What to know about Carnegie Hall, world’s most famous music venue

Widely regarded as the world’s most famous concert venue, Carnegie Hall also has become synonymous with excellence over the decades, with the greatest talents in their fields known for performances there. When the hall opened on May 5, 1891, with an orchestral concert, the conductors were no less than Walter Damrosch and Piotr Iylich Tchaikovsky. 

Since then, legends of classical and popular music have lit up its main stage, from Gustav Mahler to Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra to Bruce Springsteen. Carnegie Hall has singled out 24 icons of historic importance, such as Duke Ellington, Paul Robeson, Billie Holiday, Arturo Toscanini, Leonard Bernstein, Isaac Stern and Judy Garland. 

Other important aspects of the Carnegie Hall legend: 

Its namesake: The building was completely financed by industrialist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), who made his fortune in steel manufacturing. A board member of the Oratorio Society of New York and the New York Symphony Society, he and his fellow members originally intended to turn the hall into the home base of these music organizations. One of the wealthiest Americans in history, Carnegie was often derided as a robber baron. But during his final two decades, he gave away about 90 percent of his fortune to charities and foundations, a total of $350 million then (more than $5.2 billion today).

Its design: Built in the Renaissance Revival architectural style developed in Florence, Italy, in the late 14th century, Carnegie Hall was designed by American architect William Burnet Tuthill (1855-1929). A founder of the Architectural League of New York, Tuthill had never built a concert hall before he received the Carnegie commission. He reportedly won that commission through his connections. A talented cellist, Tuthill served on the board of the Oratorio Society of New York with Andrew Carnegie.

Its world premieres: Many iconic classical works have received their world premieres at Carnegie Hall, including Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (From the New World) on Dec. 16, 1893; Symphonia Domestica by Richard Strauss on March 21, 1904, conducted by the composer; Concerto in F by George Gershwin on Dec. 3, 1925, with the composer at the piano, and Variations on a Theme of Corelli by Sergei Rachmaninov on Nov. 7, 1931, also with the composer at the piano.

Its comeback: In the late 1950s, Carnegie Hall almost succumbed to the wrecking ball. Civic leaders lobbied the city of New York to purchase the venue for $5 million in 1960 and establish the non-profit Carnegie Hall Corp. to manage the theater. The federal government designated it as a National Historic Landmark in 1962.

Its lore: Though many greats have graced the Carnegie Hall main stage, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra maintains a special distinction in the theater's history. After performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 in March 1970, the CSO and Sir Georg Solti reportedly received the longest ovation ever recorded there. According to one eyewitness, “It was an amazing, now legendary concert, with superhuman playing. The audience went totally nuts, like at a major sporting event. The whistling, hooting, hollering, stamping and applauding went on for 35 minutes.”