BEN BLISS & CHRISTOPHER ALLEN
Recital Series October 9 & 11, 2026
WELCOME Park Avenue Armory’s Recital Series strives to engage audiences with world-class artists in the most personal of settings, and has become a “locus for important chamber music concerts” (The New Yorker). Set in the intimate and lush surroundings of our historic period rooms, the Armory provides “a space for chamber music, which marries excellent acoustics and an austerely elegant Gilded Age interiors” (The New York Times). This year’s lineup offers up-close experiences of thoughtfully curated programs of lieder, art song, and contemporary works by some of today’s most exciting musical interpreters, and thrilling performances that explore signal works and take the art form in bold new directions. We are proud to host the highly anticipated recital debuts of three exciting new voices in the Board of Officers Room: leading soprano leggero Liv Redpath in her New York solo recital debut; Italian countertenor Carlo Vistoli in his North American recital debut; and Omani-born mezzo soprano Deepa Johnny in her North American recital debut. Returning following their work on Monochromatic Light (Afterlife) at the Armory in 2023, celebrated percussionist Steven Schick and composer Tyshawn Sorey team up in the Veterans Room for the world premiere of a new evening-length percussion piece commissioned by the Armory that explores legacy through cross-generational collaboration as a mirror of the past and an illuminated path to the future. We also welcome Turkish pianist and composer Fazıl Say to the Board of Officers Room for a program blending Western and folk music influences, including J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations alongside several of Say’s own innovative compositions. And finally, master Mozartean tenor Ben Bliss gives an intimate evening of arias and art song with pianist Christopher Allen. Since the start of the Recital Series at the Armory, we are proud to have held more than 150 intimate performances by 250 internationally renowned musicians, including 18 important North American, US, and New York debuts of dynamic artists including tenors Allan Clayton and Pene Pati, soprano Barbara Hannigan, and pianist Igor Levit. We have also been proud to serve as the locale for 20 premieres by contemporary composers, including works by Michael Hersch, Anna Thorvaldsdóttir, John Zorn, Dai Fujikura, Michael Gordon, Jake Heggie, Chris Cerrone, Viet Cuong, Jasmine Barnes, David Lang, and others. This year’s lineup offers audiences even more chances to enjoy the intimacy of a beautiful range of chamber music experiences performed by artists with a highly distinctive international profile, in “an invaluable place to hear unconventional singers and programs” (The Wall Street Journal)—the Armory’s historic period rooms. We hope you join in our excitement for witnessing these magical moments in music. Rebecca Robertson Adam R. Flatto Founding President and Executive Producer Deborah Warner Anita K. Hersch Artistic Director
This concert is being recorded by WQXR for future broadcast on 105.9 FM and streaming on wqxr.org.
SEASON SPONSOR
PUBLIC SUPPORT
The Recital Series is supported, in part, by the Howard & Sarah D. Solomon Foundation. Bloomberg Philanthropies is Park Avenue Armory’s 2026 Season Sponsor. Leadership support for the Armory’s artistic programming has been generously provided by the Anita K. Hersh Philanthropic Fund, Charina Endowment Fund, Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust, Pinkerton Foundation, the Starr Foundation, the Thompson Family Foundation, and Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels. Major support was also provided by the the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Marc Haas Foundation, the Emily Davie and Joseph S. Kornfeld Foundation, The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, The Shubert Foundation, the SHS Foundation, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, and Wescustogo Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the Armory’s Artistic Council. Public support is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature as well as the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council under the leadership of Speaker Julie Menin.
PROGRAM BEN BLISS, TENOR CHRISTOPHER ALLEN, PIANO friday, october 9, 2026 at 8:00pm sunday, october 11, 2026 at 3:00pm Stephen Sondheim
“I’m Calm” from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Gene Paul / Johnny Mercer
“The Wha-Cha-Ma-Call-It”
Stephen Sondheim
“Everybody Says Don’t” from Anyone Can Whistle
Charles Ives
“The Things Our Fathers Loved”
Lowell Lieberman / Henry Wadsworth “The Arrow and the Song” from Six Songs on Poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Longfellow John Gruen / e.e. cummings
“Spring is like a perhaps hand” “lady will you come with me into”
Simon & Garfunkel
“Bridge Over Troubled Water”
Samuel A. Ward / Katharine Lee Bates, arr. Ray “America the Beautiful” Charles Sammy Fain / Jack Yellen
“Are You Having Any Fun?” from George White’s Scandals of 1939
Walter Kent / Al HOffman / Mann Curtis
“I’m Gonna Live Till I Die”
Intermission Kurt Weill / Langston Hughes
“Lonely House” from Street Scene
Richard Rodgers / Lorenz Hart
“Where or When” from Babes in Arms
Samuel Barber / Frederic Prokosch
Nocturne, op. 12 no. 4
Jimmy McHugh / Frank Loesser
“Say It (Over and Over Again)” from Buck Benny Rides Again
Jule Styne / Betty Comden / Adolph Green
“Just in Time” from Bells Are Ringing
Stephen Sondheim
“Being Alive” from Company
Leonard Bernstein / Betty Comden / Adolph Green
“Some Other Time” from On The Town
Noël Coward
“Let’s Say Goodbye” from Words and Music
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
“One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)” from The Sky’s The Limit
Philip Glass / Allen Ginsburg
“Wichita Vortex Sutra”
This program runs approximately 90 minutes including a 15-minute intermission.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM Duke Ellington used to say, somewhat euphemistically: “There are simply two kinds of music—good music and the other kind.” In this spirit, Ben Bliss offers a bold, genre-transcending program of American song (with a single number by Sir Noël Coward) that includes classical, jazz, musical theater, folk rock and more. It is a real tour de force because, even though music is music, each genre has its own requirements in terms of voice production, style and character, and there may not be many artists who can master such a wide range of repertoire. In a recent interview with Classical Voice, Bliss spoke about his unique way of planning recital programs. He described it as a long and painstaking process in which many factors come into play. Stylistic diversity is a key element that is part of the planning from the start. As the singer said, “I find museums more interesting when they have a Rembrandt next to a Warhol next to sacred art from the 12th century.” What such juxtapositions do—in museums as in song recitals—is to make the visitor or the listener discover something new about familiar pieces, and find some unsuspected links connecting them. Bliss is primarily an opera singer, but there is only one operatic excerpt on the program tonight, and that is a rather special case. With his Street Scene, written in collaboration with Langston Hughes, Kurt Weill created a true American opera, yet he brought to the project his experience with the unique form of musical theater he had created in Germany with Bertolt Brecht (Threepenny Opera, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny). Although Street Scene received its premiere on Broadway and not at the Met, many of its arias, like “Lonely House,” are definitely operatic in character. Yet in the present context, they fit in naturally with the musicals, from Richard Rodgers to Leonard Bernstein to Stephen Sondheim, that represent one of the principal threads in the recital. After all, the Broadway musical is a genre to which Weill also made important contributions. The numbers from musicals are surrounded, on one side, by classical art songs and, on the other side, by popular favorites— and again, numbers that might first appear as strange bedfellows turn out to be more closely related to one another than one might think. The so-called “classical” items also vary widely in style and expression: Charles Ives’s nostalgic look at an old America that
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disappeared before his eyes contrasts both with the exuberant romanticism of Lowell Liebermann and the lush impressionism of Samuel Barber—not to mention the exquisite miniatures of John Gruen, a composer perhaps better known as an art critic, writer and photographer. The poems used by these composers also differ considerably. Liebermann set a well-known 19th-century poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, while Gruen worked with some modernist poems by e. e. cummings. Barber’s song is based on a love poem by Frederic Prokosch, sometimes described as a “writer’s writer,” while Ives wrote his own poem, as he often did, in his own inimitable style. On the other end of the stylistic spectrum are such cultural icons as Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge over Troubled Water” or Walter Kent’s “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die”—classics in another, but no less true, sense. All-time favorites like Sammy Fain’s song “Are You Having Any Fun?” from George White’s revue Scandals of 1939, Jule Styne’s “Just in Time” from the musical Bells Are Ringing, Jimmy McHugh’s “Say It (Over and Over Again”) from Buck Benny Rides Again, and Harold Arlen’s beloved “One for My Baby (and One More for the Road”) from The Sky’s The Limit, will bring back many happy memories. “America the Beautiful,” coming right after “Bridge,” will create associations like it has rarely done before. In the course of the recital, we will be reminded of such great American entertainers as Johnny Mercer and Frank Sinatra, with whom some of these songs are associated. It will be a revelation to hear them performed by one of the great Mozart tenors of our time. The recital will end, pointedly, with “Wichita Vortex Sutra” by Philip Glass, which is in a category all by itself: a brilliant piano piece combined with the narration of a monumental poem by Allen Ginsberg (who memorably performed it with Glass at the piano). Ginsberg’s prophetic words declare the end of the War in the voice of a lonely man in Kansas who, as he drives along the endless plains and remembers past erotic adventures, at the same time reaches out to all the gods of all religions. This closing piece will tie together the themes of love, personal ambition and a strong belief in America that ran through the entire program. It unites the various brief vignettes heard earlier and will send us home with a powerful and visionary final statement. — Peter Laki
Thompson Arts Center at Park Avenue Armory | 643 Park Avenue at 67th Street
ABOUT THE ARTISTS BEN BLISS Hailed as a “truly exceptional tenor” by The National Review, Ben Bliss has established himself as one of the most exciting performers on today’s operatic stage, both in his native America and internationally. Bliss has been cited as “an exemplar of the Mozartean tenor” for his “purity of tone, vocal control and artistic sensitivity” (Opera Warhorses). A Grammy-nominated artist, Bliss was a 2021 recipient of the Metropolitan Opera’s prestigious Beverly Sills Award. His numerous other accolades include the 2016 Martin E. Segal award at the Lincoln Center, the Mozart and Plácido Domingo awards at the 2015 Francisco Viñas International Competition, first prize at the 2014 Gerda Lissner and Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation competitions, and the 2013 Operalia Don Plácido Domingo Sr. Zarzuela prize. Bliss is also the author of Making It Work, a guide to financial and entrepreneurial literacy for freelance performers. In 2026-2027, Ben Bliss makes his role debut as Alfredo in La traviata at the Bayerische Staatsoper before bringing the role to Washington National Opera for his house debut. He makes a house debut at the Staatsoper Berlin as the Duke in Rigoletto, returns to the Metropolitan Opera for his role debut as Nikolaus Sprink in a new production of Kevin Puts’s Silent Night and for the company’s Diamond Jubilee Gala, and returns to the Gran Teatre del Liceu as Tamino in a new production of Die Zauberflöte. Concert highlights include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood and a recital tour with pianist Christopher Allen, taking him to Park Avenue Armory, Cal Performances, Vocal Arts DC, and the Musco Center. In 2025-2026, Bliss made his role debut as the Duke in Rigoletto with the Canadian Opera Company. He also returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, performed in Houston Grand Opera’s staged Messiah, and sang Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with the St. Louis Symphony. Concert highlights included a return to the Chicago Symphony for Mozart’s Requiem, a solo recital at LA Opera, and a Messiah concert tour with the Handel and Haydn Society.
Der fliegende Holländer under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and Eric in the premiere of Jeanine Tesori’s Grounded. Bliss made his European debut as Belmonte with Glyndebourne Festival Opera on tour in 2015. Other operatic highlights have included Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress at the Opéra national de Paris and Boston Lyric Opera; Jupiter in Semele for house debuts at both the Royal Opera House and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées; Tamino at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Los Angeles Opera, and Opera Philadelphia; Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni at the Opéra national de Paris and Canadian Opera Company; Ferrando in Così fan tutte at the Wiener Staatsoper, Seattle Opera, Canadian Opera Company, and Oper Frankfurt; Pelléas in Pelléas et Mélisande with the Bayerische Staatsoper; Roméo in Roméo et Juliette with Lyric Opera of Kansas City; and Flamand in Capriccio and Robert Wilson in Peter Sellars’ production of Doctor Atomic in Santa Fe. Concert highlights include performances with the Metropolitan Opera and Yannick Nézet-Séguin at Carnegie Hall, as well as with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Ben Bliss’s concert highlights include performances with the Metropolitan Opera and Yannick Nézet-Séguin at Carnegie Hall, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, LA Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel, and the NY Philharmonic as Tony in Bernstein’s West Side Story Concert Suite No. 1 with Alan Gilbert, Beethoven’s 9 Symphony with San Francisco Symphony and Michael TilsonThomas, Haydn’s Creation and Cassio Otello at the Cincinnati May Festival under James Conlon, a house and role debut as Count de Rosillon in Die lustige Witwe in concert at the Liceu Barcelona, and a US recital tour including Carnegie Hall with pianist Lachlan Glen. Bliss also appeared alongside Isabel Leonard for Ferdinand and Miranda’s love duet from Ades’ The Tempest at the Metropolitan Opera’s 50th Anniversary gala concert in 2017.
While in the Lindemann Program, Bliss made his Metropolitan Opera stage debut as Vogelgesang in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg under James Levine and has since returned as the Steuermann in
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CHRISTOPHER ALLEN Recipient of The Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award, Christopher Allen is featured in Opera News as “one of the fastest-rising podium stars in North America.” He has led acclaimed operatic and symphonic performances with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Virginia Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Orquesta Clásica Santa Cecila, George Enescu Philharmonic, Tucson Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Atlanta Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Opera Omaha, Opéra de Montréal, English National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Washington National Opera, Detroit Opera, North Carolina Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Daegu Opera House in South Korea, Korean Symphony Orchestra, and China National Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Upcoming highlights in the 2026-2027 season include re-engagements with Lyric Opera of Kansas City for La bohème, Carmen with Atlanta Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and concerts with Omaha Symphony, Tucson Symphony, and George Enescu Philharmonic. In the fall, Allen conducts Manhattan School of Music’s Semele. At the piano, Allen collaborates with tenor Ben Bliss in a series of concerts at Vocal Arts DC, Park Avenue Armory, Musco Center at Chapman University, and Cal Performances at the University of California, Berkeley. As Artistic Director of Fourth Wall Ensemble, Allen leads a series of performances in New York City. Allen demonstrates his commitment to education through his work with young artists at Los Angeles Opera, Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Aspen Music Festival, Manhattan School of Music, Northwestern University, New England Conservatory, Mannes School of Music, A.J. Fletcher Institute at University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and University of Missouri-Kansas City. He has been heard on NPR speaking about the
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importance of the arts in American society. As an award-winning pianist, he has performed at Carnegie Hall, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, on film in La voix humaine starring Patricia Racette and directed by James Darrah, and in Emily, a production he created for Opéra de Montréal and performed at Wolf Trap. Allen’s career was launched by the Bruno Walter Conducting Award and Memorial Career Grant and has been fostered by Plácido Domingo and James Conlon, who brought him to Los Angeles Opera as Associate Conductor. At LA Opera, Allen led the musical preparation for the acclaimed The Ghosts of Versailles, which won a Grammy Award for Best Opera. Recognized as a Musical America Artist of the Month and one of their “25 Stars Still Rising,” Allen is also an International Opera Awards nominee, and recent recipient of the Young Alumni Award from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Allen’s artistic pursuits extend beyond his role as conductor. He is the Creative and Artistic Director of Fourth Wall Ensemble, an innovative vocal ensemble, which he founded in 2023. Under the Artistic leadership of Christopher Allen, Fourth Wall Ensemble redefines vocal performance, blending tradition with bold new artistic explorations. The ensemble’s recent highlights include performances at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Death of Classical, Power Station at Berklee, The Cell Theatre, Avaloch Farm Music Institute, National Sawdust, in collaboration with Beth Morrison Projects in Paola Prestini’s world premiere opera, Sensorium Ex, and at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. In the 2025-2026 season, the ensemble embarked on a West Coast Tour, and released a recording of Kaija Saariaho’s Nuits, Adieux at National Sawdust+. Fourth Wall Ensemble can be heard on two recordings: Awake, and Ad Manus, the group’s debut album created in partnership with Grammy Award-winning trio Time for Three and five-time Emmy Award-winning composer Jeff Beal (House of Cards). Allen is a Recording Academy voting member, and serves on the Board of The Solti Foundation US.
Thompson Arts Center at Park Avenue Armory | 643 Park Avenue at 67th Street
TEXTS STEPHEN SONDHEIM (1930-2021) “I’m Calm” from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962) Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim I’m calm, I’m calm I’m perfectly calm I’m utterly under control I haven’t a worry Where others would hurry I stroll I’m calm, I’m cool A gibbering fool Is something I’d never become When thunder is rumbling And others are crumbling I hum Ahem Ahem Ahem Ahem Ah-ha-ha! I must think Calm, comforting things Butterfly wings Emerald rings Or a murmuring brook Murmuring, murmuring, murmuring Look I’m calm, I’m calm I haven’t a qualm I’m utterly under control Let nothing confuse me Or faze me
Excuse me I’m calm Oh so calm Oh so Hysteria! I’m calm, I’m calm, I’m perfectly calm, Indifferent to tensions and shocks. Unruffled and ready, My nerves are as steady As rocks. I’m calm, controlled, So cool that I’m cold, Aloofer than any giraffe. When something’s the matter, Where others would shatter I laugh. I must breathe deep, ever so deep, Think about sheep Going to sleep, Stop and count up to ten, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9...when You need aplomb And want to be calm ‘Cause life is a horrible dream, Just count up to ten Very slowly, and then – Scream
GENE DEPAUL (1919–1988) “The What-Cha-Ma-Call-It” (1956) Lyrics by Johnny Mercer (1909–1976) You put the who’s-it on the what’s-it Attach the what’s-it to the who’s-it Connect the thing-a-ma-jig to the thing-a-ma-bob And that’ll make the what-cha-ma-call it go You hook the gidget to the gadget Adjust the gadget to the gidget Unhook the dingely-dang from the diddly-doo That seems to sorta settle the so-and-so When the you know doesn’t almost And the gizmo never quite Simply follow these instructions Everything’ll come out alright You put the who’s-it on the what’s-it Attach the gidget to the gadget
Connect the hick-a-ma-do to the jig-a-ma-bob And adjust them to the thing-a-ma so-and-so Then sit back and watch that what-cha-ma-call it go When the you know doesn’t almost And the gizmo never quite Simply follow these instructions Everything’ll turn out alright Unhook the who’s-it from the what’s-it Attach the gadget to the gidget Connect the dingely-dang to the jig-a-ma-bob And adjust them to the thing-a-ma so-and-so Then sit back and watch Turn it up one more notch And sit back and watch that what-cha-ma-call it go
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STEPHEN SONDHEIM (1930–2021) “Everybody Says Don’t” from Anyone Can Whistle (1964) Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Everybody says don’t, everybody says don’t, Everybody says don’t, it isn’t right, don’t it isn’t nice. Everybody says don’t, everybody says don’t, Everybody says, don’t walk on the grass, don’t disturb the peace, Don’t skate on the ice. Well, I say do! I say; Walk on the grass, it was meant to feel! I say sail! Tilt at the windmill, And if you fail you fail!
Maybe you’re going to fall, But it’s better than not starting at all!
Everybody says don’t, everybody says don’t, Everybody says don’t get out of line; When they say that then, lady that’s a sign: Nine times out of ten, lady you are doing just fine! Make just a ripple, Come on, be brave. This time a ripple. Next time a wave! Sometimes you have to start small, Climbing the tiniest wall,
Everybody says don’t, Everybody says can’t, Everybody says wait around for miracles, That’s the way the world is made! I insist on miracles, if you do them. Miracles, nothing to them! I say don’t! Don’t be afraid!
Everybody says no, everybody says stop, Everybody says mustn’t rock the boat, Mustn’t touch a thing! Everybody says don’t, everybody says wait, Everybody says can’t fight city hall, Can’t upset the cart, Can’t laugh at the king! Well, I say try! I say: Laugh at the kings or they’ll make you cry! Lose your poise! fall if you have to, but lady make a noise!
CHARLES IVES (1874–1954) “The Things Our Fathers Loved” (1917) Lyrics by Charles Ives I think there must be a place in the soul all made of tunes, of tunes of long ago; I hear the organ on the Main Street corner, Aunt Sarah humming Gospels; Summer evenings, The village cornet band, playing in the square.
The town’s Red, White and Blue, all Red, White and Blue; Now! Hear the songs! I know not what are the words But they sing in my soul of the things our Fathers loved.
LOWELL LIEBERMANN (b. 1961) “The Arrow and the Song” from Six Songs on Poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Op. 57, No. 6 (1997) Text by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) I shot an arrow into the air, It fell to earth, I knew not where; For, so swiftly it flew, the sight Could not follow it in its flight. I breathed a song into the air, It fell to earth, I knew not where; For who has sight so keen and strong, That it can follow the flight of song? Long, long afterward, in an oak I found the arrow, still unbroke; And the song, from beginning to end, I found again in the heart of a friend.
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Thompson Arts Center at Park Avenue Armory | 643 Park Avenue at 67th Street
JOHN GRUEN (1926–2016) “Spring is like a perhaps hand” (date TBC) Text by e. e. cummings (1894–1962) Spring is like a perhaps hand (which comes carefully out of Nowhere)arranging a window,into which people look(while people stare arranging and changing placing carefully there a strange thing and a known thing here)and
(carefully to and fro moving New and Old things,while people stare carefully moving a perhaps f raction of flower here placing an inch of air there)and
changing everything carefully
without breaking anything.
spring is like a perhaps Hand in a window
“lady will you come with me into” (date TBC) Text by e. e. cummings (1894–1962) lady will you come with me into the extremely little house of my mind.Clocks strike. The
room. We almost could go(you and i)into a together whitely big there is but if so or so
moon’s round,through the window
slowly i opened the window a most tinyness,the moon(with white wig and polished buttons)would take you away
as you see and really i have no servants.We could almost live at the top of these stairs,there’s a free
-and all the clocks would run down the next day.
PAUL SIMON (b. 1941) “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (1969) Lyrics by Paul Simon When you’re weary, feeling small, When tears are in your eyes I will dry them all I’m on your side When times get rough And friends just can’t be found Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down When you’re down and out When you’re on the street When evening falls so hard I will comfort you I’ll take your part When darkness comes
And pain is all around Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down Sail on, silver girl Sail on by Your time has come to shine All your dreams are on their way See how they shine If you need a friend I’m sailing right behind Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind
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SAMUEL A. WARD (1848–1903) “America the Beautiful” (1882) Text (1893) by Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929), Arranged (1972) by Ray Charles (1930–2004) O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And every gain divine!
O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!
SAMMY FAIN (1902–1989) “Are You Having Any Fun?” from George White’s Scandals of 1939 (1939) Lyrics by Jack Yellen (1892–1991) Are you havin’ any fun? Whatcha gettin’ out o’ livin’? What good is what you’ve got If you’re not havin’ any fun?
Before you’re old and gray, still okay Have your little fun Son, have your little fun, go Why do you work and slave and save? Life is full of ifs and buts You know, the squirrels save and save And what have they got? Nuts
Are you havin’ any laughs? Are you gettin’ any lovin’? If other people do so can you Have a little fun After the honey’s in the comb Little bees go out and play Even the old gray mare down home Has got to have hay, hey
Better have some fun You ain’t gonna live forever Before you’re old and gray, still okay Have your little fun Son, have your little fun
You better have some fun You ain’t gonna live forever
WALTER KENT (1911–1994) | AL HOFFMAN (1902–1960) | MANN CURTIS (1911–1984) “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die” (1950) I’m gonna live till I die I’m gonna laugh ‘stead of cry I’m gonna take the town and Turn it upside down I’m gonna live, live, live till I die They’re gonna say “What a guy!” I’m gonna play for the sky Ain’t gonna miss a thing I’m Gonna have my fling I’m gonna live, live, live till I die The blues ‘ll lay low I’ll make ‘em stay low They’ll never trail over my head I’ll be a devil till I’m an angel But until then, Hallelujah! Gonna dance
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Gonna fly I’ll take a chance ridin’ high Before my number’s up I’m gonna fill my cup I’m gonna live, live, live, live Live until I die The blues ‘ll lay low I’ll make ‘em stay low They’ll never trail over my head I’ll be a devil till I’m an angel But until then, Hallelujah! Gonna dance Gonna fly I’ll take a chance ridin’ high Before my number’s up I’m gonna fill my cup I’m gonna live, live, live, live Live until I die
Thompson Arts Center at Park Avenue Armory | 643 Park Avenue at 67th Street
KURT WEILL (1900-1950) “Lonely House” from Street Scene (1947) Text by Langston Hughes (1901–1967) At night when everything is quiet The old house seems to breathe a sigh. Sometimes I hear a neighbour snoring, Sometimes I hear a baby cry.
Funny you can be so lonely With all these folks around! I guess there must be something I don’t comprehend. Sparrows have companions, Even stray dogs find a friend.
Sometimes I hear a staircase creaking, Sometimes a distant telephone. Then the quiet settles down again, The house and I are all alone.
The night for me is not romantic, Unhook the stars and take them down! I’m lonely in this lonely house, In this lonely town, In this lonely town.
Lonely house, lonely me, It’s funny with so many neighbours, How lonely it can be On lonely street, lonely town.
RICHARD RODGERS (1902–1979) “Where or When” from Babes in Arms (1937) Lyrics by Lorenz Hart (1895–1943) It seems we stood and talked like this before We looked at each other in the same way then But I can’t remember where or when The clothes you’re wearing are the clothes you wore The smile you are smiling you were smiling then But I can’t remember where or when Some things that happened for the first time Seem to be happening again And so it seems that we have met before And laughed before, and loved before But who knows where or when When you’re awake, the things you think Come from the dreams you dream. Thought has wings And lots of things Are seldom what they seem.
All that you live today. Things you do Come back to you As though they knew the way. Oh, the tricks your mind can play! It seems we stood and talked like this before. We looked at each other in the same way then, But I can’t remember where or when. The clothes you’re wearing are the clothes you wore. The smile you are smiling you were smiling then, But I can’t remember where or when. Some things that happen for the first time Seem to be happening again. And so, it seems that we have met before And laughed before and loved before, But who knows where or when?
Sometimes you think you’ve lived before
SAMUEL BARBER (1910-1981) Nocturne, Op. 13, No. 4 (1940) Text by Frederic Prokosch (1906-1989) Close my darling both your eyes Let your arms lie still at last Calm the lake of falsehood lies And the wind of lust has passed Waves across these hopeless sands Fill my heart and end my day Underneath your moving hands All my aching flows away
Even the human pyramids Blaze with such a longing now: Close, my love, your trembling lids Let the midnight heal your brow Northward flames Orion’s horn Westward th’ Egyptian light None to watch us, none to warn But the blind eternal night
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JIMMY MCHUGH (1894–1969) | FRANK LOESSER (1910–1969) “Say It (Over and Over Again)” from Buck Benny Rides Again (1940) Say it over and over again Never stop saying you’re mine Tell me ever and ever so sweet Soft words of love be repeating Just like an old valentine When you say I love you The same old I love you
They whisper in stories and plays You can change I love you Same old I love you To oh such a heavenly phrase So say it softly and gently and then Over and over again Never stop saying you’re mine
JULE STYLE (1905–1994) | BETTY COMDEN (1917–2006) | ADOLPH GREEN (1914–2002) “Just in Time” from Bells Are Ringing (1956) Just in time I found you just in time Before you came, my time Was runnin’ low
Now you’re here And now I know just where I’m going No more doubt or fear I found my way
I was lost The losing dice were tossed My bridges all were crossed Nowhere to go
For love came just in time You found me just in time And changed my lonely life That lovely day
STEPHEN SONDHEIM (1930–2021) “Being Alive” from Company (1970) Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Someone to hold you too close Someone to hurt you too deep Someone to sit in your chair To ruin your sleep You’re on to something Someone to need you too much Someone to know you too well Someone to pull you up short To put you through hell Someone you have to let in Someone whose feelings you spare Someone who, like it or not Will want you to share A little, a lot Someone to crowd you with love Someone to force you to care Someone to make you come through Who’ll always be there As frightened as you of being alive Being alive Being alive Being alive Somebody hold me too close
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Somebody hurt me too deep Somebody sit in my chair and ruin my sleep And make me aware of being alive Being alive Somebody need me too much Somebody know me too well Somebody pull me up short and put me through hell And give me support for being alive Make me alive Make me alive Make me confused Mock me with praise Let me be used Vary my days But alone is alone Not alive Somebody crowd me with love Somebody force me to care Somebody let me come through I’ll always be there As frightened as you, to help us survive Being alive Being alive Being alive
Thompson Arts Center at Park Avenue Armory | 643 Park Avenue at 67th Street
LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918–1990) “Some Other Time” from On the Town (1944) Lyrics by Betty Comden (1917–2006) Adolph Green (1914–2002) Twenty four hours can go so fast You look around, the day has passed When you’re in love, time is precious stuff Even a lifetime isn’t enough
Some other time Just when the fun is starting Comes the time for parting But let’s be glad for what we’ve had And what’s to come
Where has the time all gone to? Haven’t done half the things we want to Oh well, we’ll catch up some other time
There’s so much more embracing Still to be done, but time is racing Oh well, we’ll catch up Some other time
This day was just a token Too many words are still unspoken Oh well, we’ll catch up
NOËL COWARD (1899–1973) “Let’s Say Good-bye” from Words and Music (1932) Let our affair be a gay thing And when these hours have flown Then, without forgetting happiness that has passed There’ll be no regretting fun that didn’t quite last Let’s look on love as a play thing All these sweet moments we’ve known Mustn’t be degraded When the thrill of them has faded Let’s say goodbye and leave it alone
Reason may sleep for a moment in Spring But please let us keep it a casual thing Something that’s sweet to remember through the years Let our affair be a gay thing And when these hours have flown Then, without forgetting happiness that has passed There’ll be no regretting fun that didn’t quite last Let’s look on love as a play thing All these sweet moments we’ve known Mustn’t be degraded When the thrill of them has faded Let’s say goodbye and leave it alone
Now we’ve embarked on this foolish game Don’t let’s destroy it with tears Once we begin to let sentiment in Happiness disappears
HAROLD ARLEN (1905–1986) “One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)” from The Sky’s the Limit (1943) Lyrics by Johnny Mercer (1909–1976) It’s quarter to three, there’s no one in the place except you and me So set ‘em up, Joe I got a little story I think you oughtta know We’re drinking, my friend to the end of a brief episode So make it one for my baby and one more for the road I know the routine put another nickel in that there machine I’m feeling so bad won’t you make the music easy and sad I could tell you a lot but you gotta be true to your code So make it one for my baby and one more for the road You’d never know it but buddy I’m a kind of poet
And I’ve got a lot of things I wanna say And if I’m gloomy, please listen to me Till it’s all, all talked away Well, that’s how it goes and Joe, I know you’re gettin anxious to close So thanks for the cheer I hope you didn’t mind my bending your ear But this torch that I found it’s gotta be drowned Or it soon might explode so make it one for my baby and one more for the road
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PHILIP GLASS (b. 1937) “Wichita Vortex Sutra” (1988) Text by Allen Ginsberg (1926–1997) I’m an old man now, and a lonesome man in Kansas but not afraid to speak my lonesomeness in a car, because not only my lonesomeness it’s Ours, all over America, O tender fellows& spoken lonesomeness is Prophecy in the moon 100 years ago or in the middle of Kansas now. It’s not the vast plains mute our mouths that fill at midnite with ecstatic language when our trembling bodies hold each other breast to breast on a mattressNot the empty sky that hides the feeling from our faces nor our skirts and trousers that conceal the bodylove emanating in a glow of beloved skin, white smooth abdomen down to the hair between our legs, It’s not a God that bore us that forbid our Being, like a sunny rose all red with naked joy between our eyes & bellies, yes All we do is for this frightened thing we call Love, want and lackfear that we aren’t the one whose body could be beloved of all the brides of Kansas City, kissed all over by every boy of WichitaO but how many in their solitude weep aloud like meOn the bridge over Republican River almost in tears to know how to speak the right languageon the frosty broad road uphill between highway embankments I search for the language that is also yoursalmost all our language has been taxed by war. Radio antennae high tension wires ranging from Junction City across the plainshighway cloverleaf sunk in a vast meadow lanes curving past Abilene to Denver filled with old heroes of loveto Wichita where McClure’s mind burst into animal beauty drunk, getting laid in a car in a neon misted street 15 years agoto Independence where the old man’s still alive who loosed the bomb that’s slaved all human consciousness and made the body universe a place of fearNow, speeding along the empty plain, no giant demon machine visible on the horizon
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but tiny human trees and wooden houses at the sky’s edge I claim my birthright! reborn forever as long as Man in Kansas or other universe-Joy reborn after the vast sadness of War Gods! A lone man talking to myself, no house in the brown vastness to hear, imaging the throng of Selves that make this nation one body of Prophecy languaged by Declaration as Pursuit of Happiness! I call all Powers of imagination to my side in this auto to make Prophecy, all Lords of human kingdoms to come Shambu Bharti Baba naked covered with ash Khaki Baba fat-bellied mad with the dogs Dehorahava Baba who moans Oh how wounded, How wounded Sitaram Onkar Das Thakur who commands give up your desire Satyananda who raises two thumbs in tranquillity Kali Pada Guha Roy whose yoga drops before the void Shivananda who touches the breast and says OM Srimata Krishnaji of Brindaban who says take for your guru William Blake the invisible father of English visions Sri Ramakrishna master of ecstasy eyes half closed who only cries for his mother Chaitanya arms upraised singing & dancing his own praise merciful Chango judging our bodies Durga-Ma covered with blood destroyer of battlefield illusions million faced Tathagata gone past suffering Preserver Harekrishna returning in the age of pain Sacred Heart my Christ acceptable Allah the compassionate one Jaweh Righteous One all Knowledge-Princes of Earth-man, all ancient Seraphim of heavenly Desire, Devas, yogis & holymen I chant toCome to my lone presence into this Vortex named Kansas, I lift my voice aloud, make Mantra of American language now, I here declare the end of the War! Ancient days’ Illusion!and pronounce words beginning my own millennium. Let the States tremble, let the nation weep, let Congress legislate its own delight, let the President execute his own desirethis Act done by my own voice, nameless Mysterypublished to my own senses, blissfully received by my own form
Thompson Arts Center at Park Avenue Armory | 643 Park Avenue at 67th Street
approved with pleasure by my sensations manifestation of my very thought accomplished in my own imagination all realms within my consciousness fulfilled 60 miles from Wichita near El Dorado, The Golden One, in chill earthly mist houseless brown farmland plains rolling heavenward in every direction one midwinter afternoon Sunday called the day of the LordPure Spring Water gathered in one tower where Florence is set on a hill, stop for tea & gas
armoryonpark.org | @ParkAveArmory
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ABOUT THE RECITAL SERIES Park Avenue Armory presents more intimate performances and programs in its acclaimed Recital Series, which showcases musical talent from across the globe in an intimate salon setting. Founded in 2013, the series has held the debuts of many world-class artists, including: the North American recital debuts of pianist Igor Levit, soprano Sabine Devieilhe, tenors Ilker Arcayürek and Allan Clayton, baritones Benjamin Appl, Roderick Williams, and Konstantin Krimmel, clarinetist Andreas Ottensamer, and cellist István Várdai; the North American solo recital debuts of tenors Michael Spyres and Pene Pati and mezzo soprano Emily D’Angelo; the US Recital debuts of sopranos Barbara Hannigan and Anna Lucia Richter and baritone Thomas Oliemans; and the New York debuts of pianist Severin von Eckardstein and the Dudok Quartet Amsterdam. The Recital Series has programmed the world premieres of: Roger Reynolds’ FLiGHT, performed by the JACK Quartet; Michael Hersch’s “…das Rückgrat berstend,” performed by violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and cellist Jay Campbell; and Chris Cerrone’s Ode to Joy, performed by Sandbox Percussion and commissioned by the Armory. Actor Charlotte Rampling and cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton gave the US premiere of The Night Dances on the series in 2015, which brought together Benjamin Britten’s suites for solo cello and poetry by Sylvia Plath; Wieder-Atherton returned to the Armory in 2017 for the North American premiere of Little Girl Blue, a program that reimagined the music of Nina Simone. New York premieres include: Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s In the Light of Air and Shades of Silence performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble; Dai Kujikura’s Minina, John Zorn’s Baudelaires, and a new arrangement of Messiaen’s Chants de terre et de ciel, also performed by ICE; Michael Gordon’s Rushes performed by the Rushes Ensemble; Michael Harrison’s Just Constellations performed by Roomful of Teeth; David Lang’s depart, Gabriel Jackson’s Our flags are wafting in hope and grief and Rigwreck, Kile Smith’s “Conversation in the Mountains” from Where Flames A Word, Louis Andriessen’s Ahania Weeping, Suzanne Giraud’s Johannisbaum, David Shapiro’s Sumptuous Planet, Benjamin CS
Boyle’s Empire of Crystal, and Ted Hearne’s Animals (commissioned by Park Avenue Armory), all performed by The Crossing under conductor Donald Nally; John Zorn’s Jumalattaret sung by soprano Barbara Hannigan with pianist Stephen Gosling; Viet Cuong’s Next Week’s Trees, performed by Sandbox Percussion; and the Armory-commissioned work daisy by David Lang, performed by the Attacca Quartet. Additional notable programs include performances by: baritone Christian Gerhaher with pianist Gerold Huber; the Flux Quartet; tenor Ian Bostridge with pianist Wenwen Du; pianist David Fray; soprano Lisette Oropesa with pianist John Churchwell; countertenor Andreas Scholl with harpsichordist Tamar Halperin; soprano Kate Royal with pianist Joseph Middleton; pipa player Wu Man and the Shanghai Quartet; tenor Lawrence Brownlee with pianists Myra Huang and Jason Moran; mezzo soprano Isabel Leonard with pianist Ted Sperling; soprano Nadine Sierra with pianist Brian Wagorn; soprano Rosa Feola with pianist Iain Burnside; cellist Nicolas Altstaedt; tenor Paul Appleby with pianist Conor Hanick; baritone Will Liverman with pianist Myra Huang; mezzo soprano Jamie Barton with pianist and composer Jake Heggie; new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound; French period choir and chamber orchestra Ensemble Correspondances under the direction of harpsichordist and organist Sébastien Daucé; baritone Justin Austin and pianist Howard Watkins; soprano Ying Fang with pianist Ken Noda; baritone Stéphane Degout with pianist Cédric Tiberghien; pianist Pavel Kolesnikov in a two-night residency featuring Bach’s Goldberg Variations and a program entitles Celestial Navigation, inspired by Joseph Cornell’s orrery of the same name; soprano Julia Bullock with pianist John Arida; mezzo soprano Kate Lindsey with pianist Justina Lee; soprano Jeanine de Bique with pianist Warren Jones; tenor Matthew Polenzani with pianist Ken Noda; soprano Leah Hawkins with pianist Kevin Miller; tenor Karim Sulayman with guitarist Sean Shibe; soprano Barbara Hannigan with pianist Bertrand Chamayou; soprano Erin Morley and pianist Gerald Martin Moore; pianist Jeremy Denk; and mezzo soprano Sasha Cooke and pianist Myra Huang.
NEXT IN THE SERIES DEEPA JOHNNY & JONATHAN WARE NOVEMBER 19 & 21 NORTH AMERICAN RECITAL DEBUT
WORLD PREMIERE A PARK AVENUE ARMORY COMMISSION STEVEN SCHICK & TYSHAWN SOREY Expect to witness the undeniable stage presence, velvety bravado, DECEMBER 4 & 5 and expressive palette of Omani-born mezzo soprano Deepa Johnny when she makes her North American recital debut in the Board of Officers Room with a thoughtful program of arias and art songs from composers from around the globe that beautifully showcase her gorgeous rich tones and flawless musicality.
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Steven Schick and Tyshawn Sorey have developed a decades-long personal friendship and musical relationship with fruitful collaborations that push boundaries and extend cultural norms including the Pulitzer Prize in Music finalist Monochromatic Life (Afterlife) which premiered at the Armory in 2023. Sorey and Schick return for the world premiere of a new evening length percussion piece that explores legacy through cross-generational collaboration as a mirror of the past and an illuminated path to the future.
Thompson Arts Center at Park Avenue Armory | 643 Park Avenue at 67th Street
ABOUT PARK AVENUE ARMORY Part palace, part industrial shed, Park Avenue Armory supports unconventional works in the performing and visual arts that cannot be fully realized in a traditional proscenium theater, concert hall, or white wall gallery. With its soaring 55,000-square-foot Wade Thompson Drill Hall—reminiscent of 19th-century European train stations—and an array of exuberant period rooms, the Armory provides a platform for artists to push the boundaries of their practice, collaborate across disciplines, and create new work in dialogue with the historic building. Across its grand and intimate spaces, the Armory enables a diverse range of artists to create, students to explore, and audiences to experience epic, adventurous, relevant work that cannot be done elsewhere in New York. The Armory both commissions and presents performances and installations in the grand Drill Hall and offers more intimate programming through its acclaimed Recital Series, which showcases musical talent from across the globe within the salon setting of the Board of Officers Room; its Artists Studio series curated by Jason Moran in the restored Veterans Room; Making Space at the Armory, a public programming series that brings together a discipline-spanning group of artists and cultural thought-leaders around the important issues of our time; and the Malkin Lecture Series that features presentations by scholars and writers on topics related to the Armory and its history. In addition, the Armory also has a year-round Artists-in-Residence program, providing space and support for artists to create new work and expand their practices. The Armory’s creativity-based arts education programs provide access to the arts to thousands of students from underserved New York City public schools, engaging them with the institution’s artistic programming and outside-the-box creative processes. Through its education initiatives, the Armory provides access to all Drill Hall performances, workshops taught by Master Teaching Artists, and in-depth residencies that support the schools’ curriculum. Youth Corps, the Armory’s year-round paid internship program, begins in high school and continues into the critical post-high school years, providing interns with mentored employment, job training, and skill development, as well as a network of peers and mentors to support their individual college and career goals. The Armory is undergoing a multi-phase renovation and restoration of its historic building led by architects Herzog & de Meuron, with Platt Byard Dovell White as Executive Architects.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairman Emeritus Elihu Rose, PhD Co-Chairs Adam R. Flatto Amanda J.T. Riegel President Rebecca Robertson Vice Presidents David Fox Pablo Legorreta Emanuel Stern
Marina Abramović Roland Augustine Abigail Baratta Joyce F. Brown Cora Cahan Hélène Comfort Paul Cronson Tina R. Davis Jessie Ding Sanford B. Ehrenkranz Roberta Garza Heather Georges Kim Greenberg Samhita Jayanti Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Edward G. Klein, Brigadier General NYNG (Ret.) Ralph Lemon Jason Moran Emmanuel Morlet Janet C. Ross Stephanie Sharp Joan Steinberg Dabie Tsai Ku-Ling Yurman Ying Zhou
Avant-Garde Chair Adrienne Katz Directors Emeriti Harrison M. Bains Angela E. Thompson* Wade F.B. Thompson* Founding Chairman, 2000-2009 Deborah Warner Anita K. Hersh Artistic Director
*In memoriam
Treasurer Emanuel Stern
armoryonpark.org | @ParkAveArmory
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PARK AVENUE ARMORY STAFF Rebecca Robertson Adam R. Flatto Founding President and Executive Producer Deborah Warner Anita K. Hersh Artistic Director
Jason Moran Curator, Artists Studio Tavia Nyong’o Curator, Public Programming and Scholar-in-Residence
ARTISTIC PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING
Olga Cruz, Leandro Dasso, Mayra DeLeon, Jeferson Avila, Felipe Calle, Edwin Fell, Jonathan Mays, Tyrell Shannon Castillo Maintenance Staff
Michael Lonergan Senior Vice President and Chief Artistic Producer Chris Greiner General Manager Rachel Rosado Producer Samantha Cortez Producer Darian Suggs Associate Director, Public Programming Kanako Morita Company Manager/Associate Producer Austin Brannan Production Coordinator
ARTISTIC PRODUCTION Claire Marberg Director of Production Nicholas Lazzaro Technical Director Lars Nelson Technical Director Maciej Lewandowski Technical Director Rachel Baumann Assistant Production Manager Paul E. King Consultant, Production
ARTS EDUCATION Cassidy L. Jones Anita K. Hersh Chief Education Officer Monica Weigel McCarthy Director of Education Naima Warden Associate Director of School Programs Biviana Sanchez School Programs Manager Nadia Parfait Education Programs Manager Ciara Ward Associate Director of Youth Corps Bev Vega Youth Corps Manager Milen Yimer Youth Corps Coordinator Drew Petersen Education Special Projects Manager Emily Bruner, Donna Costello, Alberto Denis, Alexander Davis, Asma Feyijinmi, Shar Galarza, Hawley Hussey, Larry Jackson, Drew Petersen, Leigh Poulos, Neil Tyrone Pritchard, Bairon Reyes Luna, Vickie Tanner, Jono Waldman Teaching Artists Daniel Gomez, Nancy K. Gomez, Maxim Ibadov, sunyoung kim, Amo Ortiz Teaching Associates Arabia Elliot Currence, Sebastian Harris, Oscar Montenegro, Adriana Taboada Teaching Assistants Padraig Henry Bond, Denivia Rivera, Vasialys Rodriguez, Brianna Trivino Teaching Apprentices
DEVELOPMENT Patrick Galvin Chief Development Officer Liz Bickley Director of Development Caity Miret Executive Assistant to the Chief Development Officer Jessica Pomeroy Rocca Senior Director of Individual Giving Georgia Catechis Individual Giving Coordinator Hans Rasch Manager of Institutional Giving Michael Buffer Director of Database and Development Operations Maeghan Suzik Manager of Development Operations
EXECUTIVE OFFICE Lori Nelson Executive Assistant to the President Nathalie Etienne Administrative Assistant, President’s Office Simone Elhart Rentals and Project Manager
FINANCE, HR, AND IT Adam Sachs Chief Financial Officer Philip Lee Controller Khemraj Dat Accounting Manager Zeinebou Dia Junior Accountant Neil Acharya Human Resources Manager
MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS, AND AUDIENCE SERVICES Tom Trayer Chief Marketing Officer Nick Yarbrough Associate Director of Digital Marketing Dileiny Cruz Digital Marketing Coordinator Allison Abbott Senior Press and Editorial Manager Mark Ho-Kane Graphic Designer Joe Petrowski Director of Ticketing and Customer Relations Monica Diaz Box Office Manager John Alden Hooper Assistant Box Office Manager Ester Teixeira Vianna Box Office Lead Chance Anding, Victor Daniel Ayala, Fiona Garner, Sylvie Goodblatt, Sarah Jack, Matthew Kamen, Emma Komisar, Michelle Meged, Caleb Moreno, Arriah Ratanapan, Artemis Traux Box Office Associates Caitlin O’Keefe, Anne Wolff Tour Guides Natasha Michele Norton Director of House Management Clayton McInerney, Kimberly Chatterjee, Nancy Gill Sanchez, Rachel Carmona House Managers Becky Ho, Cody Castro, Kyle McClellan, Neda Yeganeh Assistant House Managers Adonai Fletcher-Jones, Aiyana Greene, Alaysia Duncan, Beth Miller, Blue Price, Carolyn Best, Christina Johns, Christine Lemme, Daniela Mendoza-Diaz, Denise Williams, Eboni Greene, Edwin Adkins, Eileen Rourke, Elijah Tejeda, Eliza Goldsteen, Emmett Pryor, Felipe Aguirre, Grace Mannenbach, Glori Ortiz, Hector Rivera, John Summers, Kathleen Rodriguez, Kathleen White, Kin Tam, Lana Hankinson, Mae Cote, Mariel Mercedes, Mathew Tom, Melina Jorge, MJ Ryerson, Myren Mandap, Naomi Santos, Nico Raimont, Regina Pearsall, Sandra Kitt, Sarah Gallick, Shannon Wallace, Tess Kondratiev, Yao Adja, Zulay Calamari Ushers
Eden Battice, Terry Beaupierre, Zeinebou Dia, Mya Diaz, Ava Englenton, Brandon Garcia, John Guzman, Azrael Hernandez, Jenesis Martinez, Nephthali Mathieu, AJ Mayorquin, Blue Price, Elijah Tejeda, AJ Volkov Youth Corps Advisory Board Andrew Duer, Sofia Maza, Alan Munoz Post High School Advanced Interns Mamoudou Dia, Mya Diaz, Laurin Dieujuste, Ava Englenton, Jean Alix Francois, Daniella Garcia, Jenesis Martinez, AJ Mayorquin, Cheyenne Orr High School Youth Corps Habib Apooyin, Eden Battice, Terry Beaupierre, Mariela Bonilla, Stefan Bunbury, Julia Childress, Kemet Colbert, Noel Conde, Denisse Cortorreal, Laurin Dieujuste, Ava Englenton, Widlany Ferol, Jean Alix Francois, Brandon Garcia, Gabriela Gonzalez, John Guzman, Tatiana Hayes, Giovanni Luke, Sheena Luke, Jenesis Martinez, Nephthali Mathieu, AJ Mayorquin, Jacelyn Melendez, Ryan Morel, Alan Munoz, Cheyenne Orr, Blue Price, Jason Quizhpi, Denivia Rivera, Cory Sierra, Elijah Tejeda, Jaylen Ventura, AJ Volkov Armory Art Together
Resnicow + Associates Press Representatives
BUILDING OPERATIONS
PRODUCTION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Marc Von Braunsberg Chief of Building Operations Samuel Denitz Director of Facilities Xavier Everett Security/Operations Manager Williams Say Superintendent
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Sarah Billinghurst Solomon and Matthew Epstein Consultants for Vocal Recitals Steinway & Sons
Thompson Arts Center at Park Avenue Armory | 643 Park Avenue at 67th Street
JOIN THE ARMORY Become a Park Avenue Armory member and join us in our mission to present unconventional works that cannot be fully realized elsewhere in New York City. Members play an important role in helping us push the boundaries of creativity and expression.
FRIEND $100
SUPPORTER $250
ASSOCIATE $500
BENEFACTOR $1,000
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10% discount on tickets* 20% subscription discount* Discounts at local partner restaurants Complimentary art installation admission* Invitation for two to annual Member Event Two tickets to an Armory Public Tour* Free ticket exchanges* Two complimentary passes to Art Fairs* Patron Lounge Access
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No-wait ticket pick up at the Patron Desk Recognition in Armory programs Ticket service fees waived Invitation for two to a Chairman’s Circle event Two complimentary tickets to the Malkin Lecture Series
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*subject to availability, certain restrictions apply Armory Patrons Patron Programs begin at the $2,500 level and offer unique opportunities to experience the Armory and interact with our world-class artists. For information about our Chairman’s Circle ($2,500+), Artistic Council ($25,000+) and Major Giving opportunities, please contact Jessica Rocca, Senior Director of Individual Giving, at jrocca@armoryonpark.org or 212.616.3962. For information on ticketing, or to purchase tickets, please contact the Box Office at (212) 933-5812 or visit us at armoryonpark.org. For more information about membership, please contact the Membership Office at (212) 616-3958 or members@armoryonpark.org. Each membership applies to one household, and one membership card is mailed upon membership activation.
armoryonpark.org | @ParkAveArmory
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ARTISTIC COUNCIL The Artistic Council is a culturally adventurous leadership group that champions our season of “only at the Armory” productions in the Wade Thompson Drill Hall.
Chair Lisa S. Miller Roland Augustine Abigail and Joseph Baratta Blavatnik Family Foundation♦ Jeanne-Marie Champagne Sasha Cutter and Aaron Hsu Hélène and Stuyvesant Comfort Caroline and Paul Cronson Jessie Ding and Ning Jin Misook Doolittle♦ Lisa and Sanford B. Ehrenkranz The Lehoczky Escobar Family Adam and Abigail Flatto Ella Foshay Robin Fowler♦ Roberta Garza and Roberto
Mendoza Lorraine Gallard and Richard H. Levy Heather and Andrew Georges Barbara and Peter Georgescu Jennifer Goldsmith Joan Granlund♦ Kim and Jeff Greenberg Lawrence and Sharon Hite Samhita and Ignacio Jayanti Wendy Keys Irene Kohn Fernand Lamesch Almudena and Pablo Legorreta Helen Y. Little and William Little Jr. Christina and Alan MacDonald Andrew Martin-Weber and
Beejan Land♦ John N. and Lisa S. Miller♦ Emmanuel and Kathryn Morlet Steven Neckman and Larry Rivero Amanda Paret Valerie Pels Susan Pernick Slobodan Randjelović and Jon Stryker♦ Amanda J.T. and Richard E. Riegel Ben Rodriguez-Cubeñas Thomas Rom Susan and Elihu Rose Janet C. Ross Susan Small Savitsky Caryn Schacht and David Fox
Stephanie and Matthew Sharp Brian S. Snyder Sarah Billinghurst Solomon Joan and Michael Steinberg Emanuel Stern Christine van Itallie♦ Saundra Whitney Maria Wirth Ku-Ling Yurman Ying Zhou and Run Ye Anonymous (3) ♦ Artistic Council Luminary
Member. Recognizes individuals whose generous philanthropic support helps underwrite a specific Drill Hall production in this or future seasons.
LEGACY CIRCLE The Armory’s Legacy Circle is a group of individuals who support Park Avenue Armory through a vitally important source of future funding, a planned gift. These gifts will help support the Armory’s out-the-box artistic programming, Arts Education Programs, and historic preservation into the future.
Founding Members Angela and Wade F.B. Thompson* Co-Chairs Lisa and Sanford B. Ehrenkranz Marjorie and Gurnee* Hart
Members The Estate of Ginette Becker Wendy Belzberg and Strauss Zelnick Emme and Jonathan Deland Lisa and Sanford B. Ehrenkranz Adam R. Flatto Roberta Garza Marjorie and Gurnee* Hart
Anita K. Hersh* Ken Kuchin Heidi McWilliams Gwendolyn and Peter Norton Michelle Perr Amanda J.T. Riegel Rebecca Robertson and Byron Knief Susan and Elihu Rose
Francesca Schwartz Joan and Michael Steinberg Angela and Wade F.B. Thompson*
PATRONS Park Avenue Armory expresses its deep appreciation to the individuals and organizations listed here for their generous support for its annual and capital campaigns.
$1,000,000 + Charina Endowment Fund Empire State Local Development Corporation Adam and Abigail Flatto Anita K. Hersh Philanthropic Fund Mr. and Mrs. Peter L. Malkin and The Malkin Fund, Inc. Richard* and Ronay Menschel New York City Council and Council Member Daniel R. Garodnick New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
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New York State Assemblymember Dan Quart and the New York State Assembly Susan and Elihu Rose The Arthur Ross Foundation and J & AR Foundation Joan Smilow and Joel Smilow* Sanford L. Smith* The Thompson Family Foundation Wade F.B. Thompson* Anonymous (3)
$500,000 to $999,999
Bloomberg Philanthropies Lisa and Sanford B. Ehrenkranz Almudena and Pablo Legorreta Adam R. Rose and Peter R. McQuillan Marvin and Donna K. Schwartz Emanuel Stern Anonymous
$250,000 to $499,999 American Express Abigail and Joseph Baratta Michael Field and Doug Hamilton
Thompson Arts Center at Park Avenue Armory | 643 Park Avenue at 67th Street
Roberta Garza Ken Kuchin and Tyler Morgan Julia Ledda Marshall Rose Family Foundation
$100,000 to $249,999 R. Mark and Wendy Adams Linda and Earle Altman Blavatnik Family Foundation Hélène and Stuyvesant Comfort Caroline and Paul Cronson Jessie Ding and Ning Jin Misook Doolittle
Caryn Schacht and David Fox The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation Heather and Andrew Georges Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Joan Granlund Kim and Jeff Greenberg Marjorie and Gurnee* Hart The Hearst Foundations Samhita and Ignacio Jayanti Kirkland & Ellis LLP Mr. and Mrs.* Lester S. Morse, Jr. Stavros Niarchos Foundation Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust The Pinkerton Foundation Slobodan Randjelović and Jon Stryker Amanda J.T. and Richard E. Riegel Rockefeller Brothers Fund Daniel and Joanna S. Rose Mrs. Janet C. Ross Jordan Roth and Richie Jackson Matthew and Stephanie Sharp Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust Joan and Michael Steinberg Jane Toll Mr. William C. Tomson Van Cleef & Arpels Wescustogo Foundation Ku-Ling Yurman Ying Zhou and Run Ye Anonymous (3)
$25,000 to $99,999 Agnes Gund* Sarah Arison Jody and John Arnhold Roland Augustine The Avenue Association Nelia Barletta Susan and Jeff Campbell The Cowles Charitable Trust Jeanne Donovan Fisher Robin Fowler Amanda and Glenn Fuhrman Lorraine Gallard and Richard H. Levy Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation Mrs. Heather Hoyt Georges Barbara and Peter Georgescu Howard Gilman Foundation Janet Halvorson Janine and J. Tomilson Hill The Keith Haring Foundation The Lehoczky Escobar Family Gina Maria Leonetti Christina and Alan MacDonald Marc Haas Foundation Andrew Martin-Weber and Beejan
Land Helen Y. Little and William Little Jr. John N. and Lisa S. Miller Steven Neckman and Larry Rivero New York State Council on the Arts Kate and Bradford Peck The Michele and Steve Pesner Charitable Foundation, Inc. Rhodebeck Charitable Trust Genie and Donald Rice Rebecca Robertson and Byron Knief Susan Small Savitsky So-Chung Shinn Lee and Tony Lee The SHS Foundation The Shubert Foundation Sydney* and Stanley S. Shuman Amy and Jeffrey Silverman The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering Sulwhasoo TEFAF NY The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation Susan Unterberg Saundra Whitney Anonymous (4)
$10,000 to $24,999 The Achelis and Bodman Foundations AECOM Tishman Judith Hart Angelo Kenneth Ashley Anne-Victoire Auriault / Goldman Sachs Gives Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation Harrison and Leslie Bains Susan Bram David and Peri Clark Ania Coffey Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation David L. Klein, Jr. Foundation Mahendra Durai Rick Feldman and Susan Horowitz Ella M. Foshay and Michael B. Rothfeld Jill and Michael J. Franco Elliot Friman Elaine Golin John R. and Kiendl Dauphinot Gordon Harkness Foundation for Dance Lawrence and Sharon Hite Mark Kingdon and Anla Cheng Fernand Lamesch Jean Sonia Lee Leon Levy Foundation James C. Marlas Dr. Nancy Maruyama
Michael McCabe Ryan McNaughton and Anastasia Antoniev Danny and Audrey Meyer Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation Netflix Elyse and Michael Newhouse Mark and Lorry Newhouse Stéphanie and Jesse Newhouse Sanjay and Leslie Patel Suzanne Peck and Brian Friedman Susan Pernick Michael Peterson Susan Porter The Prospect Hill Foundation Katharine Rayner David and Susan Rockefeller Thomas Rom Valerie Rubsamen and Cedomir Crnkovic Fiona and Eric Rudin Mrs. William H. Sandholm Christine and Stephen Schwarzman Cynthia and Tom Sculco Lea Simonds Brian S. Snyder Howard & Sarah D. Solomon Foundation The Kovner Foundation Tishman Speyer Tobin Theatre Arts Fund Coralie Toevs Dabie Tsai Michael Tuch Foundation Glenn Van Orden Wendy vanden Heuvel Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, GRoW @ Annenberg Maria Wirth Anonymous (3)
$5,000 to $9,999 Amy and David Abrams Barbara Goldstein Amster Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Page Ashley Hanne Bak and Craig Bacon Candace and Rick Beinecke John and Gaily Beinecke Lee Bell and Fotios Pantazis Stephanie Bernheim Jill and Darius Bikoff The Emma and Georgina Bloomberg Foundation Clifford Brakow Nicholas Brawer Matthew and Marisa Brown Amanda M. Burden
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Mary and Brad Burnham Canard, Inc. Nancy Coles and Jeffrey Goldstein Judith-Ann Corrente Joshua Dachs / Fisher Dachs Associates Courtney and Jonathan Davis Anna Day Richard K. DeScherer* and Jennie L. DeScherer Jamie Drake Carol and David Domina Sharon Dorram Krause and Damian Krause Eleanor Edelman Dr. Nancy Eppler-Wolff and Mr. John Wolff The Felicia Fund Andrew and Theresa Fenster Amandine Freidheim Bart Friedman and Wendy A. Stein Buzzy Geduld The Georgetown Company Kurt Gilman and Paul Phillips Carrie and Laurence Goldberg Mira Goldberg Suzanne and John Golden Great Performances Holly and Robert Gregory Darren Henault Mr. Joseph C. Hoopes, Jr. Gregg Hymowitz and Marcella Guarino Hymowitz Elizabeth L. Johnson Adrienne Katz Amelia Kaymen Wyatt Koch Kameron Kordestani Douglas and Judith Ann Krupp Chad A. Leat Sherry Lee Gail and Alan Levenstein Jonathan Levin and Vicki Gross Charles and Georgette Mallory Lara Marcon Ellen Michelson Linda Mirels and Gerard Mossé Saleem and Jane Muqaddam Pericles and Neda Navab Katie O’Boyle Olympic Plumbing and Heating Services, Inc. Orentreich Family Foundation / Dr. Catherine Orentreich Peter and Beverly Orthwein Joan R. and Joel I. Picket Phyllis Posnick and Paul Cohen Preserve New York, a grant program of Preservation League of New York Diana and Charles Revson Richenthal Foundation 21
Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. Ida and William Rosenthal Foundation Marjorie P. Rosenthal Chuck and Stacy Rosenzweig Jane Fearer Safer Ami Sagy Sara Lee and Axel Schupf Baroness Lulu Dalkanat Sezercan and Derin Sezercan Stephanie and Fred Shuman Denise Simon and Paulo Vieira da Cunha Studio Institute Allyson Tang and Robert Pollock Lenard and Fern Tessler Tiffany & Co. Therme US Doris Valle Risso Nina and Nicholas von Moltke Shanshan Xu and George Wang Beth Williams Frances Wilson Wonder Cynthia Young and George Eberstadt Toni Young Yuan Zhou Anonymous (10)
$2,500 to $4,999 Allen Adler and Frances Beatty Benigno Aguilar and Gerald Erickson Roland Augustine Ashwyn Balani Alexandra Ballard Rick Berndt and Marie-Camille Havard Elaine S. Bernstein Noreen and Ken Buckfire Ann Marie E. Carr Lori and Alexandre Chemla Lisa Choi Orla Coleman and Rikki Tahta Scott Corbus Steven and Ellen Corwin Ellie and Edgar Cullman Tina R. Davis Anne Delaney Matilda Diaz Beatrice M Disman Sascha Douglass Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Martin and Rebecca Eisenberg Foundation Deborah and Ronald Eisenberg Foundation Gwen and Austin Fragomen Eleanor Friedman and Jonathan J. Cohen 22
Nadia Gakou and Jonathan Masci Harriet Goodman T.J. Gottesdiener and Abra Levine Dedrea and Paul Gray Yen Ha and Richard Tesler Rolf Heitmeyer Marieluise Hessel Barbara Hoffman Patty Horing Brian Hughes Shujaat Islam and Fay Sardjono Les Yeux Art Foundation Jeanne Kanders Leona Kern Andre Kikoski Claire King Jana and Gerold Klauer Jill and Peter Kraus Lizbeth and George Krupp Brittany and Zachary Kurz Camille and Dennis LaBarre Marc Ladanyi Dominique Laffont Wen Li Michael Lonergan and William Beauchamp Jennifer Lum Gina Giumarra MacArthur Veena Mani Andrea Mann and Mitchell Scherzer Bonnie Maslin Nina B. Matis Michael Mattes Anna Maynard Constance and H. Roemer McPhee Peter D. Mensch and Anita Bitton Joyce F. Menschel Jessica Mezzacappa Julia Moody Marta E. Nottebohm Susan Numeroff Ellen Oelsner Kathleen O’Grady Arlena Olsten Theo Osborne and Justine Fisher Robert Ouimette and Lee Hirsch Claudia and Gunnar Overstrom Lori and Lee Parks Marnie Pillsbury Masha Poyurovsky Jennifer Reardon The Reed Foundation Joanna Roche Laura and Gerald Rosberg May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc. Susan Rudin Paola Saracino Fendi and Aram Ahmed Andrew and Denise Saul Susan and Charles Sawyers
Davita Scarlett Benjamin Schor and Isabel Wilkinson Schor Nicholas and Shelley Schorsch Victoria Schorsch Mr. Barry Schwartz / M&F Worldwide Corp. Betsy Scott Nina Shapiro Dr. Ja Hyun Shin Lauryn Siegel R. Brandon Sokol Shelley Sonenberg Andre Spears and Anne Rosen Aliana and Daivd Spungen Beatrice Stern Michael and Marjorie Stern Stella Strazdas and Henry Forrest Michael and Veronica Stubbs A. Alfred Taubman Foundation TDF Tom and Diane Tuft Alessandro Uzielli Cynthia Vahlkamp and Robert Kenyon Deborah van Eck Stephanie Wagner Nora Ann Wallace Ross Weiner Ira and Cecilia Wolfson Amy Yenkin and Robert Usdan Jessie Zhou Yuan Zhou Bree Zucker Anonymous (6)
$1,000 to $2,499 Marina Abramović Nicole and David Abrams Eric Altmann Diane Archer Ken Barnett Alice + Olivia Judy and Howard Berkowitz Natalie Birnbaum Boehm Family Foundation Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Denise Bradley-Tyson Sonja and Martin J. Brand Carolyn Brooker Clores James Brooks and Yann Coatanlem Nicholas Brown Spencer Brownstone Vineet Budhraja and Rebecca Bagdonas Valentine and Erich Carey Melinda Carroll Kenneth and Catherine Carroll Katz Ann Clairmont Betsy Cohn
Thompson Arts Center at Park Avenue Armory | 643 Park Avenue at 67th Street
Marina Couloucoundis Courtyard New York Manhattan Upper East Side Abby and Andrew Crisses John Charles and Nathalie Danilovich Virginia Davies Sofia Drakotos William J Eisenberg Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP Patricia and Joel Ellis Carrie Elston and Ryan Coburn Dasha Epstein Katy Falco Nina and Robert Fallon Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Farkas Mindy and Marc Feinberg Femenella & Associates, Inc. Nicholas Firth and Sophie de Brignac Eric Foran David O’Leary and Erica Frontiero Lauren Gaede Lower Patrick Galvin Kristin Gamble Flood David and Danielle Ganek Sayuri Ganepola-Kaczynski and Jeff Kaczynski Bruce and Alice Geismar Velandia Giorgio Family Katja Goldman and Michael Sonnenfeldt Noam Grebler Laura J. Gregor Frances and Gerard Guillemot Susan Gutfreund Joann Habermann Ross and Ray Hammerman The Hill Family Paul and Else Blum Foundation Christina Hull Harriet Huston Magdalena Rodillo Ibanez Sylvia Jablonski Kathy Jaharis Jake Jamison Weslie and William Janeway Anuradha T. Jayanti Dustee and Justin Jenkins Fainna Kagan and Boris Segalis Hyung Jin Kang Lena Kaplan Boriana Karastoyanova Adrienne Katz Brigadier General Edward G. Klein, NYNG (Ret.) Meghan and Adam Klopp Joyce Kwok Dawn Ladd Thomas and Aleta Laine Joseph Laraia and Mary Motyl Gideon Lazarus
Ralph Lemon Matthew Little Jane Lombard Bernard Lumpkin and Carmine Boccuzzi Bill and Jane Macan The Madigan Family John and Paula Mahoney Joanie Martinez Miss Charlotte Martin-Weber Match65 Larry and Mary McCaffrey Imelda McCain Scott McDonald Toni B. & Martin McKerrow Melanie and Matthew McLennan Virginia A. Millhiser Whitney and Andrew Mogavero Ian Moon Angela Morrison Stephanie Neville & Alan Beller Nancy Newcomb and John Hargraves
Olive Numeroff David Orentreich, MD / Orentreich Family Foundation Judith Stern Peck Richard Petrocelli Charmaine and Brian Portis Robert A Press MD Benjamin and Janet Pyne Cami and Tarek Raucci Emily Reifel Chase Reyes Julie and Spencer Rice John and Lizzie Robertshaw Whitney Rouse Michael Ruttledge and Rosana el Sayed Louisa Ryan Alexander and Sarah Saint-Amand Herbert A Satzman Paul H. Scarbrough, Akustiks, LLC. Benjamin and Louise Schliemann Pat Schoenfeld The Binkley-Sebring Fund
Norman C. Selby Christina J Sethi Rose Shifke Esther Simon Charitable Trust Ileene Smith and Howard Sobel Winston Smith Max Snow Megan Stackhouse Lauren Stafford Melissa Stewart Dr. Michael Stewart Christine Strumpen-Darrie Alexey Surkov Karen Taylor Barbara D. Tober Elizabeth Tunick Lindsey Turner Robert Turner and Peter Speliopoulos Untitled Future Steven Usdan and Amelia Cottrell Debra Valentine Todd van Stolk-Riley
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Timothy Wagner and Ola Kvist Kay and Sandy Walker Andrew and Sarah Wetenhall Shelby White Katie Workman Kim and Sam Younes Samiah Zafar and Minhaj Patel Sabrina Zaro Judy Zhou Steven Zhou Jillian Zrebiec Zubatkin Owner Representation, LLC Anonymous (9) List as of August 1, 2026 * In memoriam
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Thompson Arts Center at Park Avenue Armory | 643 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065