“New York is booming again, and so are the arts,” remarked Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority Leader and one of the city's most notable cheerleaders. Addressing a ballroom full of powerful and passionate patrons and supporters of live music, he added: “If we neglect the arts, our lives become a lot less rich.” It wasn’t a statement that fell on deaf ears: together, those in attendance had helped Carnegie Hall’s Opening Night Gala raise $5 million.
Regarded as one of the most prestigious social events on the calendar, Tuesday’s installment of the black tie evening was the most well-attended gala since before the pandemic. As always, the event’s glamorous lineup began in the Rohatyn Room, the towering 57th Street institution’s banquet space, where guests in tuxedos and sequin gowns rubbed shoulders over pre-performance cocktails and Champagne. Come 7 p.
m., it was time to flit over to the main event, where some 2,800 well-heeled folks were eagerly taking their seats in the historic Stern Auditorium. A red rose-adorned Perelman Stage gave a warm East Coast welcome to the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the night.
The multi-Grammy Award-winning orchestra was under the baton of their music and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel, who in 2026 will lead the New York Philharmonic (“We always take the best from you, California,” Schumer would later joke over dinner). The Venezuelan conductor has also found favor amongst a whole host of today’s contemporary music heavywe.
