our institution, through innovation over the past century and a half, our 150th anniversary season celebrates our history and redefines what music means to all of us against an ever-evolving cultural landscape. In every category, we celebrate tradition as well as newer directions. From programmatic content to concert experiences, we continue to explore new models to forge meaningful connections with our audiences.”
According to Lam, the 92nd Street Y has been offering innovative music programming for over a century, presenting jazz bands in the 1920’s, classical music for decades and its Lyrics & Lyricists series since 1970.
“Being relevant is what Tisch Music is about. Even through the pandemic, we continued to serve our constituents—we were among the first to do online programming,” she said.
92NY’s online programming, both musical and non-musical, has gained a large following since it was introduced in 2020. It said it had five million views from 200 countries and all 50 states for its original programming institution-wide last year. It also offers remote audience members the ability to create their own online music season for $100; concerts can be watched in real time or streamed within 72 hours of a performance.
92NY, Ms. Lam added, wants concertgoers to feel “they are in a place where they want to belong, a place where people can gather, connect with one another,” either in-person or through 92NY’s social media channels, where she said artists sometimes post videos and discuss programming they will present.
