Press Center

CARNEGIE HALL CELEBRATES 120THANNIVERSARY WITH GALA CONCERT LED BY
SINGER/SONGWRITER JAMES TAYLOR ON TUESDAY, APRIL 12 AT 7:00 PM  

Taylor and Special Guests Barbara Cook, Steve Martin, Bette Midler, DianneReeves,
and Sting Honor Twelve Decades of Extraordinary Music and Events at CarnegieHall 

Carnegie Hall launches its 120th anniversary yearcelebration on Tuesday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m.with a one-night-only gala event hosted by renowned singer/songwriter JamesTaylor in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. This festive evening paystribute to Carnegie Hall’s illustrious history, highlighting many of theextraordinary musical and cultural events that have taken place on the Hall’slegendary stages over the past twelve decades. Featured special guests include:Barbara Cook, Steve Martin, Bette Midler, Dianne Reeves,Sting, and members of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus amongothers. This concert is one of four Carnegie Hall Perspectivesperformances presented by Taylor this spring

The James Taylor gala event—benefiting Carnegie Hall’s artistic and educationprograms—is chaired by Clarissa and Edgar Bronfman, Jr. Honorary chair for thegala is Caroline Kennedy. Honorary Artist Committee members for the eveninginclude Carnegie Hall trustees Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, and Audra McDonald, aswell as Calista Flockhart, Harrison Ford, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Kelly Preston,Caetano Veloso, Tavis Smiley, Youssou N’Dour, Kronos Quartet, David Byrne,Regina Spektor, and John Travolta. Additional gala leaders include: Vice-ChairsMercedes and Sid R. Bass, Emily Blavatnik, Tory Burch, Lyor Cohen, DeloitteLLP, Susan and Ed Foster, David Foster, Leslie and Tom Maheras, Bob and TamarManoukian, Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, Inc , Aviv Nevo, KatherineFarley and Jerry Speyer, and Anonymous. Bank of America is the James TaylorGala Corporate Sponsor and Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.

Gala Benefit tickets priced at $2,500 and $5,000 include premier concertseating and an exclusive after-party dinner at The Museum of Modern Art. Galabenefit tickets priced at $1,000 include the concert and a pre-concert cocktailreception at 6:00 p.m. in Carnegie Hall’s Rohatyn Room. All gala benefittickets are available online at carnegiehall.org/jamestaylorgalaor by calling 212-903-9679. A limited number of premium tickets, priced at$200, $300, and $500, will be available only at the Carnegie Hall Box Office(57th Street and Seventh Avenue) or by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800,beginning this Friday, January 7. Both Gala Benefit and premium tickets includea tax-deductible donation to Carnegie Hall.


Full Series Information—Perspectives: James Taylor at Carnegie Hall

In spring 2011, singer/songwriter James Taylor presents a highlypersonal four-event Perspectives series at Carnegie Hall, a residencythat will celebrate the songs that have made him an American icon, revealinghis true breadth as a musician and his evolution as an artist. Following hisgala performance on April 12, a program titled James Taylor: Roots on Wednesday,April 20 in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage explores Taylor’s early musicalinfluences, including bluegrass, blues, Celtic music, and Church of Englandhymns. On Friday May 6 in Zankel Hall, Taylor offers an evening devotedto popular music’s instrument of choice with James Taylor: GuitarConversations, delving into the versatility of the guitar, performingalongside all-stars of the genre. His Perspectives series concludes on Monday,May 9 when he is joined in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage by his legendaryband for Quintessential James Taylor and His Band, a performance of hisgreatest hits.

Shortly after James Taylor’s 1970 Carnegie Hall debut at age 22, Timemagazine observed that his artistry reached “a level both of intimacy andcontrolled emotion rarely achieved in purely pop music.” The connection he madeto listeners was indelible, and his hits—“Fire and Rain,” “Sweet Baby James,”“Carolina In My Mind,” to name just a few—became a soundtrack to the Americanexperience. Over the course of his long career, Taylor has earned 40 gold,platinum, and multi-platinum awards; five Grammy Awards; and the 1998 CenturyAward, Billboard magazine’s highest accolade. He has been inducted into boththe Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame,and has sold some 40 million albums. Taylor’s warm baritone is among the mostrecognized voices in popular music and his guitar playing has established itsown standard. His music embodies the art of songwriting in its most fundamentalform, with his songs having had a profound influence on both songwriters andmusic lovers of all generations and from all walks of life. As a recording andtouring artist, he has set a high bar to which countless musicians continue toaspire.


Program Information
Tuesday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
JAMES TAYLOR AT CARNEGIE HALL
A GALA CELEBRATING 120 YEARS OF CARNEGIE HALL

James Taylor celebrates 120 years of Carnegie Hall’s history withspecial guests Barbara Cook, Steve Martin, Bette Midler, DianneReeves, Sting, members of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, andmore. This special event benefits Carnegie Hall’s artistic and educationprograms.

Bank of America is the James Taylor Gala Corporate Sponsor and Proud SeasonSponsor of Carnegie Hall.

This event is part of Perspectives: James Taylor at Carnegie Hall. JamesTaylor's Perspectives series is made possible, in part, by The Blancheand Irving Laurie Foundation.