American Songbook Celebrates Singer Outsiders, Curated in Collaboration with Tamar-kali and Kathleen Hanna and featuring Julia Bullock, Meshell Ndegeocello, Shaina Taub, and more

Additional Highlights Include:
 

• The U.S. premiere of Lincoln Center Visionary Artist Rubén Blades’ Maestra Vida performed by Blades and musicians of the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Diego Matheuz (March 30 & 31)
   
• The U.S. premiere of Cycles, U.K. dance company Boy Blue’s third Lincoln Center appearance following celebrated engagements in 2018 and 2019; co-commissioned by the Barbican Centre and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (March 27 – 29)
   
• The New York premiere of Carnival of the Animals, a re-imagining of Camille Saint- Saëns’ classic work conceived by Marc Bamuthi Joseph, choreographed and directed by Francesca Harper, and performed by Wendy Whelan (March 21 – 22)
   
• The New York premiere of David Lang’s poor hymnal, a concert-length work for chamber choir The Crossing (December 21)
   
• The New York premiere of Backbone by Australian contemporary circus company Gravity & Other Myths (May 16 – 17)
   
• The New York premiere of Hamlet performed by actors with Down syndrome in a production from Peru’s Teatro la Plaza, part of Big Umbrella Festival (April 19)
   
• De La Soul in their headlining debut at David Geffen Hall (January 17)
   
• Three new augmented reality art installations premiere in succession across Lincoln Center’s outdoor spaces, created in collaboration with Eyejack (begins December 2024)

 

NEW YORK, NY (December 4, 2024) – Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA) today announced additional Free and Choose-What-You-Pay programming throughout the winter and spring. The season features international premieres and returning favorites that reflect vibrant global perspectives and the cultural diversity of New York City.

Spanning genres, audiences are invited to experience classical, contemporary, and experimental artworks on their terms — both indoors and outdoors across the iconic campus.

“Building on our history and in conversation with our contemporary community of artists, this season features works of deep spiritual resonance, creative curiosity, and innovative experimentation. We hope neighbors and New Yorkers from across the city will come to Lincoln Center and find artistry that inspires, speaks to their humanity, and galvanizes hope for our shared future.” said Shanta Thake, Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer of LCPA.

The beloved American Songbook series returns with a focus on uplifting the voices of women and non-binary artists who have contributed to the ongoing history of the American music canon through innovating and defying expectations. Curated in partnership with Kathleen Hanna and Tamar-kali, the series features a bold and eclectic lineup of powerhouse voices from across the punk, pop, jazz, classical, R&B, and theater worlds, including Meshell Ndegeocello, Shaina Taub, Joan as Police Woman, Ana Tijoux, Gossip, and Julia Bullock performing History’s Persistent Voice, as well as tribute performances to Poly Styrene, The Slits and Mixtape: Women in Punk. 

Each season, LCPA honors one extraordinary artist whose impact, vision, and values embrace the transformative power of the arts across many of the disciplines represented on campus. The celebration of Lincoln Center 2024-25 Visionary Artist Rubén Blades continues with the U.S. premiere of the large-scale musical work Maestra Vida, a soaring, genre-defying urban drama centered on the Latin American lived experience. Performed by musicians of the New York Philharmonic and conducted by Diego Matheuz at David Geffen Hall, with Rubén Blades as lead singer, the work fuses Afro-Caribbean music, symphonic arrangements, and a uniquely Latin American story. 

LCPA has commissioned EyeJack for a series of Augmented Reality installations throughout Lincoln Center’s outdoor campus. Three distinct exhibitions feature the artwork of Miles Regis, new poetry by Mahogany L. Browne, and videos from the dance archives of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in celebration of the Library’s 60-year anniversary. Part of a series of tech-driven initiatives, Lincoln Center Immersive, these installations are free and open to the public.

Audiences can enjoy more returning series and favorites — including Under the Radar; globalFEST; Voices of a People’s History; ¡VAYA!; Seen, Sound, Scribe led by Poet-in-Residence Mahogany L. Browne; family programming for all ages; Lincoln Center Moments and Passport offerings; relaxed performances across campus; and ASL-interpreted and captioned events across genres.

The 2025 Big Umbrella Festival, welcoming kids, teens, and young adults for programming designed with and for neurodiverse audiences, returns for three weeks in April 2025. Highlights include the Teatro la Plaza production of Hamlet for its New York premiere; Polygot Theatre and Oily Cart’s When the World Turns; the renowned ReelAbilities Film Festival, and events by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Additional details will be announced in the coming weeks. 

A series of new Create-athon events invite audiences of all ages to participate in hands-on art-making opportunities with exciting, cutting-edge artists and teaching artists across art forms. The first of these one-of-a-kind workshops will feature gong-making with the duo Elekhlekha, electronic experimentalist and Lincoln Center Collider fellow Kengchakaj Kengkarnka, and visual artist Nitcha Tothong. The second will be led by multi-instrumentalist, award-winning composer, and Lincoln Center Collider fellow Angélica Negrón, who will explore the acoustics and music of plants and other organic materials.

This fall, LCPA welcomed six artists working at the vanguard of their fields to the Collider at Lincoln Center. The fellows — director and transdisciplinary artist Celine Daemen; improvisor and composer Kengchakaj Kengkarnka; performer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Angélica Negrón; creative director and choreographer Brandon Powers; multidisciplinary creator and director Annie Saunders; and theater, dance, and installation artist Andrew Schneider — are in the midst of an eight-month residency exploring how the arts intersect with different elements in our society that affect daily lives and well-being.

Details are below and at lincolncenter.org/presents. Additional commissions and programs will be announced in the coming months.

Tickets for Choose-What-You-Pay performances go on sale Dec 10; member pre-sale begins Dec 6. 

Imagery may be accessed here.

 

***

Lincoln Center Presents
Winter/Spring Programming 2024-2025

Saturday, December 21 at 7:30 pm
David Lang’s poor hymnal
Alice Tully Hall
Choose-What-You-Pay 

A winner of the Pulitzer, GRAMMY, Bessie, and Obie Awards, and an Academy Award nominee, NYC-based artist David Lang is one of America's most highly esteemed and in-demand composers. A co-founder of the tremendously influential Bang on a Can collective, Lang's work has been performed at concert halls and theaters around the world, including numerous times at Lincoln Center. In the New York premiere of poor hymnal, a concert-length work written for the multiple GRAMMY Award-winning chamber choir The Crossing, conducted by Donald Nally, Lang wonders "if the hymns of a community that did not want to forget our responsibilities to each other, and that wanted to make our responsibilities to each other the central tenet of our coming together, might be different from the hymns that we are singing now." Like his Pulitzer-winning work, the little match girl passion, poor hymnal tries to get to the core of what a religious experience can be.

 

Tuesday, January 7 at 7:30 pm
Wednesday, January 8 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, January 9 at 7:30 pm
Friday, January 10 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 11 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, January 12 at 3:00 pm
Under the Radar at Lincoln Center
Wonderful Joe By Ronnie Burkett
Clark Studio Theater
Choose-What-You-Pay

Presented in collaboration with Under the Radar

“Paint gold in the part of me that is broken. Let my faultline shine, these golden precious scars are fine, divine, and mine.”

Joe and his dog Mister lose their home, and facing separation, head into the world for one last grand adventure together. The world seems broken, but Joe sees magic in the mundane, beauty amidst brutality, and life in the lost and lonely. He and Mister encounter Mother Nature, Santa Claus, Jesus and the Tooth Fairy, witness a troupe of homeless players in a cardboard theater, and show a disenfranchised teen how to jump over the moon in a playground rocket ship. A seemingly simple tale of a simple man, Wonderful Joe is a love letter to imagination, hope, and the art of filling broken hearts with gold. Ronnie Burkett brings Wonderful Joe to life with his signature style of beautiful puppetry and solo performance, with a glorious score and soundscape by John Alcorn.

*Please note: This performance contains adult themes and explicit language. Audience members must be 16+.

 

Thursday, January 9 at 7:30 pm
CAN I KICK IT? Featuring The Last Dragon
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

Presented in collaboration with SHAOLIN JAZZ

CAN I KICK IT? (CIKI?) is a film experience presented by SHAOLIN JAZZ that caters to lovers of Kung-Fu flicks, the music they inspired, and everything else in between. At each event, cult classic martial arts and action films are scored live (scene-by-scene) with a blend of Hip-Hop and other music genres mixed by DJ 2-Tone Jones. To date, over 150 film titles have been screened at CIKI? events, including at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, SXSW, Smithsonian National Gallery of Art, New York Asian Film Festival, PAX East Convention, FanX Salt Lake Comic Con, and more. On January 9, join us for a one-night-only screening of the 1985 film The Last Dragon at the David Rubenstein Atrium.

 

Friday, January 10 at 7:30 pm
¡VAYA! - Avenida B
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

Avenida B is led by bandleader David Frankel, born and raised among the Latin-American sounds in Alphabet City in New York's Lower Manhattan. With a love for that "old school sound" and the swing of a Latin percussion section, Avenida B’s mission is to reconnect salsa dancers, musicians, and DJs and to inspire the perpetuity and evolution of salsa dura and its singular energy and swing.

Saturday, January 11 at 2:00 pm
Mayers Consulting Family Music Showcase
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

Enjoy a variety of award-winning, modern, eclectic artists from diverse backgrounds, performing mini concerts for audiences of all ages. Featured musicians include GRAMMY winner and 2025 nominee Lucy Kalantari & the Jazz Cats performing bilingual (English & Spanish) swingin’ sounds; this year’s GRAMMY nominee Divinity Roxx and Divi Roxx Kids offering a sunny celebration of self-love; Miss Tutti and The Fruity Band presenting retro-pop bops; and GRAMMY-nominated Fyütch and his daughter Aura V showcasing an inspiring blend of Hip-Hop and soul.

 

Sunday, January 12 at 7:00 pm
globalFEST
David Geffen Hall 

The cultural catalysts at globalFEST have been promoting the world's greatest musical traditions for over 20 years. This annual festival features an eclectic array of musical discoveries from today's hottest international sounds to styles born and bred in the U.S. The New York Times calls the festival, "a joyful and often raucous celebration of diversity and culture." The blockbuster, ten-sets-in-one-night evening returns to David Geffen Hall for another full-theater takeover, populating all the floors of the building with soul-stirring performers from across the planet and around the corner. This year's lineup includes Zar Electrik (Morocco/France), Maruja Limón (Spain), Bamba Wassoulou Groove (Mali), Kommuna Lux (Ukraine), Mireya Ramos and the Poor Choices (U.S.), Ghazi & Boom.Diwan x Arturo O’Farrill (U.S./U.A.E.), Akshara Music Ensemble (India/U.S.), Paul Beaubrun (Haiti/U.S.), Rebolu (Colombia/U.S.), and Elida Almeida (Cape Verde/Portugal).

 

Tuesday, January 14 at 7:30 pm
Wednesday, January 15 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, January 16 at 7:30 pm
Friday, January 17 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 18 at 3:00 pm
Saturday, January 18 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, January 19 at 3:00 pm
Under the Radar at Lincoln Center
Night Side Songs By the Lazours
Clark Studio Theater
Choose-What-You-Pay

The American Repertory Theater/Philadelphia Theater Company’s production presented in collaboration with Under the Radar

"Illness is the night side of life, a more onerous citizenship. Everyone who is born holds dual citizenship in the kingdom of the well and in the kingdom of the sick.” – Susan Sontag

A communal music-theater experience performed for—and with—an intimate audience, Night Side Songs gives voice to doctors, patients, researchers, and caregivers to meld the realms of the well and the sick. This genre-breaking theatrical kaleidoscope by Richard Rodgers Award recipients Daniel Lazour and Patrick Lazour (We Live in Cairo, Flap My Wings) fuses story and song to take us on a journey through illness that brings us closer to life. Support for the development of Night Side Songs was provided by The Bob and Alison Murchison New Work Development Fund. Produced in association with American Repertory Theater and Philadelphia Theatre Company.

*Please note: This performance contains adult themes and explicit language. Audience discretion is advised; this show is intended for ages 15+

 

Thursday, January 16 at 7:30 pm
FRÄNDER
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

FRÄNDER blends Swedish and Estonian folk traditions with a modern twist, creating a contemporary "heavy folk" sound. The result is a driving, robust, utterly unique style. FRÄNDER conjures an expressive musical landscape, evocative of the mystery and beauty of the ancient Scandinavian woodlands; they have wowed audiences worldwide, from Scandinavia to Japan, Canada and the U.S. The band's current tour lineup features founding siblings Gabbi Dluzewski (Swedish mandola and vocals) and Daniel Dluzewski (double bass and vocals), playing alongside Gabbi's wife Säde Tatar (flute and vocals), the percussionist expert Andreas Berglund (specialized on Japanese classical marimba), and the stellar fiddler and family friend Gabriella Josefsson. On their most recent album, II, FRÄNDER continues to redefine the future of European music.

 
Friday, January 17 at 8:00 pm
De La Soul
David Geffen Hall
Choose-What-You-Pay

Forever representing New York City, Long Island, and the mighty Native Tongues clique, De La Soul's sui generis combination of outrageously skilled wordplay, mischievous flights of poetic fancy, and eclectically omnivorous musical sampling put them at the forefront of Hip-Hop's golden age. Over the group's 35-year career, De La Soul has collaborated with virtually every major rap artist and produced nine classic albums, including their groundbreaking platinum LP 3 Feet High and Rising. Two recent seismic events have served to redefine the group for 2025 and beyond: the overdue addition of their stellar catalogue to audio streaming services and the untimely passing of founding member David "Trugoy the Dove" Jolicoeur. Following in the footsteps of an already legendary 2023 memorial celebration, De La Soul's headlining debut at David Geffen Hall represents their first major show in NYC in 16 months and a landmark moment for the future of Hip-Hop.

Friday, January 17 at 7:00 pm
The Immortal Sisterhood LIVE
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

This groundbreaking, ensemble led, Scottish-born, collaboration is an interdisciplinary production of music theater. It promises to captivate audiences with its blend of sound, opera, movement, live cello and poetry, presenting an intuitive and feminist perspective on the themes of honor and grief. The Immortal Sisterhood, originally a literary work authored by award-winning broadcaster and writer Gemma Cairney, comes to life on stage for the very first time in a world premiere performance. Witness an unforgettable journey through the reverence of six remarkable women throughout history, celebrated through an extraordinary fusion of art forms that transcend time and genre.

After the performance, stay for the after party with dancing, a special guest DJ, spoken word performances, and a pop-up book stall hosted by Brooklyn favorite Cafe con Libros, also curating a bespoke list of titles in response to the live show.

 

The Immortal Sisterhood Ensemble
Director and Writer: Gemma Cairney
Composer and Collaborator: Roxanne Tataei
Composer and Collaborator: Simone Seales
Composer and Collaborator: A Jones
Movement Director and Collaborator: Mele Broomes
Art Direction by Rebecca Palmer
Special guests exclusive to this premiere

Sunday, January 19 at 2:00 pm
The 8th Annual NextGen National
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

Enjoy tomorrow's stars today at The American Pops Orchestra's (APO) NextGen National Vocal Competition! Originally created in collaboration between the APO and Music Director Luke Frazier in 2018, the NextGen Nationals offers mentorship, exposure, cash prizes, and paid performance opportunities to aspiring professional vocalists striving to reach the first rung on the ladder of success. The contest is 100% free, giving students of all backgrounds the opportunity to compete and learn from APO's roster of Broadway performers, celebrated recording artists, and respected arts administrators. Under their tutelage, participants will have access to the tools and knowledge necessary to better pursue a singing career. Join in the fun during the event by voting for your favorite competitor!

Thursday, January 23 at 7:30 pm
Cisco Swank
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

"Brooklyn's own Francisco Haye—aka Cisco Swank—can boast a host of cosigns from both the media (Okayplayer, i-D, Fader) and his collaborators in the worlds of jazz improvisation (Ambrose Akinmusire, Julius Rodriguez, Braxton Cook) and Hip-Hop (Saba, Noname, Malaya). Perched expertly in the space between jazz, R&B, and Hip-Hop, The New York Times says that the young multi-hyphenate producer - vocalist - instrumentalist - songwriter's critically acclaimed 2023 solo debut More Better provides a showcase for "melodic piano chords over lush soul and trap-inspired drums and raps in a manner that recalls… MIKE and Earl Sweatshirt, but with the polish of a Village Vanguard headliner." Currently poised to elevate into the post-neo-soul stratosphere, Cisco Swank celebrates both his Lincoln Center debut and the upcoming release of his anticipated sophomore album with a set highlighting his best-known tracks, newest music, and special guests.

 

 

Friday, January 24  at 7:30 pm 
Saturday, January 25 at 7:30 pm
The Burnt Sugar SmokeHouse
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

Come out for a two-night Burnt Sugar SmokeHouse, kicking off Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber’s (BSAC) 26th year of “never playing a song the same way once.” Chefs LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs, Sameer Gupta & Ben Tyree, Julia Kent, James ‘Biscuit’ Rouse, LaFrae Sci, Avram Fefer, Shelley Nicole, Bruce Mack, Honeychild Coleman, V. Jeffrey Smith, Aalics Bronson & Damon Mendes, Michael Veal, and Ms. Olithea & Jared Michael Nickerson’s crews will each add their own caramelized flavor to this SmokeHouse edition’s sonic stew. As always, Burnt Sugar gives tribute to Maestro Lawrence ‘Butch’ Morris (1947-2013) for showing them the way and to Gregory Stephen ‘Ionman’ Tate (1957-2021) for creating the BSAC sonic spaceship, with gratitude to Jared Michael Nickerson who continues to steer BSAC through a many-splendored realm of cosmic noise and riddim. Whatever suits you, the Burnt Sugar SmokeHouse is serving it up, free for the people. Come get some!

Thursday, January 30 at 7:30 pm
Mali Obomsawin
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

The genre-fluid, accomplished creator Mali Obomsawin is a bassist, composer, vocalist and proud citizen of the Odanak First Nation. Obomsawin's increasingly broad body of work spans jazz and roots music, indie rock and experimental sound, film scoring, and all-ages instruction. An international touring artist and celebrated accompanist, her current projects include the shoegaze duo Deerlady, the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band and her eponymous free-jazz ensemble, making its Lincoln Center premiere at the David Rubenstein Atrium. Obomsawin's music liberally references her Native heritage and the challenges of realizing freedom under colonialism while challenging listeners with expressive harmonies.

 

Saturday, February 1 at 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Lunar New Year Celebration
David Geffen Hall
Free

We're ringing in 2025 as the year of the Snake: self-discovery, transformation, and celebrating connection for all! Join us for a diasporic Lunar New Year at Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall with a family-friendly party on February 1, featuring a beloved lion dance performance on Josie Robertson Plaza and Storytime with Ahsley and Jeff Chang of The ABC Digest. From live performances, to delicious goodies and fun, interactive activities there is something for every New Yorker and family. We hope to see you there!

Thursday, February 6 at 7:30 pm
Black Belt Eagle Scout
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

Singer-songwriter Katherine Paul is Black Belt Eagle Scout. Based out of Portland, Oregon, Paul's pensive, guitar-focused dream pop evokes both the memories and melodies of her West Coast Swinomish and Iñupiaq aboriginal heritage and the Seattle Sound alt-rock of the ’80s and ’90s. Over three albums, Black Belt Eagle Scout, who self identifies as a radical Indigenous queer feminist, has established herself as an important name in the contemporary rock scene, with Popmatters calling Paul "a voice that unfurls from another and perhaps a better world" and Rolling Stone dubbing her new LP, The Land, The Water, The Sky, a “tour de force.”   For her Lincoln Center debut, Black Belt Eagle Scout will play songs from across her catalog for a solo set of guitar and vocals, backed by her own drums and keys. 

Friday, February 7 at 7:30 pm
Indoor Indians Comedy With Brian Bahe and Jana Schmieding
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

A night of living, laughing, and loving brought to you by two Native comedians who have no idea how to live off the land. It’s comedy like Romy and Michelle, but with brown hair! A fan favorite on FX’s Reservation Dogs and Peacock's comedy series Rutherford Falls, Lakota Native comedian, writer, and performer Jana Schmieding joins Indigenous (Tohono O’odham, Hopi, Navajo) gay comedian and writer Brian Bahe, named a “Comedian You Should and Will Know in 2023” by Vulture and a writer for CBS’s Ghosts. With music by Rosa Bordallo, this irresistible evening is part stand-up, part music, and part Sleep No More!

Saturday, February 8 at 7:30 pm
Safe Space
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

If you see any kind of live music in New York, it's likely you've already heard Darian Donovan Thomas play. A composer and multi-instrumentalist best known as a master of the violin, the Texan-born/Brooklyn-based Thomas regularly sits in and tours with a diverse roster of major jazz, classical, and rock artists including Sō Percussion, Moses Sumney, Arooj Aftab, Dawn Richard, L'Rain, and the Wild Up ensemble. Unsurprisingly, major elements of Thomas's musicality include a devout interest in queering barriers between genres and a boisterous zeal for intersectional uplift across culture and melody. His Safe Space project serves as an IRL manifestation of his kaleidoscopic and introspective double album on New Amsterdam Records, A Room with Many Doors, which I Care If You Listen dubbed "a monumental feat of collaboration." Thomas is joined tonight by a roster of experimental sound luminaries including trombonist Kalia Vandever, Mike Haldeman on guitar, and electronic musician Phong Tran.

 

Tuesday, February 11 at 7:30 pm
American Songbook
History’s Persistent Voice
Alice Tully Hall
Choose-What-You-Pay 

History's Persistent Voice is a multimedia ethnographic anthology envisioned by curator and GRAMMY Award-winning singer Julia Bullock. The program’s focus is on the influence of pre-Emancipation voices across generations, emphasizing that era’s poetic musical traditions while centering the multifaceted identities of the Black American experience, realized through art. These works are given new life through Bullock's powerhouse vocal renditions, far-ranging connective research, and a quintet of newly commissioned compositions crafted by an esteemed roster of American women of color that features Jessie Montgomery, Tania León, Allison Loggins-Hull, Carolyn Yarnell, and Pamela Z. Additional collaborators include the fellow GRAMMY Award-winning conductor Christian Reif and the Tony Award-winning designer and immersive visual artist Hana S. Kim. Previously seen at The Met Museum and the San Francisco Symphony, this evening represents the ever-evolving presentation's Lincoln Center debut.

Creative Team

Julia Bullock, Curator and Classical Singer
Christian Reif, Conductor
Hana S. Kim, Visual Artist
New Haven Symphony Orchestra
Produced in Association with ArKtype / Thomas O. Kriegsmann
and Yale Schwarzman Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT

Friday, February 14 at 7:30 pm
Fly Love Songs Co-presented by J.PERIOD
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

From the early days of Whodini and LL to The Pharcyde and Tribe, from Lil' Kim and Mary J., all the way up to J. Cole and Drake, Hip-Hop and love songs have gone together like Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Many of the genre’s toughest artists—50 Cent, Notorious B.I.G., Big Pun—scored some of their biggest hits with seductive tracks such as “21 Questions,” “Loving You Tonight,” and “I Don’t Want to Be a Player No More.” Give in to the beat, grab your steady shorty, and roll out for an all-night DJ dance set of modern R&B and classic rap love songs, curated by the Mixtape Assassin J.PERIOD playing Cupid on the wheels of steel.

Saturday, February 15 at 11:00 am
Invoke
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

The multi-instrumental quartet Invoke encompasses traditions from across America, including bluegrass, Appalachian fiddle tunes, jazz, and minimalism. Fueled by their passion for storytelling, Invoke weaves all of these styles together to form a unique contemporary repertoire, featuring original works composed by and for the group. Nick Montopoli (violin/banjo/vocals), Zach Matteson (violin/vocals), Karl Mitze (viola/mandolin/vocals), and Geoff Manyin (cello/vocals) have cultivated a joyful program to delight audiences of all ages. 

Thursday, February 20 at 7:30 pm
Voices of a People’s History
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

The works of Brooklyn-born author and historian Howard Zinn (1922–2010), particularly the classic bestsellers A People's History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States, continue to shine a light on the extraordinary history of those engaged in struggles for freedom and justice in America. Since 2014, Lincoln Center has collaborated with Voices of a People's History, a non-profit organization of artists and educators who seek to keep Zinn's message of grassroots egalitarianism alive. Featured artists present a vital reimagining of Zinn's subjects through a musical and spoken word celebration of dissent, change, and civic growth. Using the words of the rebels, dissenters, and visionaries of our past and present as a blueprint, this evening will inspire us all to take collective action to shape our future.

Friday, February 21 at 7:30 pm
¡VAYA! - Charanga 76
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

Charanga 76 made their debut in 1976 during New York City's bicentennial celebrations, quickly gaining popularity with their unique blend of romantic ballad harmonies, salsa rhythms, and their breakout hit "Soy,” which launched them into the international Latin music scene. Known for their innovative sound and for featuring female flutists Andrea Brachfeld and Karen Joseph—rare in charanga music—they continue performing with unstoppable energy and multiple crossover hits.

Saturday, February 22 at 7:30 pm
Seen, Sound, Scribe
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

Brooklyn’s own Mahogany L. Browne, a prolific writer and avid advocate for public art, is Lincoln Center’s inaugural poet-in-residence. Browne has written works of fiction, stage plays and critical essays, edited six anthologies, and authored another half-dozen poetry collections. For her Seen, Sound, Scribe series now in its third season, Browne curates thought-provoking evenings of spoken word, spirited conversation, and presentations of new work.

 

Sunday, February 23 at 1:00 pm
Create-athon: Gong Ensembles With elekhlekha
Samuel Rehearsal Studio
Free

Recommended for ages 11+

Creative duo elekhlekha, made up of Lincoln Center Collider Fellow Kengchakaj Kengkarnka and interdisciplinary artist Nitcha Tothong, lead the first spring Create-athon, a free series of participatory, art-making workshops geared for teens and young adults. Bangkok-born musician, composer, and improvisor Kengkarnka draws inspiration from southeast Asian traditions and cultures to guide the participants in making their own gong instruments. Learn about tuning systems, rhythm, and Thai gong-playing traditions throughout this one-of-a-kind hands-on experience.

 

Thursday, February 27 at 7:30 pm
Avram Fefer's Juba Lee Ensemble
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

Multi-instrumentalist and jazz composer Avram Fefer and his amazing cast of musicians combine their talents for an exciting evening of groove-based modern jazz. With influences from Africa and the Middle East, the Juba Lee Ensemble draws from Fefer’s highly acclaimed recent albums as it brings together the compositional and improvisational skills of the saxophonist and his world-class band. The Juba Lee Ensemble will make you smile, dance, and scratch your head as it leads you through a diverse set of sophisticated global jazz celebrating improvisation, groove and liberation in all its forms. Expect surprise special guests!

 

Friday, February 28 at 7:30 pm
Daymé Arocena
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

Afro-Cuban singer-songwriter Daymé Arocena has definitively established herself as one of the most innovative and consistent creators on the contemporary Latin soul music scene. An early musical export from the Cuban thaw of the 2010s, the Havana-born Arocena's full-throated voice, cunning self-orchestrations, and endlessly curious explorations into melody have yielded discerning listeners a treasure trove of original songs, most recently from her stellar 2024 album Alkemi. NPR calls Alkemi “Arocena's expansion into R&B, bossa nova, funk and neo-soul, providing a richly layered backdrop for her powerhouse vocals to take center stage while moving further into Latin pop than she's ever been before." For her headlining premiere at Lincoln Center's David Rubenstein Atrium, Arocena and her touring band will share tracks from Alkemi and from across her catalog, plus a few new surprises.

Friday, March 7 at 7:30 pm
Spotlight: Healing Through Seduction Presented by The House of Noire
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

Step into a world of allure and transformation with Healing Through Seduction, presented by The House of Noire. Spotlight showcases the moving art form at its finest: burlesque. Empowered, illustrious, and fierce. Join the captivating Perle Noire as she guides you through an enchanting exploration of burlesque and ritual. This immersive experience invites the audience to become an integral part of the performance, blurring the lines between spectator and participant. Delight in mesmerizing acts by some of NYC’s most celebrated burlesque artists, alongside surprise guests who will leave you spellbound. As you engage with the rituals and revel in the artistry, prepare for a journey that celebrates self-expression, empowerment, and the healing power of seduction. Embrace the magic and mystery of the night, where every moment becomes a shared experience of wonder and transformation. Don’t just watch the show—become a part of it! Places, curtain, spotlight!!!

*Please note: This performance contains partial nudity and other adult themes. Audience discretion is advised. 

Thursday, March 13 at 7:30 pm
Marcus Russell Price Presents
The Funniest Humans I Know Vol. 3
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

When the photographer and filmmaker Marcus Russell Price is behind the lens, a picture often captures a thousand laughs. As an accomplished director for specials by Nimesh Patel and Seaton Smith, as well as a capturer of candid shots for Hollywood artists like Hannibal Buress, Amy Schumer and John Mulaney, Price's keen eye snaps the split-second moments before and after a joke lands with laser precision. His personal relationships with luminaries such as Pete Davidson, Aziz Ansari, and Ronny Chieng have opened the door for him to craft uniquely casual portraits of performers at rest and at their best. Now, Price returns to Lincoln Center, curating his own superb stand-up series. Get ready for an unforgettable evening of wit and wisdom from renowned favorites and rising stars brought to you by the insider's insider of comedy. Lineup to be announced soon!

 

Friday, March 14 at 7:30 pm
Marcus Russell Price Presents
The Funniest Humans I Know Vol. 4
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

When the photographer and filmmaker Marcus Russell Price is behind the lens, a picture often captures a thousand laughs. As an accomplished director for specials by Nimesh Patel and Seaton Smith, as well as a capturer of candid shots for Hollywood artists like Hannibal Buress, Amy Schumer and John Mulaney, Price's keen eye snaps the split-second moments before and after a joke lands with laser precision. His personal relationships with luminaries such as Pete Davidson, Aziz Ansari, and Ronny Chieng have opened the door for him to craft uniquely casual portraits of performers at rest and at their best. Now, Price returns to Lincoln Center, curating his own superb stand-up series. Get ready for an unforgettable evening of wit and wisdom from renowned favorites and rising stars brought to you by the insider's insider of comedy. Lineup to be announced soon!

Saturday, March 15 at 11:00 am
The Reminders
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

The Reminders are a rare and remarkable musical duo that seamlessly blends soulful sounds and roots music with insightful messages and thoughtful lyrics. Brussels-born emcee Big Samir and Queens-born emcee and vocalist Aja Black are together a collective creative force that’s hard to beat. With a unique mashup of razor-sharp rhymes, raw vocals, and reggae-tinged beats, The Reminders take their Hip-Hop foundation and move it beyond genre, time, and space to create a global musical experience for audiences of all ages.

Friday, March 21 at 7:30 pm
¡VAYA! - Ariacne and Her Orchestra
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

GRAMMY nominee Ariacne Trujillo and her orchestra celebrate her latest album release, Legacy. Ariacne is one of the most creative pianists, vocalists, composers, and arrangers on the New York music scene. At the young age of 18, she was a lead singer and pianist at the legendary Cabaret Tropicana; and since then, she has built an astonishing career sharing the stage with legends Paul Simon, Paquito D. Rivera, Wynton Marsalis, and countless more. With her virtuosity on the piano, her powerful and flexible voice, originality of her compositions, and musical influence from her native Havana, Cuba, she makes her mark in Afro-Cuban Latin jazz—exuding the perfect balance of elegance and intensity. 

 

Friday, March 21 & Saturday, March 22 at 7:30 pm
Carnival of the Animals
Alice Tully Hall
Choose-What-You-Pay

Carnival of the Animals, written and conceived by spoken word artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph in response to the events of January 6, 2021, navigates the reality of today’s political complexities through music, poetry, and dance—embodying our relationship to democracy. Anchored in Joseph’s powerful words, the multidisciplinary work is choreographed and directed by Francesca Harper and performed by Wendy Whelan and Marc Bamuthi Joseph. Carnival of the Animals is a vivid reimagining of Camille Saint-Saëns’s classic composition of the same name, reworked by composer and interdisciplinary artist Sugar Vendil, more than 100 years after its original publication. The contemporary score depicts a visceral landscape of animalistic inspirations, brought to life by an ensemble of two pianos, violin, cello, and audio recordings to deliver an undeniably fresh and twisting, holistic experience. 

Developed and produced by SOZO, an international arts agency and incubator with a two-decade history that intersects social impact, innovation and culture, this contemporary expression features a primarily BIPOC and women core creative team.

*Please note: This performance contains adult themes and explicit language. Audience discretion is advised.

 

Friday, March 21 at 8:30 pm
American Songbook 
Shaina Taub
The Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Choose-What-You-Pay

Since her 2015 Lincoln Center American Songbook debut, the outstanding GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Shaina Taub has produced three original albums, original scores, and lyrics for two musical Shakespeare adaptations, and the multiple Tony Award-winning Broadway hit Suffs, establishing herself as a powerful voice in the pop and theater worlds. Taub has also turned in bravura performances for numerous Off-Broadway hits—Old Hats; Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet; Hadestown; Ragtime—but she's perhaps most in her natural element singing behind a piano, as evidenced by a sold-out series of residency shows at Joe's Pub. Taub was recently named one of Time Magazine's 2024 TIME100 Next, placing her among the nation's creative leaders. Taub returns to Lincoln Center’s American Songbook backed by a full band for an evening of unforgettable music and special guests.

 

Saturday, March 22 at 7:30 pm
Seen, Sound, Scribe
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

Brooklyn’s own Mahogany L. Browne, a prolific writer and avid advocate for public art, is Lincoln Center’s inaugural poet-in-residence. Browne has written works of fiction, stage plays and critical essays, edited six anthologies, and authored another half-dozen poetry collections. For her Seen, Sound, Scribe series now in its third season, Browne curates thought-provoking evenings of spoken word, spirited conversation, and presentations of new work.

 

Saturday, March 22 at 8:30 pm
American Songbook
Joan as Police Woman
The Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Choose-What-You-Pay

Co-curated by Tamar-kali and Kathleen Hanna

Hailed as “one of the 21st century’s best musicians” by The Economist, Joan Wasser aka Joan as Police Woman, has established herself as both a leading voice of her generation’s songwriters and an elite performer whose unique sound and original vision heightens the art of her collaborators. A major contributor to key work for an eclectic cohort of artists including Antony and the Johnsons (now ANOHNI), Rufus Wainwright, Damon Albarn, and longtime Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen, Joan’s insatiable creative drive has spurred 12 razor-sharp solo albums over the past 18 years. On her latest, 2024’s Lemons, Limes and Orchids, Joan is working at the height of her powers, producing music that “turns doubt and anxiety into subtly burnished, soulful nocturnes” (Mojo). For her headlining debut set at Lincoln Center’s American Songbook, Joan and her band comprised of Will Graefe on guitar and Jeremy Gustin on drums will offer songs from Lemons, Limes and Orchids, select jewels from her formidable catalog, and a few surprises.

 

Sunday, March 23 at 8:30 pm
American Songbook
Meshell Ndegeocello
The Appel Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Choose-What-You-Pay

Co-curated by Tamar-kali and Kathleen Hanna 

The New Yorker calls Meshell Ndegeocello "the most significant bassist this country has produced since the advent of Charles Mingus and Flea," but even that's selling short her remarkable contribution to the American Songbook. The D.C. area native has always eschewed genre for originality, celebrity for longevity, and musical trends for musical truths. Fans have come to expect the unexpected on her sojourns into soul, R&B, jazz, Hip-Hop and rock, all bound by a search for love, justice, respect, and resolution. Those sonic investigations have defied and redefined the expectations for women, queer artists, and Black musicians for more than 30 years. Ndegeocello remains one of few women who write the music, sing the songs, lead the band, and produce the albums. Her latest album, No More Water, is a collaborative tribute to James Baldwin featuring the poet Staceyann Chin and the musical trio The HawtPlates. Don't miss this American original, bearing the fruit of a life's work still in progress.

 

Thursday, March 27 at 7:30 pm
Friday, March 28 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, March 29 at 7:30 pm
Boy Blue Presents Cycles
Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Choose-What-You-Pay

Co-commissioned by the Barbican Centre and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Recommended for ages 12+. 

The U.S. premiere of the UK’s most celebrated Hip-Hop dance theater company, Boy Blue, comes to Lincoln Center, bringing movement at its most fluid, distilled, and skilled. Resolute and unapologetic, Cycles is a tenacious exploration of Hip-Hop dance in all its forms. As The Evening Standard raves, “There can be few people to whom British Hip-Hop dancing owes a greater debt than choreographer Kenrick Sandy and composer Michael Asante.” Experience the connection between the movement on stage and the rhythm, groove and bounce of the music, as nine powerful dancers fill the space in what feels like unending motion.

 

Friday, March 28 at 7:30 pm
American Songbook 
Tribute to Poly Styrene
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

Co-curated by Tamar-kali and Kathleen Hanna

This year’s American Songbook celebrates the voices of women and nonbinary performers who have not only shaped the landscape of music, but have also driven important conversations on gender, identity, and empowerment. Galvanized by a Sex Pistols concert, the UK-born Marion Elliot adapted the sobriquet Poly Styrene, formed a band and then promptly changed the history of rock by recording the seminal punk anthem Oh Bondage! Up Yours! Poly Styrene would only release one album in the 1970s, but Germ Free Adolescents would prove to be one of the most influential LPs of its era. For this evening of music by and inspired by Poly Styrene and her band X-Ray Spex, the American Songbook band—featuring Megan Maloney (guitar), Barbara Duncan (percussion), Flora Lucini (bass), and Elenna Canlas (keyboards and vocals)—will be joined by an array of musical luminaries, all paying their respects to a true punk pioneer.

Saturday, March 29 at 7:30 pm
Don’t Text Your Ex: A Party in Celebration of Self Love
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

I bet you didn't think you'd get the best advice of your life at a comedy show, but I guess that's just how 2025 is shaping up. Are you ready for it? Here it is, honey: DON'T TEXT YOUR EX (DTYE)! DTYE is a celebration of all the many wonderful forms of love, partnership and self-care that help us stay sane. Featuring wellness pop-ups, an interactive comedy advice show hosted by drag-angel Kiko Soirée of Dear Kiko, and an upbeat dance party led by the master of the Pop Pantheon, DJ Louie XIV, DTYE is a night with something for everyone... EXCEPT FOR YOUR EX! Come alone and invest in some me-time or bring a whole squadron of your BFFs to celebrate chosen family and what we can cultivate in our own communities. There's only one rule. Do I really need to say it again? DON'T TEXT YOUR EX! More details to be announced soon.

 

Sunday, March 30 at 1:00 pm
Create-athon: Plant Music with Angélica Negrón
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

Recommended for ages 11+

Join us for the second spring Create-athon, a free series of participatory, art-making workshops geared for teens and young adults. Composer and Lincoln Center Collider Fellow Angélica Negrón leads participants in an exploration of acoustics, music, and organic materials. What kind of sound can a piece of fruit make? Or a plant leaf? How can we manipulate these sounds to make music? Negrón will use sensor technologies to tap into the hidden properties of plants and other organic things in a hands-on music-making session unlike anything you’ve been to before.

 

Sunday, March 30 & Monday, March 31 at 7:30 pm
Lincoln Center Visionary Artist: Rubén Blades
Maestra Vida: Rubén Blades with musicians of the New York Philharmonic
Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall
Choose-What-You-Pay

Presented in collaboration with the New York Philharmonic 

Join 2024-25 Lincoln Center Visionary Artist Rubén Blades for the U.S. premiere of Blades’ large-scale musical work Maestra Vida, a soaring, genre-defying urban drama centered on the Latin American lived experience—performed by musicians of the New York Philharmonic and conducted by Diego Matheuz at David Geffen Hall, with Rubén Blades as lead singer. Describing the urban reality of poor neighborhoods in Latin America through the story of a couple, Maestra Vida explores themes of life, death, and family in a fictional island in the Caribbean. This original composition fuses Afro-Caribbean music, symphonic arrangements, and a uniquely Latin American story. It’s written for a full symphonic orchestra of 90 musicians and a Latin ensemble consisting of piano, bass, congas, timbales, bongo, and two backing vocalists.

 

Thursday, April 3 at 7:00 pm
Brooklyn Maqam ft. Nibal Malshi x Haza Party
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

When two of Brooklyn's biggest and most discerning curators of MENA music throw a concert for the community, you know it's an event you can't miss!  Haza ("shake" in Arabic) is a dance party and radio program that showcases Arab, Asian, and Pan-African music from the diasporas and beyond. Brooklyn Maqam is a performance-focused nonprofit dedicated to fostering engagement by presenting and promoting music from Middle Eastern traditions. Together, they're hosting an intimate evening in concert with the Haifa-born Palestinian vocal artist Nibal Malshi. Malshi, previously seen at the Kennedy Center and at Flushing Town Hall, is a 2023 Arab America Foundation "40 Under 40" award recipient. On stage with her full traditional instrumental ensemble, Malshi will present a selection of classic and contemporary songs for a journey through the rich and vibrant world of Arab music. Bring a friend and come dressed to impress...and to dance!

 

Friday April 4–Sunday, April 20
Big Umbrella Festival
Campus-wide
Free and Choose-What-You-Pay (more details to be announced)

Each spring, Big Umbrella Festival welcomes kids, teens, and young adults for a dynamic series of programming, designed with and for neurodiverse audiences. The 2025 festival will span three weeks in April, offering distinct events and activations each weekend. When the World Turns by Polyglot Theatre and Oily Cart is an immersive theatrical experience that celebrates the senses, inviting audiences into a wondrous landscape of foliage, light, sounds, and shadows. Peruvian theater company Teatro La Plaza reinvents Shakespeare’s Hamlet into a joyful and enigmatic production where the stories of people with Down syndrome take center stage. Young children and families are invited to explore, move, and become a part of the performance with SecondHand Dance’s The Sticky Dance and at the interactive Los Trompos ("spinning tops") installation outdoors at Damrosch Park. The renowned ReelAbilities Film Festival—the largest festival in the world dedicated to films by and about people with disabilities—returns; and the Chamber Music Society offers two relaxed musical performances, created for children with autism and sensory disorders. More details and the full schedule for these multi-sensory, participatory, and engaging artistic experiences will be announced soon!

 

Friday, April 4 at 7:30 pm
American Songbook
Tribute to The Slits
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

Co-curated by Tamar-kali and Kathleen Hanna

This year’s American Songbook series celebrates the voices of women and nonbinary performers who have not only shaped the landscape of music, but have also driven important conversations on gender, identity, and empowerment. Few artists fit that bill more precisely than The Slits, a riotous, pioneering, female-led UK experimental band that parlayed a love for dub, punk, and surf rock into an influential and durable DIY success story. Originally formed in 1976 by the legendary Ari Up and Palmolive, the group's notorious debut LP Cut spawned a genuine radio hit with their raucous cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." The many hits of The Slits will be presented by the American Songbook band—featuring Megan Maloney (guitar), Barbara Duncan (percussion), Flora Lucini (bass), and Elenna Canlas (keyboards and vocals)—joined by an array of musical luminaries, all paying their respects to one of the true pioneers of punk.

 

Sunday, April 6 at 7:30 pm
American Songbook
Gossip and ESG: Honoring Fanny
David Geffen Hall
Choose-What-You-Pay

Co-curated by Tamar-kali and Kathleen Hanna

Three generations of women at the forefront of rock and roll are celebrated in this earth-shaking evening. The brashly soulful voice of Beth Ditto powers the GLAAD Award-nominated power pop-punk trio Gossip, whose 2009 single "Heavy Cross" skyrocketed their album Music for Men to Gold and Multi-Platinum certification across the EU. The legendary Bronx-based female funk rock collective ESG set the stage for whole genres of sound, including post punk and house music. Songs from the group's early EPs have been so heavily sampled by rap's A-listers (including Wu-Tang Clan, The Beastie Boys and MF DOOM) that their sound has become nearly indivisible from Hip-Hop. ESG's seminal 1983 debut album Come Away with ESG was acknowledged by Pitchfork as one of the 50 Best Albums of the 1980s. Amidst sets by both Gossip and ESG, Lincoln Center will honor the surviving members of the pioneering 1970s-era LA band Fanny, the first all-female rock band to record a full album at a major label.

Thursday, April 10 at 7:30 pm
Chita Rivera Tribute
David Rubenstein Atrium 

Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating the memory of the barrier-breaking, legendary Chita Rivera, backed by an all-star lineup of live musicians featuring the American Pops Orchestra (APO). The APO presents a broad array of popular and classical music in innovative ways to bring new audiences into the orchestral world and has been featured in 30 national broadcasts on PBS, with programs ranging in genre from classical to country, jazz to musical theater. Guests are encouraged to follow in Chita’s footsteps and dance their hearts out!

 

Friday, April 11 at 7:30 pm
American Songbook
Mixtape: Women in Punk
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

Co-curated by Tamar-kali and Kathleen Hanna 

The essence of punk music has always been impulsive, spontaneous, eclectic, audacious, and exciting. Those qualities also describe a great mixtape! Prepare yourself for an unpredictable evening inspired by the rich history of women and nonbinary artists in punk rock, including vanguard creators like Siouxsie Sioux, Patti Smith, Debbie Harry, The Raincoats, X-Ray Spex, The Slits, Kathleen Hanna, Laura Jane Grace, Beth Ditto, and many more. Mixtape: Women in Punk features the ace lineup of the American Songbook band—Megan Maloney (guitar), Barbara Duncan (percussion), Flora Lucini (bass), and Elenna Canlas (keyboards and vocals)—joined by an array of musical luminaries TBA.

 

Saturday, April 12 at 7:30 pm
American Songbook
4132314: Tarta Relena, Los Sara Fontan, and Cocanha
Alice Tully Hall
Choose-What-You-Pay

Presented in association with Institut Ramon Llull 

The varied traditions of Mediterranean folk music are reimagined through a modern, experimental lens in 4132314, an epic collaborative project from the acclaimed Catalan vocal duo Tarta Relena, the genius compositional partners Los Sara Fontan, and the percussion and vocal Occitan duo Cocanha. Together, these three pairs of artists present a distinctly theatrical concert inspired by the visual repetition of dressmaking patterns from classical textile mills, the inherent musicality of cloth's production, and the until-now unsung effort of the countless women who wove their lives into the very fabric of history. Vivified by intoxicating polyphony, innovative instrumentation, Byzantine rhythmic construction, and an unmistakable sense of DIY creativity, 4132314 celebrates collective work, ingenuity, solidarity, sorority, and the common thread of connection that binds us all. Winner of the 2022 Ciutat de Barcelona Award, 4132314 makes its U.S. debut at Lincoln Center.

 

Tuesday, April 15 at 7:30 pm
American Songbook
Ana Tijoux
David Geffen Hall
Choose-What-You-Pay 

It has been nearly a decade since the GRAMMY-nominated and Latin GRAMMY Award-winning emcee Ana Tijoux dropped her critically acclaimed album Vengo, a "dazzling" (NPR) blend of Hip-Hop and Andean traditional sounds. In the years between, the French-Chilean rapper and songwriter has released over 15 singles, coped with the sadness of profound personal loss, and grown significantly as an artist. Her long-awaited new LP, 2024's aptly-named Vida, featuring guest turns from Talib Kweli and iLe, displays Tijoux's development boldly with songs that "weave activism, emotional and spiritual growth... offered freely and generously" (AllMusic). In a concert that brings South America to the American Songbook, Tijoux and her live band spotlight the intricate arrangements laced throughout Vida, alongside other hits from her catalog, for a whirlwind trip through the worlds of rap, jazz, Latin folk, and funk, all tinted with unvarnished emotion and a sharp sense of humor.

 

Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 pm
The Potluck: In Concert 
By César Alvarez; Directed by Sarah Benson
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

A mind-expanding concert performance of the latest work by Lucille Lortel Award winner and Guggenheim Fellow César Alvarez, created in collaboration with designer and visual artist Emily Orling, comes to the Atrium this April. Alvarez was born into a community of communist labor organizers who had survived the brutal murders of five of their members by the KKK in 1979—known as the Greensboro Massacre. Thirty-six years later, Alvarez has crafted The Potluck, a musical about ghosts, queerness, how to recuperate from trauma that happened to you before you were even born, and capitalism. 

Tuesday, April 22 at 7:30 pm
Juilliard Green Club Presents an Earth Day Concert
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free

Presented in collaboration with The Juilliard Green Club of The Juilliard School

Dancers, actors, and musicians from The Juilliard Green Club are thrilled to take the stage to present a multi-genre, immersive concert experience. We ask our audience to consider our collective futures in the face of climate change amidst differences in background, class, resources, and geographical location. Artists have always looked either to the past or forward to an unknown future, often attempting to predict what awaits all of us with the knowledge they possess in their time. This need to consider our place and agency within a larger context is one artists always struggle with, but today, it is something we all struggle with, as the choices necessary to guarantee a safe future are not in our hands. We will consider art that seeks out the past, present, and future of our Earth to answer the following question: how have artists considered their futures in the past, and what can we learn from them in imagining our own future?

Friday, May 2 at 7:30 pm
Brooklyn Basement Party
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

In celebration of the art and culture of Hip-Hop, Lincoln Center has presented concerts featuring major rap artists including, to name only a few, Rakim, De La Soul, J Noa, J.PERIOD, Big Daddy Kane, and Rapsody. As a reflection of New York City’s vibrant soundscape, we’re thrilled to provide a stage for classic and contemporary sounds, dance, cinema, and history within the field of Hip-Hop as a part of year-round programming. This May, we're showing love the Brooklyn way with the return of a BK basement dance party for the ages, featuring MR. LIFE OF YOUR PARTY (f.k.a. DJ FLY TY) on the decks all night at the David Rubenstein Atrium.

Saturday, May 3 at 11:00 am
Broadway for Arts Education Art Share
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

Young dancers, singers, actors, poets, and podcasters from Broadway for Arts Education's NYC programs converge at Lincoln Center for their annual "Art Share" extravaganza. Broadway for Arts Education (BAE) is a nonprofit organization that uses arts education to dismantle systemic barriers to success for underserved youth. Come join us for a showcase and celebration of the talents of these budding artists and creators. Special guest Broadway performers to be announced!

 

Wednesday, May 14 at 6:00 pm
Lincoln Center Visionary Artist: Rubén Blades
Crossover Dreams Screening and Q&A
Walter Reade Theater
Choose-What-You-Pay

Presented in collaboration with Film at Lincoln Center 

As part of the Lincoln Center Visionary Artist series celebrating the multifaceted and extraordinary GRAMMY Award–winning musician, politician, and actor Rubén Blades, we present Blades’s 1985 acting debut in Leon Ichaso’s Crossover Dreams. Blades stars as an up-and-coming salsa singer with dreams of hitting the big time in this much-adored musical comedy that received widespread acclaim. The film screening will be introduced by Rubén Blades and followed by an artist Q&A with the audience.

Thursday, May 15 at 7:30 pm
Picnic at Hanging Rock Concert Performance
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

Don’t miss the debut concert performance of songs from the forthcoming musical adapted from Joan Lindsay’s iconic Australian novel, which was made famous by Peter Weir’s film (celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025) and Netflix’s TV series. Picnic at Hanging Rock tells the story of three schoolgirls and their teacher who go missing on Valentine’s Day, 1900. One girl is later found, but with no memory of what happened; the others are never seen again. Left without answers, the community begins to unravel—with shocking consequences. The haunting new musical is informed by First Nations Australian collaborators, with book and lyrics by Hilary Bell, music by Greta Gertler Gold, and orchestrations by Tony and GRAMMY Award winner Todd Sickafoose (Hadestown).

 

Friday, May 16 at 7:00 pm 
Saturday, May 17 at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm
Backbone By Gravity and Other Myths
Alice Tully Hall
Choose-What-You-Pay

Backbone examines the various perceptions of what strength is, where it comes from, and how it is measured, through circus arts. This frenetic celebration of human interconnectedness will test the limits of strength: physical, emotional, individual, and collective. As a leader of contemporary circus in Australia, Gravity & Other Myths’ work strives to nurture human connection while challenging the genre of circus through conceptual sophistication and acrobatic virtuosity. The company employs an honest approach to performance, illuminating the complexities of humanity through genuineness, humor, and physical prowess. Enjoy this New York premiere and spectacle for the whole family!

*Please note: This production features atmospheric haze and high sound levels. Audience discretion is advised. This show is intended for ages 5+. 

 

Friday, May 23 at 6:00 pm & Saturday, May 24 at 4:00 pm
s3: Lincoln Center Poetry Festival
Griffin Sidewalk Studio, David Geffen Hall
Choose-What-You-Pay 

The two-day s3: Lincoln Center Poetry Festival, curated by poet-in-residence Mahogany L. Browne, returns for a second year. Passionate soliloquies and rhythmic verses bring together a diverse array of talented performers, who captivate audiences with their lyrical prowess and engaging stage presence. The festival takes place in a one-of-a-kind intimate performance space surrounded by the buzz of New York City. Extending past traditional poetry recitations, it embraces experimentation and innovation. Prepare to be enchanted by the interplay of words, sounds, and visuals, as artists push the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of performance poetry. Whether you are an ardent lover of poetry or a curious newcomer to the world of spoken word, the s3: Lincoln Center Poetry Festival promises an immersive experience featuring captivating performances that will leave you spellbound. Join us and be swept away by this extraordinary journey of self-discovery, empathy, and artistic brilliance.

Thursday, May 29 at 7:30 pm
Voices of a People’s History
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

The works of Brooklyn-born author and historian Howard Zinn (1922–2010), particularly the classic bestsellers A People's History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States, continue to shine a light on the extraordinary history of those engaged in struggles for freedom and justice in America. Since 2014, Lincoln Center has collaborated with Voices of a People's History, a non-profit organization of artists and educators who seek to keep Zinn's message of grassroots egalitarianism alive. The heroic voices featured in Zinn's books will be brought to life in performance by a chorus of young student activists who have been mentored by artist-activists to find personal meaning in these timeless texts. Using the words of the rebels, dissenters, and visionaries of our past and present as a blueprint, this evening will inspire us all to take collective action to shape our future.

Friday, May 2 at 7:30 pm
Brooklyn Basement Party
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

In celebration of the art and culture of Hip-Hop, Lincoln Center has presented concerts featuring major rap artists including, to name only a few, Rakim, De La Soul, J Noa, J.PERIOD, Big Daddy Kane, and Rapsody. As a reflection of New York City’s vibrant soundscape, we’re thrilled to provide a stage for classic and contemporary sounds, dance, cinema, and history within the field of Hip-Hop as a part of year-round programming. This May, we're showing love the Brooklyn way with the return of a BK basement dance party for the ages, featuring MR. LIFE OF YOUR PARTY (f.k.a. DJ FLY TY) on the decks all night at the David Rubenstein Atrium.

Saturday, May 3 at 11:00 am
Broadway for Arts Education Art Share
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

Young dancers, singers, actors, poets, and podcasters from Broadway for Arts Education's NYC programs converge at Lincoln Center for their annual "Art Share" extravaganza. Broadway for Arts Education (BAE) is a nonprofit organization that uses arts education to dismantle systemic barriers to success for underserved youth. Come join us for a showcase and celebration of the talents of these budding artists and creators. Special guest Broadway performers to be announced!

 

Wednesday, May 14 at 6:00 pm
Lincoln Center Visionary Artist: Rubén Blades
Crossover Dreams Screening and Q&A
Walter Reade Theater
Choose-What-You-Pay

Presented in collaboration with Film at Lincoln Center 

As part of the Lincoln Center Visionary Artist series celebrating the multifaceted and extraordinary GRAMMY Award–winning musician, politician, and actor Rubén Blades, we present Blades’s 1985 acting debut in Leon Ichaso’s Crossover Dreams. Blades stars as an up-and-coming salsa singer with dreams of hitting the big time in this much-adored musical comedy that received widespread acclaim. The film screening will be introduced by Rubén Blades and followed by an artist Q&A with the audience.

Thursday, May 15 at 7:30 pm
Picnic at Hanging Rock Concert Performance
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

Don’t miss the debut concert performance of songs from the forthcoming musical adapted from Joan Lindsay’s iconic Australian novel, which was made famous by Peter Weir’s film (celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025) and Netflix’s TV series. Picnic at Hanging Rock tells the story of three schoolgirls and their teacher who go missing on Valentine’s Day, 1900. One girl is later found, but with no memory of what happened; the others are never seen again. Left without answers, the community begins to unravel—with shocking consequences. The haunting new musical is informed by First Nations Australian collaborators, with book and lyrics by Hilary Bell, music by Greta Gertler Gold, and orchestrations by Tony and GRAMMY Award winner Todd Sickafoose (Hadestown).

 

Friday, May 16 at 7:00 pm 
Saturday, May 17 at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm
Backbone By Gravity and Other Myths
Alice Tully Hall
Choose-What-You-Pay

Backbone examines the various perceptions of what strength is, where it comes from, and how it is measured, through circus arts. This frenetic celebration of human interconnectedness will test the limits of strength: physical, emotional, individual, and collective. As a leader of contemporary circus in Australia, Gravity & Other Myths’ work strives to nurture human connection while challenging the genre of circus through conceptual sophistication and acrobatic virtuosity. The company employs an honest approach to performance, illuminating the complexities of humanity through genuineness, humor, and physical prowess. Enjoy this New York premiere and spectacle for the whole family!

*Please note: This production features atmospheric haze and high sound levels. Audience discretion is advised. This show is intended for ages 5+. 

 

Friday, May 23 at 6:00 pm & Saturday, May 24 at 4:00 pm
s3: Lincoln Center Poetry Festival
Griffin Sidewalk Studio, David Geffen Hall
Choose-What-You-Pay 

The two-day s3: Lincoln Center Poetry Festival, curated by poet-in-residence Mahogany L. Browne, returns for a second year. Passionate soliloquies and rhythmic verses bring together a diverse array of talented performers, who captivate audiences with their lyrical prowess and engaging stage presence. The festival takes place in a one-of-a-kind intimate performance space surrounded by the buzz of New York City. Extending past traditional poetry recitations, it embraces experimentation and innovation. Prepare to be enchanted by the interplay of words, sounds, and visuals, as artists push the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of performance poetry. Whether you are an ardent lover of poetry or a curious newcomer to the world of spoken word, the s3: Lincoln Center Poetry Festival promises an immersive experience featuring captivating performances that will leave you spellbound. Join us and be swept away by this extraordinary journey of self-discovery, empathy, and artistic brilliance.

Thursday, May 29 at 7:30 pm
Voices of a People’s History
David Rubenstein Atrium
Free 

The works of Brooklyn-born author and historian Howard Zinn (1922–2010), particularly the classic bestsellers A People's History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States, continue to shine a light on the extraordinary history of those engaged in struggles for freedom and justice in America. Since 2014, Lincoln Center has collaborated with Voices of a People's History, a non-profit organization of artists and educators who seek to keep Zinn's message of grassroots egalitarianism alive. The heroic voices featured in Zinn's books will be brought to life in performance by a chorus of young student activists who have been mentored by artist-activists to find personal meaning in these timeless texts. Using the words of the rebels, dissenters, and visionaries of our past and present as a blueprint, this evening will inspire us all to take collective action to shape our future.

 

 

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Lead support for Choose-What-You-Pay is provided by the Family of Robert Wood Johnson III 

Major support is provided by the Scully Peretsman Foundation 

Additional support is provided by Capital One and the PNC Foundation 

NewYork-Presbyterian is the Official Hospital of Lincoln Center 

United is the Preferred Airline of Lincoln Center Presents 

Steinway & Sons is the Preferred Piano Partner of Lincoln Center 

Major support for Lincoln Center Presents is provided by the Shubert Foundation 

Additional support is provided by Park Lane New York and Fairfield by Marriott Central Park  

Lincoln Center’s artistic excellence is made possible by the dedication and generosity of our board members 

Operation of Lincoln Center’s public plazas is supported in part with public funds provided by the City of New York. 

Programs are made possible, in part, with public funds provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Empire State Development, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor, Mayor of the City of New York, the New York State Legislature and the New York City Council

 

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For more information, please contact:

Isabel Sinistore
[email protected]
212-671-4195

Desiree Naranjo-Ochoa
[email protected]
212-875-5078

Jenni Klauder
[email protected]
212-875-5490

Rosie Marinelli
[email protected]
212-671-4747