In 1986, New York City Opera staged Candide at Lincoln Center, and the performance was broadcast live across North America. Candide has returned to New York many times since and now Welsh National Opera’s new production of Bernstein’s classic will be visiting venues across Wales and England this summer.
It’s not just opera that takes centre stage in New York, there is a rich and varied music scene across the whole of The Big Apple. The most densely populated city in the USA, and around 800 languages spoken throughout, NYC is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. Its diverse population is spread across five boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, each showcasing different characteristics and attractions. Many Irish, Italian, Jewish, Asian and Hispanic Americans migrated to New York throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, significantly influencing its culture and image.
These cultures have led to New York developing an incredibly eclectic music scene; Hip Hop and Rap originated from the Bronx and Jazz was popularized in Harlem, Manhattan. Disco, Punk Rock, and Heavy Metal were also born in the city which is home to some of the most famous music venues in the world. From The Bowery Ballroom, dubbed ‘#1 best club in America’ by Rolling Stone, to the home of the Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall, live music is a constant feature across New York.
Brooklyn Academy of Music is a multi-arts centre that has been the home for adventurous artists, audiences, and ideas, engaging both global and local communities, for more than 150 years. Welsh National Opera performed Verdi’s Falstaff here in 1989 and our former patron, Princess Diana, was in attendance. This visit was seen in series four of The Crown.
Madison Square Garden, a multi-purpose indoor arena, is home to the New York Rangers ice hockey and the New York Knicks basketball teams. It has also hosted some of the most famous musical acts in history, including Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan. In January 2014, Billy Joel became the venue’s first-ever music franchise playing one concert every month and, in July 2015, ‘the Piano Man’ played his 65th show setting a new record for the most performances by any artist at MSG. Recently, Harry Styles became the first artist to sell out 15 consecutive performances.
Carnegie Hall is a national historic landmark comprised of three venues; Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, Zankel Hall and Weill Recital Hall and also supports educational activities across NYC through its Weill Music Institute. Since it opened in 1891, Carnegie Hall has played host to some of music’s finest, from Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Mahler, and Bartók to George Gershwin, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Judy Garland, and The Beatles.
In New York City, there’s no better place to find musicals than the Theater District. Located across Broadway and Times Square, the area houses over 30 theatres and musical venues, including Lyric Theatre, Winter Garden Theatre and Gershwin Theatre. There is also the Majestic Theatre which has housed Broadway’s longest running show, The Phantom of the Opera, since 1988.
The Metropolitan Opera House has sat within Lincoln Center, a 16-acre campus which is home to eleven varied arts organisations, since 1966. Since being founded in 1883, The Met has hosted the US premiere of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, as well as 32 world premieres, including Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West and Il Trittico, Humperdinck’s Königskinder, John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby and the Baroque pastiche The Enchanted Island, devised by Jeremy Sams, with music by Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau, and others.