Notable Events & Performers

SPEAKERS

• Mayor Fiorello La Guardia sold War Bonds there during the Second World War

• Mayor Jimmy Walker

• Fidel Castro (April 24, 1959) Click here for a photo of Castro in the Naumburg Bandshell with a crowd of 16,000

• The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. (1960’s in conjunction with the Hospital Workers Union [1199SEIU] at one time run by Dennis Rivera. Mr. Rivera also spoke there.)

• Mrs. Coretta Scott King spoke at the Naumburg Bandshell on April 27, 1968, as did The Reverend Ralph Abernathy, on May 12 1968.

• Robert M. Morgenthau, District Attorney

SERVICES

• John Lennon Memorial Service (Candlelight vigil on December 14, 1980)

• US Postal Service launched John Lennon’s stamp at the Bandshell – 7 September 2018.
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NOTABLE MUSICIANS & COMPOSERS

• Julius Baker (Flute; 1963)

• Irving Berlin (Composer/Conductor)

• Leonard Bernstein (Composer/Conductor)

• Ellabelle Davis (Vocalist; 1940) NY premiere

• Duke Ellington (May 1, 1943) War Bond rally broadcast on WEAF and recorded

• Johnny Gandelsman (2009-14), soloist 2013 (MacArthur Fellowship 2024)

• Edwin Franko Goldman (Composer/Conductor and Bandleader; 1928-1956) The concerts continued every summer until 1970 and returned in 1998. The Goldman Band no longer exists.

• Benny Goodman (Clarinet; 1972)

• Percy Grainger (Composer/Conductor)

• Grateful Dead (several performances in the 1970’s)

• Imani Winds (2006 & 2009)

• B.B. King (1970’s)

• Igor Kipnis (Harpsichord; 1969)

• Jaime Laredo (Violinist; 1976)

• Julius Rudel (Conductor; 1953)

• Joseph Silverstein (Violinist; 1973)

• John Philip Sousa (Composer/Bandleader) Film at Library of Congress of his 1920’s Performance.

• Benita Valente (Soprano; 1976 & 1978)

PRESENTED BY NAUMBURG ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS

Music Composed or Arranged for a first recital at the Naumburg Bandshell

• J. S. Bach: Fantasia in G Major for Organ BWV 572, Transcription by Leist/Goldman arranged for & premiered at the Naumburg Bandshell, by Goldman Band (1997)

• Henry Brant: “Festive 80”, premiered by Goldman Band (1998)

• Anthony Davis: ‘If a Fish Kept His Mouth Shut, He Wouldn't Get Caught!’ (July 11, 2023) Bandshell’s 100th Anniversary year celebration

• David Handler: Solstice (June 30, 2015)

• Edwin Franko Goldman: “On the Mall”, premiered at the Naumburg Bandshell opening concert, Sept. 26, 1923

• Lukas Foss: Suite ‘Salmon Rossi’ (1994)

• Colin Jacobsen: ‘Bethesda Bliss’ (June 27, 2023) Bandshell’s 100th Anniversary year celebration

• Martin Kennedy: ‘Bandshell Fanfare’ (June 13, 2023) Bandshell’s 100th Anniversary year celebration

• Brian Raphael Nabors: ‘Fanfare for a New Era’ (July 25, 2023) Bandshell’s 100th Anniversary year celebration

• Jens Nygaard: Naumburg Fanfare (1985)

• Milica Paranosic: ‘Tiha Voda Breg Roni, ‘Quiet water wears down a shore’, (Serbian Proverb)’ (August 1, 2023) Bandshell’s 100th Anniversary year celebration

World Premiere Performance

• Lisa Bielawa, (1968-): Tempelhof Etude, (June 20, 2011)

• Shawn Conley, (1983-) Yann’s Flight, [as arranged], (July 19, 2016)

• Judd Greenstein, (1979-), New Work for Flute and Orchestra, (World Premiere co-commissioned by Naumburg & The Knights), (July 11, 2017)

• David Handler, (1980-): Solstice, (World Premiere), (June 30, 2015)

• David Handler, (b.1980), Fanfare & Fugue (for a Fish), (World Premiere), (June 12, 2018)

• The Knights, Keeping On, (World Premiere), (July 26, 2022)

• Theodore Antoniou, (1935-2018), Kommos B - Morton Gould in Memoriam, World Premiere (July 11, 1996)

• Darius Milhaud, (1892-1974): Suite Francaise, – Normandie, Bretagne, Ile de France, Alsace-Lorraine, Provence, (June 13th 1945)

U.S. Premiere Performance

• Avner Dorman, (b.1975), Nigunim (Violin Concerto No. 2), (2017), NYC premiere, on (July 26, 2022)

• Judd Greenstein, Four on the Floor (2006), [as arranged, and composer in attendance], (August 4, 2015)

• Matthew Hindson, (b.1968), Maralinga on (June 27, 2017)

• Jessie Montgomery, (b. 1981), L.E.S. Characters, (composed 2021, NYC premiere, June 27, 2023)

• Thea Musgrave, (b.1928), Aurora, (1999), (East Coast premiere), on (June 12, 2018)

• Othmar Schoeck, (1886-1957), Summer Night, Pastoral Intermezzo for Strings, Op. 58, (1945), NY Premiere on (June 26, 2018)

• Leó Weiner, (1885-1960), Carnival Humoresque (Fasching), Op. 5, on (July 1, 2003)

• Sufjan Stevens, (b.1975), Run Rabbit Run, on (July 22, 2014)

Operas And Operettas

• Béatrice et Bénédict (1972)

• Count Ory (1974)

• Don Pasquale (1964)

• L’Elisir d’Amore (1965)

• H.M.S. Pinafore (1976)

• Herodiade (1971)

• The Italian Girl in Algiers (1966)

• Faust & Mefistofele – selected arias (1970)

• The Merry Widow (1978)

• Mignon (1963) First opera performance in Central Park

• The Pearl Fishers (1967)

• The Pirates of Penzance (1977)

• Werther (1969)

Featured Performers in Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (1905-2022)

Conductors

• Henry Aaron (1952)

• Samuel Antek (1948)

• Alfredo Antonini (1975)

• Simon Asen (1951)

• Michael P. Atkinson (2023)

• Ankush Kumar Bahl (2018)

• Emanuel Balaban (1945)

• Richard Horner Bales (1942-46, 1954, 1959)

• Carl Bamberger (1963)

• John Manley Barnett (1942)

• Michael Barrett (1988)

• Léon Eugene Barzin (1934-37, 1951)

• Victor Bay (1941-42)

• Robert Russell Bennett (1960)

• Miguel Harth Bedoya (1995)

• John Bitter (1959)

• Emil Borsody (1950) see also Cello (1938, 1946)

• Rosario Bourdon (1936, 1938) see also Frances Shapiro, violinist for 1938 concert

• Randy Brion (1995-97)

• Frank Brieff (1964, 1969-71, 1973)

• Harry John Brown (1955)

• Emerson Buckley (1943, 1951, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1964-73)

• Richard Burgin (1963-68)

• Christoph Campestrini (2005)

• Stephen D’Agostino (2009)

• Salvatore dell’Isola (1944)

• Henry Denecke (1957)

• Dean Dixon (1947)

• Rudolf Döblin (1947)

• Walter Ducloux (1950, 1952)

• Thomas Burt Dunn (1966)

• Richard Egarr (2021)

• Maxim Eshkenazy (2008)

• Zoltan Fekete (1951)

• Yascha Fishberg (1949)

• Lukas Foss (1994)

• Eugene Fuerst (1938-40)

• Benjamin Grosbayne (1949)

• Julius Grossman (1956)

• William Haaker (1959)

• Arthur Haas (2006)

• Howard Hanson (1955)

• Jaffrey Harris (1933-41)

• Sidney Harth (1975)*

• Joseph Hawthorne (1953)

• Malcolm Haughton Holmes (1945)

• Sarah Ioannides (2003, 2006)

• Derrick Inouye (2002)

• Robert Irving (1960, 1963)

• Eric Jacobsen (2010-22, 2024)

• Philip James (1939)

• Newell O. Jenkins (1962)

• Thor Johnson (1955)

• Samuel Jones (1970)

• Franz Kaltenborn (1905-23, 1926, 1927, 1931)**

• Abraham Kaplan (1971-72)

• Garrett Keast (2006, 2008) listed as George Garrett Keast on our concert programs

• Samuel Krachmalnick (1966-68, 1971, 1974)

• Yuri Krasnopolsky (1964)

• Mark Lakirovich (2001-03)

• Siegfried Landau (1948)

• Elliott Lawrence (1959)

• Robert Lawrence (1960, 1963)

• Everett Astor Lee (1950, 1954)

• Alexander Leslie (1952)

• Joseph Littau (1938)

• Fritz Mahler (1939)

• Robert Mann (1999-2001)*

• David Mannes (1933)

• Macklin Marrow (1941)

• Tito Munoz (2019)

• William Mount-Burke (1976-78)

• Boyd Neel (1956, 1962, 1965, 1967-72, 1973-74)

• Aisslinn Nosky (2022-24)

• Victor Norman (1950)

• Jens Nygaard (1979-88, 1990-93)

• Charles Olivieri-Munroe (2004-05)

• Charles O’Neill l (1958)

• José Antonio Méndez Padrón (2017)

• Imre Pallo (1979)

• Leonardo Pavone (1947)

• Maurice Peress (1965)

• Mishel Piastro (1957)

• Maximilian Pilzer (1926, 1948-49, 1958)

• Alexander Platt (2007)

• Eugene Plotnikoff (1943-44)

• Carlos Miguel Prieto (2005)

• Otto Radl (1956, 1958)

• Hugo Riesenfeld (1924, 1926)

• Nicholas Rescigno (1944-48, 1953)

• Martin Rich (1969)

• Ariel Rubstein (1956)

• Julius Rudel (1953)

• Max Rudolf (1942)

• Daniel Saidenberg (1961)*

• Judith Somogi (1975)

• Thomas Scherman (1961)

• Tibor Serly (1940, 1949, 1955, 1958)

• Robert L. Shaw (1946)

• Lajos Shuk (1934-37)

• Joseph Silverstein (1973)*

• Jacques Singer (1974-79)

• Russell Stanger (1961)

• Jonathan Sternberg (1972, 1974)

• Joseph Stopak (1944)

• Ignace Strasfogel (1940-41, 1962)

• Paul Strauss (1946)

• Guy Taylor (1954)

• Rudolph Thomas (1933-34)

• Werner Torkanowsky (1961-62)*

• Remus Tzincoca (1953)

• Gregory Vajda (2003-05)

• Christos Vrionides (1952)

• Richard Westerfield (2002)

• Richard Woitach (1976-78)

• Jean-Marie Zeitouni (2007)

Vocalists, Female

• Atsuka Azuma (1975)

• Susan Belling (1969)

• Adriana Bernini (1948)

• Elaine Bonazzi (1970, 1972)

• Jean Bryan (1942)

• Joanna Bruno (1971)

• Jane Bryden (1979)

• Germaine Bruyere (1938-39)

• Shirley Close (1981)

• Ethel Barrymore Colt (1954-55)

• Kay Creed (1969)

• Sandra Darling (1969)

• Ellabelle Davis (1940) Public premiere

• Ina De Martino (1943)

• Rose Dirman (1936)

• Alison Fennell (1959)

• Helen Greco (1947)

• Joélle Harvey (2024)

• Hazel Hayes (1937)

• Winifred Heidt (1951)

• Elvira Helal (1944)

• Mary Henderson (1957, 1959)

• Hope Herne (1938)

• Beale Hober (1949-50)

• Laurel Hurley (1960, 1965, 1967, 1968)*

• Beatrice Krebs (1953, 1958)

• Meline Kulhanjian (1956)

• Katheryn Lynbrook (1923)

• Gloria La Vey Lora (1941)

• Julia Mahoney (1938)

• Jean Maretta (1947)

• Lois Marshall (1961)*

• Cleonive Montvare (1942)

• Rachel Morton (1935)

• Jasmine Muhammad (2019)

• Devora Nadworney (1943)

• Nan Nall (1984)

• Marni Nixon (1983)

• Maria Noelte (1944-45)

• Aoife O’Donovan (2021)

• Jeanne Palmer (1940)

• Sherezade Panthaki (2018)

• Jean Parrilli (1946)

• Lillian Patacchi (1945)

• Susanna Phillips (2005)

• Rowan Pierce (2021)

• Judith Raskin (1977)

• Jennifer Rivera (2007)

• Margaret Roberts (1948)

• Rebecca Roberts (1973)

• Theresa Santiago (1995, 2000)*

• Joanna Simon (1971)

• Joy Simpson (1979)*

• Christine Sokolowska (1952)

• Benita Valente (1969, 1976, 1978)

• Adelaide Van Wey (1937)

• Frances Yeend (1945, 1963)

• Doris Yarick (1961)

Vocalists, Male

• William Beck (1969)

• McHenry Boatwright (1961, 1962, 1966)

• Eugene Brice (1956)

• Albert Da Costa (1954, 1962)

• Benjamin De Loache (1941)*

• J. Alden Edkins (1937)

• Samuel Gallu (1950)

• William Horne (1942-43)*

• Ivan Ivantzoff (1936)

• Gabriel Kahane (2016)

• Edward Kane (1940)

• Paul King (1949, 1952)

• John Langstaff (1964)

• Phillip Maero (1947) Public premiere

• Eugene Morgan (1944)

• Peter Nicolaeff (1938)

• Nicholas Phan (2013)

• Kenneth Reigel (1969, 1971, 1974)

• Robert Rounseville (1949) Public premiere

• William Ryan (1951)

• Stephen Salters (2001)*

• Lee Schwartz (1980)

• Louis Sgarro (1953, 1955) Public premiere

• Malcolm Smith (1969)

• Ivan Velikanoff (1938)

• Jess Walters (1941) Year of Public premiere w/ NY Opera Co.

• William Warfield (1975)

• Lawrence Winters (1942) (né Lawrence Lafayette Whisonant) Public premiere

• Willard Young (1944)

Violin

• Anahid Ajemian (1947)*

• Shmuel Ashkenasi (1974)

• Dorothy Averell (1945)

• George Bennett (1951)

• Vera Beths (2010)

• Charles Castleman (1968)

• Nancy Cirillo (1960)*

• John Corigliano (1935)

• John Dembeck (1939)

• Arnold Eidus (1937) age 15 – 7,500 attend concert

• Tim Fain (2008)

• Harry Farbman (1936, 1940)

• Krista Bennion Feeney (2018-19)

• Joan Field (1959)

• Eric Friedman (1957 & 1983)

• Rodney Friend (1979)

• Joseph Fuchs (1979)

• Hamao Fujiwara (1977)

• Marjorie Fulton (1942)

• Johnny Gandelsman (2009-14), soloist 2013

• Robert Gerle (1965)

• Carroll Glenn (1939)*

• Vadim Gluzman (2005) played a 1690 ex-Leopold Auer Stradivari violin

• Nathan Goldstein (1950)

• Sidney Harth (1973, 1975)*

• Daniel Heifetz (1990)

• Ariana Kim (2015)

• Benny Kim (1984, 2004) played a Stradivari violin, dated 1732

• David Kim (1987)

• Yong Uck Kim (1976)

• Jaime Laredo (1976)

• Tessa Lark (2015, 2018) *

• Nicholas Mann (1985, 1994)

• Robert Mann (1985, 1994)*

• Stefan Milenkovich (2010)

• Jesse Mills (2019)

• Dorothy Minty (1941)

• Gilda Muhlbauer (1954)*

• David Nadien (1986)

• Aisslinn Nosky (2022-24)

• Robert Notkoff (1956)

• George Ockner (1946)

• Tomohiro Okumura (1996, 2001-02)*

• Elmar Oliviera (1981)*

• Eugen Plotnikoff (1943)

• Stanley Plummer (1970)

• Ruth Posselt (1963, 1967)

• Paul Rosenthal (1992)

• Alvin Rudnitsky (1952)

• Lara St. John (2007, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2020, 2022)

• Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (1982)*

• Gil Shaham (2021)

• Frances Shapiro (1938) 4,500 attended May 31st concert, married name Frances Magnes

• Joseph Silverstein (1973)*

• Laura Smith (1988)

• Axel Strauss (1999)*

• Antal Szalai (2003), played a Guarnieri violin

• Roman Totenberg (1943), played Longworth Stradivari violin, presented to him by Alice Roosevelt Longworth.

• Michael Tree (1962)

• Bela Urban (1949)

• Eric Wyrick (2013)

• Masako Yanagita (1971) see also

• Gianpiero Zanocco (2109) see also

• Zvi Zeitlin (1961, 1964, 1969)

Viola

• Sol Greitzer (1979)

• Hsin-Yun Haung (2005)

• Masumi Per Rostad (2023)

• Emanuel Vardi (1955)

Cello

• Ani Aznavoorian (2008, 2011)

• Seymour Benstock (1951, 1958)

• Maurice Bialkin (1949)*

• Emil Borsody (1938, 1946) see also Conductor (1950)

• Andrés Díaz (2002)*

• Marcel Hubert (1962)

• Joel Krosnick (1982)

• Lisa Lancaster (1987) August 1, 1987

• Julia MacLaine (2011)

• Lorne Munroe (1965, 1968, 1971, 1973)*

• Hai-Ye Ni (2001)*

• Paul Olefsky (1964)*

• Aldo Parisot (1966)

• Leslie Parnas (1967, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1993)

• Massimo Raccanelli (2019)

• Joan Radley (1953)

• David Requiro (2009, 2010)*

• George Ricci (1957)

• Nathaniel Rosen (1980)*

• Joseph H. Saunders (1948)

• Lajos Shuk (1934) see also

• Robert Sylvester (1974)

• Paul Tobias (1984)

• Daniel Vandersall (1959-60)

• Jan Vogler (2010)

• David Wells (1950, 1954)

Bass Viol

• Murray Shapinsky (1952)

Piano

• Timo Andres (2014), Elise L. Stoeger Prizewinner, 2025

• Mitchell Andrews (1966)

• Andrew Armstrong (2006)

• Dickran Atamian (1980, 1987)*

• Chester Barris (1936)

• Stephen Beus (2010)

• Alice de Cevee (1937)

• Simone Dinnerstein (2015, 2017)

• Marc André Hamelin (2020)

• Matt Herskowitz (2011, 2012)

• Stephen Hough (1985)*

• Jeffrey Kahane (1983)

• Ruth Laredo (1982, 1986)

• Eunmi Lee Moon (2000)

• Christina & Michelle Naughton -Duo- (2014)

• Linda Osborn-Blaschke (2001)

• Steven Osborne (2000)*

• Lois Phelps (1935)

• Ann Schein Carlyss (1991)

• Andre Michel Schub (2006)*

• Nobuyuki Tsujii (2016)

• Ilana Vered (1984)

• Shai Wosner (2021)

• William Wolfram (1988)* Silver Medalist

Harpsichord

• Igor Kipnis (1969)

• Mary Alderdice (1984)

Harp

• Asunta Dell’ Aquila (1960)

• S. Mario de Stefano (1956)

Guitar

• Jorge Caballero (2000) *

Flute

• Julius Baker (1963, 1981)

• Frances Blaisdell (1953)

• Katherine Fink (1983)

• Andrea Griminelli (2009)

• Lisa Hansen (1988)

• Laura Gilbert (1984)

• Sato Moughalian (1988)

• Alex Sopp (2017, & prior)

Clarinet

• Vasko Dukovski (2016)

• David Glazer (1961)

• Benny Goodman (1972)

• Stanley Drucker (1981)

• Alexander Fiterstein (2009)

• Vadim Lando (2009)

• Charles Neidich (2003, 2005)*

• Robert Ingliss (1988)

French Horn

• Joseph Eger (1960)

• Michael P. Atkinson (2013)

• David Jolley (1983)

• Philip Myers (1990)

• Robert Routch (1984)

Oboe

• Adam Hollander (2013)

• Robert Ingliss (1988)

• Debra Nagy (2024)

ORGAN

• Ian Watson (2024)

recorder

• Anna Fusek (2019)

Saxophone

• John-Edward Kelly (2005)

• Ashu (2008)

Trombone

• Sy Shaffer (1935, 1955)

• Scott Hartman (2006)

Trumpet

• Melvin Broiles (1963)

• Philip Smith (1980)

• Raymond Mase (1981, 1984)

• New York Chamber Symphony Players (1999)

• Michael Mossman (1986)

Tuba

• Fritz Geib (1939)

bandoneon

• J P Jofre (2019)

narrator

• Zero Mostel (1964; Aaron Copland pieces)

• Robert Sherman (1985; Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf”)

Wind Ensembles

• Imani Winds (2006, 2009)

Brass Ensembles

• Boston Brass (2007)

• Central Park Brass (2004)

• eGALitarian Brass (2023)

• The Empire Brass (1977-78, 2001-03)*

• New York Chamber Symphony presents the New Amsterdam Brass (1999)

• New York Chamber Symphony Players (1999)

• Novus NY Brass Quintet (2023)

• Times Square Brass (2023)

• The Westerlies (2023)

Instrumental Ensembles

• A Far Cry (2018-2019, 2021-2024)

• Aulos Ensemble & Friends (2006)

• Boston Symphony Chamber Players (2015)

• Brooklyn Philharmonic (2007, 2008)

• Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (2013, 2014)

• ECCO, East Coast Chamber Orchestra (2015-19, 2021-23)

• Ensemble LPR (2015-18)

• Handel & Haydn Society (2022, 2024)

• Havana Lyceum Orchestra (2017)

• The Matt Herskowitz Trio (2011)

• Imani Winds (2006 & 2009)

• Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players (2008-11)

• The Knights (2009-19, 2021-4)

• Melody of the Dragon – Chen Tao (2007)

• Naumburg Orchestra (various years)

• Nosky’s Baroque Band (2023-24)

• Orchestra of St. Luke’s (2018-19)

• Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (2012-13, 2015-16, 2017-19)

• Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (2021)

• Time for Three (2010)

• Pablo Ziegler, Lara St. John w/ Andrew Roitstein, Claudio Ragazzi and Hector Del Cuerto Celebrate 25th Anniversary of Astor Piazzolla’s 1987 Concert (2012)

• Ulysses & Emerson String Quartets (2021)

• Ulysses String Quartet (2020)

• Venice Baroque Orchestra (2019)

Flamenco

• Duquende w/Juan Diego Mateos Reina, guitar & Andrés Peña Morón, dancer (2000)

• Flamenco Mystico w/Arturo Martinez & Carlos Revollar, guitar; Alfonso Cid, cantaor; & Sandra Rivera, dancer (2002)

• Flamenco San Juan w/Domingo Alvarado, cantaor & Sandra Rivera, dancer (2008)

• La Pasion w/Arturo Martinez & Jose Ramos, guitar; Barbara Martinez, cantaora; Tony de Vivo, percussion; & Sandra Rivera, dancer (2004)

Pipe Music

• Rumillajata – (1989) Music of the Americas

*Walter W. Naumburg International Competition Prize Winner.

**The earliest historical records for the concerts seem to be poorly documented. Yet, this conductor appears to have formed an early and lasting relationship with Elkan Naumburg. That connection is sketchily documented by the NY Times for the earlier Naumburg dates, but in later years he clearly performed for Naumburg, citing the relationship.