One of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, Carnegie Hall has been a fixture in New York City for well over a century now. Since 1891, this iconic venue has hosted some of the most famous and respected musical artists from around the world and become known as one of the country’s most venerated performing arts centers. Few people, however, know the hidden history of the famous venue, such as the important played in popularizing rock and roll music and the time it was nearly demolished, something unthinkable nowadays. Here’s a quick look at the hidden history of Carnegie Hall, one of New York City’s most famous cultural hubs.
The genesis of Carnegie Hall dates back to 1887, when philanthropist and wealthy businessman Andrew Carnegie expressed interest in building a new concert hall for New York City with Walter Damrosch, the conductor for the Oratorio Society of New York. Carnegie agreed to fund the new concert hall, intended as a new home for both the Oratorio Society of New York and the New York Symphony Society. Construction on the monumental new concert hall began in 1890 and was completed in the spring of 1891.
Originally just known as “Music Hall,” it was later renamed in honor of Carnegie in 1893. The new venue quickly became known as one of the most prestigious concert halls in the United States, with its first official concert being conducted by Damrosch and famed Russian composer Pytor Tchaikovsky.
The venue hosted mainly classical music for decades but was left without a resident company in 1962, when the New York Philharmonic relocated to the newer Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. In response, the venue began hosting more pop music acts, most famously The Beatles in February 1964, a move which helped fuel the popularity of rock and roll in the United States. Since then, many rock bands and a diverse array of jazz, country and blues acts have played at the venue, just a few of which include Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, Tina Turner and many others. It’s also hosted notable lectures by famous figures such as Mark Twain and Booker T. Washington.
Carnegie Hall also played a key role in the historical preservationist movement in the United States. Changing music tastes in the 1950s and the planned relocation of the New York Philharmonic to Lincoln Center caused the building’s owners to plan to demolish the venue and build a commercial skyscraper in its place. However, pressure from artists and preservationists led to a deal in which the concert hall was sold to the New York City government and spared from destruction. Since then, it’s been named both a National Historic Landmark in 1962 and New York City Landmark in 1967, reflecting its vast cultural, architectural and historical prominence in United States history.
For more than a century, Carnegie Hall has stood as one of New York City’s most acclaimed music venues. Even today, the concert hall is widely seen as one of the most prestigious and respected in the entire world.