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
2026 RECITAL SERIES IN THE RESTORED BOARD OF OFFICERS ROOM
FAZIL SAY, PIANO
tuesday, february 10, 2026 at 7:30pm wednesday, february 11, 2026 at 7:30pm
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 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. Cover image by James Ewing.
PROGRAM
Johann Sebastian Bach Goldberg-Variationen (Aria mit 30 Veränderungen) BWV 988 (1742)
Aria
Variatio 1. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 2. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 3. Canone all’Unisuono. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 4. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 5. a 1 ô vero 2 Clav.
Variatio 6. Canone alla Seconda. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 7. a 1 ô vero 2 Clav. al tempo di Giga
Variatio 8. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 9. Canone alla Terza. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 10. Fughetta. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 11. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 12. a 1 Clav. Canone alla Quarta. a 1 Clav. in moto contrario
Variatio 13. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 14. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 15. Canone alla Quinta. a 1 Clav.: Andante
Variatio 16. Ouverture. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 17. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 18. Canone alla Sesta. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 19. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 20. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 21. Canone alla Settima. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 22. a 1 Clav. alla breve
Variatio 23. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 24. Canone all’Ottava. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 25. a 2 Clav.: Adagio
Variatio 26. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 27. Canone alla Nona. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 28. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 29. a 1 ô vero 2 Clav.
Variatio 30. Quodlibet. a 1 Clav.
Aria da Capo
Intermission
Fazıl Say “Yeni hayat” (“New Life”) Sonata for piano, op. 99 (2021)
I. Introduction & Allegro
II. Pesante
III. Finale
3 Ballads, op. 12 (1995-2005)
“Nazim”
“Ses” “Kumru”
Kara Toprak (Black Earth) for piano, op. 8 (1997)
Claros: The Temple of Prophecies “Kehanetler Tapınağı Klaros,” op. 112 (2024)
Summertime Variations for piano (2005)
Paganini Jazz, Variations on the Caprice No. 24 in the style of modern jazz (1995)
This program is approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes including a 15-minute intermission.
This concert is being recorded by WQXR for future broadcast on 105.9 FM and streaming on wqxr.org.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Pianist-composers, in the mold of Franz Liszt, Sergei Rachmaninoff or Béla Bartók, have become a rarity in the last half-century or so. Fazıl Say is one of the few musicians living today who is both a virtuoso of the first order and a composer whose large catalog of works (not only for piano) is performed regularly at the most important music centers of the world. In juxtaposing his own music to one of the monuments of the classical repertoire, Say highlights this particular personal union. He continues a long-standing tradition, and at the same time shows his own originality as an artist.
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (1742) by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
According to Bach’s first biographer, Johann Nikolaus Forkel, the composer wrote this monumental set of variations for his young student Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, employed by an insomniac aristocrat named Count Keyserling, who wanted to listen to music during his long sleepless nights. The veracity of the story is doubted by some experts today. In any case, Bach went far beyond the call of duty. The Aria with Different Variations, as it was originally called, is nothing short of an encyclopedia of musical forms, styles and keyboard techniques existing in Bach’s time.
The “theme” for the 30 variations is a richly ornamented “Aria.” Every third variation is a two-part canon, and in each the answering voice enters one step higher in relation to the first voice. In other words, No. 3 is at the unison (both voices at the same pitch), No. 6 at the second, No. 9 at the third, and so on, until No. 27 at the ninth. In all but the last one there is a third voice in addition to the two canonic voices, to play the bass line of the original theme. The variations preceding the canons are usually two-part inventions, while those following the canons share little in common and have therefore been called “free” variations. (Exceptionally, in the first two variations this pattern is reversed: No. 1 is a two-part piece and No. 2 is “free.”)
Stylistically and emotionally, the variations run a wide gamut. The playful first variation introduces hand-crossing for the first, but certainly not the last time. No. 2 is a lively movement containing some fugal imitation. The expansive melody of No. 3 recalls the slow movement of the concerto for two harpsichords in C minor (BWV 1060). In No. 4, four voices skip merrily along, imitating a fugue. No. 5 is another exercise in hand-crossing (a harpsichordist would have the option of using two manuals). In No. 6, the canonic voices are only one measure apart. No. 7 is a gigue dance, No. 8, yet another virtuosic duet with hand-crossings, followed by a quieter No. 9 and a terse fughetta (No. 10).
In No. 11, the motion speeds up to sixteenth-triplets, to go back to regular sixteenth-notes in No. 12. Nos. 13, 14, and 15 each introduce novelties that will return later in the variations: No. 13 is the first of several lavishly ornamented slow movements; No. 14 pianistic raises virtuosity to an unprecedented level; finally, No. 15 is the first variation in the minor mode. It also happens to be a mirror canon, in other words, the second voice turns the melody upside down. These three movements close Part I of the Goldberg Part II begins with an elaborate overture in the French style as No. 16. No. 17 is another duet with frequent hand-crossings. No. 18 is strict almost to the point of austerity; No. 19 resembles a passepied dance (a kind of faster minuet), while No. 20 takes the now-familiar type of duets with hand-crossings to dizzying heights of technical difficulty. In No. 21, the bass line is filled out
with emotionally charged chromatic passing tones. No. 22 again contains fugal elements. In No. 23, the rhythmic motion speeds up again as thirty-second notes appear in both hands.
No. 24 shares the lilting 9/8 meter with the famous “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” No. 25 is an intensely chromatic and highly ornate instrumental aria. Variation 26 is filled with hand-crossings and fast runs; No. 27 is a pure two-part canon, without an added third voice.
Nos. 28 and 29 are among the most technically difficult movements Bach ever wrote. The rapid double trills of No. 28, and the alternating chords of No. 29 were clearly intended to crown the entire composition.
Or almost. For Bach has a final surprise in store for his last variation, a Quodlibet. The dictionary defines this term as “a composition based on a collage of pre-existing and usually familiar melodies.” Bach ingeniously combined two German folksongs, with one another and with the bass line underlying the variations. One of the folksongs was traditionally used to signal the end of a wedding party. Its inclusion as the last of the Goldberg variations is surely symbolic. After the Quodlibet, the original Aria is repeated to close the monumental work.
--- Peter Laki
“Yeni hayat” (“New Life”) Piano Sonata, Op. 99 (2021) by Fazıl Say (b. 1970)
“New Life”, Op. 99 piano sonata is one of the new works of composer and pianist Fazıl Say composed during the pandemic period. It is a 15-minute work, featuring three movements: I-Introduction & Allegro, II-Pesante, and III-Finale.
Fazıl Say reflects on the pandemic period in this sonata. The work is about hope where the music depicts the process of recovery and coming back to life again after the pandemic period which affected the whole world and shut down our lives.
“New Life” is the third sonata of the artist which features a lot of experimentation and timbres that people will hear for the first time from a piano. Because of that, it has a contemporary structure. But on the other hand, it is not an avant-garde work, as it emulates melodies and harmonies. This is the artist’s own language of music, which is reflected in all his works.
Pianist-composer Fazıl Say has said, “I composed this piece to perform at my first concert right after the pandemic in July 2021. The work carries thoughts about both the uncertainty & anxiety we live in and the hope of getting back to normal life again. In fact, it is a song of transition from the pandemic period to normal life. It’s both the anxiety we experienced and the good news about getting back on stage.”
3 Ballads, combined op. 12, op. 40b, op. 51c (19952005) by Fazil Say (b. 1970)
Fazıl Say’s Ballads are romantic, meditative piano pieces with cryptic literary and biographical associations.
The first ballad “Nazim,” played exclusively on the white keys, is in memory of the well-known Turkish writer Nâzim Hikmet (1902-1963). Inspired by the Communist body of thought (and for this reason repeatedly persecuted and imprisoned in Turkey), the writer left Istanbul in 1921 to settle in Anatolia in order to seek contact with “simple people.”
“Ses,” the last part of the semi-staged work of the same name, is based on the moving poem Sivas Acısı concerning the arson attack on the Madımak Hotel in Sivas in 1993. Here in a version for piano solo.
The title of the ballad “Kumru” is Turkish for “dove” but is also a popular girls’ name in Turkey.
Kara Toprak (Black Earth) for piano, op. 8 (1997) by Fazil Say (b. 1970)
Black Earth was inspired by “Kara Toprak,” a popular song in Turkey. The composer of the song, Aşık Veysel (1891-1973), was one of the last great Turkish balladeers and the final link in a thousand-year tradition.
Veysel went blind during childhood following an attack of smallpox. He subsequently began to learn to play the Saz, a Turkish lute, and to study poetry, initially for his own amusement. He made acquaintance with a variety of folk poets, and, after 1928, also travelled from village to village with his songs. Through the years, he became a cultural symbol of the Turkish Republic.
In the song Kara Toprak, Veysel describes loneliness and loss. All that remains is the Black Earth, the color of the landscape in his native town of Sivas.
Fazıl Say imitates the sound of the Saz through his selection of a muted effect in the Introduction and Epilogue of Black Earth---a meditation on the themes of a ballad. In contrast, folklore, Romantic piano style and jazz are entwined in the central sections to form a large-scale outburst. Fazıl Say performs this works in both concerts of classical music and a jazz festivals: particularly in the folkloristic sections, he employs the improvisatory freedom which is inherent to both folk music and jazz.
Claros: The Temple of Prophecies “Kehanetler
Tapınağı Klaros,” op. 112 (2024) by Fazil Say (b. 1970)
“There are very special ancient cities in Turkey. In addition to the Ancient City of Ephesus around Izmir, I had the opportunity to visit the Ancient City of Colophon, an Ionian city in that region. When I went to Claros, the sacred area of the Colophon city, I was very impressed by the fact that it was a center of prophecy, its atmosphere and thematic structure. The story of Claros; It’s like a journey through time and the geography of that time. I think it is an interesting work. Have a nice listening time.”
--- Fazıl Say
“Claros,” which was a sacred area and a center of prophecy where kings and statesmen consulted oracles (soothsayer) for hundreds of years before Christ, comes to life again in Fazıl Say’s music.
Fazıl Say’s new work “Claros: Temple of Prophecies”, Opus 112,
is a ten minutes virtuoso piano piece composed in 2024. Its world premiere was held on November 16, 2024 at the Gilmore Piano Festival, which commissioned the work.
The composer, who often follows the traces of his own culture in his works and includes stories of the geography that nourishes his music; in his work, “Claros” describes this impressive atmosphere of the powerful period of oracles and prophecies with his music. Claros, known as the sacred area of the ancient city of Colophon, an Ionian city located in the Menderes region of Izmir in the west of Turkey, gained fame as a center of prophecy during the time of Mopsos, the oracle of Apollo. This sacred area was used as a center of prophecy from the 13th century BC until it was abandoned with the spread of Christianity in the 4th century AD.
The holy water found in Claros is thought to have a hallucinatory effect. In Claros, it was believed that, in a dark hall where only the oracle can enter, the oracle drank this water from the well, and that he answered the questions asked to him thanks to the effect of this water.
The prophecy of this water spread Claros fame over a wide area. It is said that when Alexander the Great came to the region, the oracles showed him Izmir.
Summertime Variations for piano (2005) by Fazil Say (b. 1970)
Summertime Variations is the third arrangement I have made of Gershwin’s “Summertime”---and the first for solo piano. It begins and ends very quietly and cantabile with a meditation on the well-known opening motif. The complete melody then forms the basis for the swinging and extremely virtuoso Presto Variations of the central section.
The work was composed as a concert piece for my classical solo recitals, but I also play Summertime Variations as an encore in my regular performances in jazz festivals such as in Montreux.
---Fazıl Say
Paganini Jazz, Variations on the Caprice No. 24 in the style of modern jazz (1995) by Fazil Say (b. 1970)
The concert piece Paganini Jazz by Fazıl Say, which was inspired by classical, modern and jazz styles, is reminiscent of the music of such greats as Scott Joplin, Art Tatum, Gershwin, and Bernstein, and was originally designed as a charming encore work (1988); following the appreciative response of music lovers and, in particular, that of music critics, it was transformed over a perion of time into a more substantial work for piano. Briefly, the piece was rewritten and expanded a number of times between 1988 and 1995. We can evaluate the work as having taken its inspiration from Paganini’s renowned “24th Capriccio,” transforming it into “variations on jazz” requiring virtuoso rendition as well as being a creation open to the addition of improvisations and a variety of arrangements.
Throughout music history a number of composers have written various works inspired by the “24th Capriccio.” We can count among them Liszt, Brahms, Rachmaninov, and Lutoslavski. In Say’s work, however, a different aspect must be noted: the composer is prepared to add various “developmental passages” and “transitional improvisations” while interpreting this work in concert. Furthermore, when the work is considered as a short encore piece, it is abbreviated in a manner deemed suitable by Say.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
With his exceptional pianistic artistry, Fazıl Say has been captivating audiences and critics around the world for over 25 years—in a way that is uniquely his own, especially in today’s increasingly structured and commercialised classical music world. A concert with Fazıl Say is never just a performance. It is more immediate, more open, more electrifying. In short: it speaks directly to the heart.
Since the beginning of his career, he has performed with many renowned American and European orchestras and numerous leading conductors, building up a diverse repertoire ranging from Bach to Viennese Classical Romantic and contemporary music, including his own compositions for piano. Guest performances have taken Fazıl Say to countless countries on all five continents, alongside numerous appearances as a chamber musician. With violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja, he performs in a long-standing duo, and other notable collaborators include Maxim Vengerov, the Minetti Quartett, Nicolas Altstaedt, and Marianne Crebassa.
As a composer, Fazıl Say has received commissions from leading institutions including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the BBC, Salzburg Festival, WDR, Munich Philharmonic, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Wiener Konzerthaus, Dresden Philharmonic, and the Fondation Louis Vuitton, among others. His oeuvre encompasses six symphonies, two oratorios, several solo concertos, as well as numerous works for piano and chamber ensembles.
In the 2025-2026 season, Fazıl Say is the Artist in Residence at both the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and the Gstaad Menuhin Festival. During these residencies, he performs with longtime partner orchestras—including the Camerata Salzburg, the hr-Sinfonieorchester, and the NDR Radiophilharmonie— and witnesses premieres of his own newly commissioned works presented by both festivals. He embarks on a major tour of China with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and returns to the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic, and the Münchener Kammerorchester, with an acclaimed Mozart
cycle. In addition, Say performs his latest piano concerto, “Mother Earth,” in a series of high-profile country premieres including the Philharmonia Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Helsinki Philharmonic, RAI Torino, and Orchestre National de Belgique, among others.
In recital, Fazıl Say performs this season at major venues including the Berlin Philharmonie, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Southbank Centre in London, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Cologne Philharmonie, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, and Muziekgebouw Amsterdam. He also appears in several cities across Europe, including Paris, Toulouse, Rome, Milan, Cremona, Bologna, Utrecht, and Martigny. In addition, he returns to the Klavier-Festival Ruhr and gives duo recitals with soprano Fatma Said at the Konzerthaus Berlin and the Konzerthaus Dortmund.
As a composer, Fazıl Say will see the premiere of his Mandolin Concerto—commissioned by Avi Avital—at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in the 2025-2026 season. Additional premieres include a string quartet commissioned by the Goldmund Quartet and a concerto for ancient lyre, commissioned by the Thessaloniki State Orchestra, which will be premiered at Vienna’s Musikverein.
Fazıl Say has built an extensive discography of over 50 recordings, released on labels such as Teldec Classics, naïve, and Warner Classics. His work has earned numerous accolades, including four ECHO Klassik Awards and a Gramophone Classical Music Award. Notable recordings include his critically acclaimed complete Beethoven piano sonatas and Bach’s Goldberg Variations, both released by Warner Classics in January 2020. In the 2025-2026 season, the release of Fazıl Say’s major new work “Mozart and Mevlana” marks a powerful musical dialogue between East and West, premiered alongside Mozart’s Requiem and inspired by the poetry of Rumi. He also continues to release his own compositions on his own label, ACM. Say’s latest album, Oiseaux Tristes, released in September 2024 on Warner Classics, was awarded the 2025 OPUS KLASSIK Award in the Solo Instrumental category.
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
NEXT IN THE SERIES
LIV REDPATH & HARRY RYLANCE
MAY 28 & 30
NEW YORK SOLO RECITAL DEBUT
Liv Redpath is a leading soprano leggero who is quickly establishing herself in diverse operatic and symphonic repertoire on operatic stages from Theatro Real, Glyndebourne Festival, and the Royal Opera House to Santa Fe Opera and the Met. She makes her New York solo recital debut in a far more intimate stage the Board of Officers Room with a uniquely curated program of arias and arts songs that beautifully showcase her breathtaking coloratura, agility, and brightness.
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
CARLO VISTOLI & GIULIO ZAPPA
SEPTEMBER 10 & 12
NORTH AMERICAN RECITAL DEBUT
Italian singer Carlo Vistoli has carved out a place for himself in the small world of countertenors. With his powerful projection and careful phrasing, he has performed on some of the most impressive baroque stages in the world including Festival d Aix en Provence, Salzburg Festival, and the Rome Opera House. Get to know this star on the rise when he makes his North American recital debut with a program of arias, art songs, and lieder in the most personal of settings—the Board of Officers Room.
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
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman
Co-Chairs
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.
Edward G. Klein, Brigadier General
Avant-Garde Chair Adrienne Katz
Directors Emeriti
M. Bains Angela E. Thompson*
Wade F.B. Thompson* Founding Chairman, 2000-2009
Deborah Warner
K. Hersh Artistic Director
*In memoriam
PARK AVENUE ARMORY STAFF
Rebecca Robertson Adam R. Flatto Founding President and Executive Producer
Deborah Warner Anita K. Hersh Artistic Director
ARTISTIC PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING
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
Oscar Peña Programming Coordinator
ARTISTIC PRODUCTION
Paul E. King Director of Production
Claire Marberg Deputy Director of Production
Nicholas Lazzaro Technical Director
Lars Nelson Technical Director
Mars Doutey Technical Director
Rachel Baumann Assistant Production Manager
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 Part Time 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
Shatisha Bryant, Alexus Heiserman, Melina Jorge Teaching Apprentices
Eden Battice, Koralys De La Cruz, Azrael Hernandez, Nephthali Mathieu, Blue Price, AJ Volkov Youth Corps Advisory Board
Felipe Aguilar, Eden Battice, Terry Beaupierre, Andrew Duer, Hillary Ramirez Perez, Naomi Santos, Brianna Trevino Youth Corps, Post High School Advanced Interns
Medina Anthony, Mariela Bonilla, Djenabou Diallo, Lucas Flores, Daniela Garcia, Jenaia Godoy, Gabi Gonzalez, Besa Hasanovic, Angelina Jacobs, Ria Matula, Jacy Melendez, Steven Merino, Isaiah Morgan, Gabe Morris, Jay Quijano, Tirso Reyna, Jayden Rodriguez, Ash Taghizadeh Youth Corps, High School
BUILDING OPERATIONS
Marc Von Braunsberg Chief of Building Operations
Samuel Denitz Director of Facilities
Xavier Everett Security/Operations Manager
Williams Say Superintendent
Olga Cruz, Leandro Dasso, Mayra DeLeon, Jeferson Avila, Felipe Calle, Edwin Fell, Jonathan Mays, Tyrell Shannon Castillo Maintenance Staff
Jason Moran Curator, Artists Studio
Tavia Nyong’o Curator, Public Programming
DEVELOPMENT
Patrick Galvin Chief Development Officer
Alan Lane Director of Development
Caity Miret Executive Assistant to the Chief Development Officer
Jessica Pomeroy Rocca Director of Individual Giving
Angel Genares Director of Institutional Giving
Hans Rasch Manager of Institutional Giving
Margaret Breed Director of Special Events
Séverine Kaufman Manager of Special Events
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
Judy Rubin Chief Financial Officer
Philip Lee Controller
Khemraj Dat Accounting Manager
Zeinebou Dia Junior Accountant
Neil Acharya Human Resources Manager
Oku Okoko Director of IT
Jorge Sanchez IT Helpdesk Administrator
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 Hooper Assistant Box Office Manager
Jordan Isaacs Box Office Lead
Victor Daniel Ayala, Fiona Garner, Sylvie Goodblatt, Sarah Jack, Matthew Kamen, Emma Komisar, Michelle Meged, Caleb Moreno, Annie Sauerburger, Dylan Taylor, Ester Teixeira Vianna, Isabel Velasquez Box Office Associates
Caitlin O’Keefe, Anne Wolff Tour Guides
Natasha Michele Norton Director of House Management
Clayton McInerney, Nancy Gill Sanchez, Rachel Carmona House Managers
Becky Ho, Cody Castro, Kyle McClellan, Neda Yeganeh Assistant House Managers
Adonai Fletcher-Jones, Aiyana Greene, Beth Miller, Billie Martineau, Blue Price, Christina Johns, Christine Lemme, David Lawson, Denise Williams, Eboni Greene, Edwin Adkins, Eileen Rourke, Elijah Tejeda, Eliza Goldsteen, Emmett Pryor, Felipe Aguirre, Glori Ortiz, Grace Hazen, Heather Sandler, Hector Rivera, Hillary Ramirez Perez, John Summers, Joseph Balbuena, Kathleen Rodriguez, Kathleen White, Kedesia Robinson, Kin Tam, Konlan Yenupaak, Lana Hankinson, Mae Cote, Maria Inkateshta, Mariel Mercedes, Mathew Tom, Melina Jorge, MJ Ryerson, Myren Mandap, Naomi Santos, Regina Pearsall, Sandra Kitt, Sarah Gallick, Sebastian Harris, Shannon Wallace, Tess Kondratiev, Yesenia Mayers, Zulay Calamari Ushers
Resnicow + Associates Press Representatives
PRODUCTION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Steinway & Sons
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 and enjoy the following exclusive benefits.
CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE STARTING AT $2,500
Chairman’s Circle members provide vital support for the Armory’s immersive arts and education programming and the restoration of our landmark building, and receive unparalleled access to the Armory, including exclusive experiences and intimate engagements with our world-class artists.
AVANT GARDE STARTING AT $350
The Avant Garde is a dynamic group for adventurous art enthusiasts in their 20s to early 40s. Members enjoy an intimate look at Armory productions, as well as exclusive invitations to forward-thinking art events around New York City.
or visit us at armoryonpark.org.
ARTISTIC COUNCIL
The Artistic Council is a leadership group that champions and supports groundbreaking “only at the Armory” productions.
Chair Lisa S. Miller
Abigail and Joseph Baratta
Blavatnik Family Foundation♦
Jeanne-Marie Champagne
John Chao and Leah Ogawa
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
Barbara and Peter Georgescu
LEGACY CIRCLE
Joan Granlund♦
Kim and Jeff Greenberg Lawrence and Sharon Hite
Samhita and Ignacio Jayanti
Carola Jain
Wendy Keys
Irene Kohn
Fernand Lamesch
Almudena and Pablo Legorreta
Christina and Alan MacDonald
Andrew Martin-Weber and Beejan Land♦
John N. and Lisa S. Miller♦
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
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 (2)
♦ Artistic Council Luminary Member.
Recognizes individuals whose generous philanthropic support helps underwrite a specific Drill Hall production in this or future seasons.
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
PATRONS
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*
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
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*
Starr Foundation
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
$250,000 to $499,999
American Express
Abigail and Joseph Baratta
Michael Field and Doug Hamilton
Ken Kuchin and Tyler Morgan
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
Jessie Ding and Ning Jin
Caryn Schacht and David Fox
Roberta Garza
Howard Gilman Foundation
Joan Granlund
Kim and Jeff Greenberg
Marjorie and Gurnee Hart
Samhita and Ignacio Jayanti
Julia Ledda and Hassan Taher
Mr.
New York State Assembly
Stavros Niarchos Foundation
The Pinkerton Foundation
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Daniel and Joanna S. Rose
Mrs. Janet C. Ross
Matthew and Stephanie Sharp
Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust
Jane Toll
Mr. William C. Tomson
Wescustogo Foundation
Ku-Ling Yurman
Ying Zhou and Run Ye
Anonymous (3)
$25,000 to $99,999
Arthur R. and Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation
Sarah Arison
Jody and John Arnhold
The Avenue Association
Susan and Jeff Campbell
The Cowles Charitable Trust
Sasha Cutter and Aaron Hsu
Lorraine Gallard and Richard H. Levy
Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation
Mrs. Heather Hoyt Georges
Barbara and Peter Georgescu
Janet Halvorson
Janine and J. Tomilson Hill
Carola Jain
The Keith Haring Foundation
The Lehoczky Escobar Family
Christina and Alan MacDonald
Marc Haas Foundation
Andrew Martin-Weber and Beejan Land
John N. and Lisa S. Miller
New York State Council on the Arts
Kate Peck
Slobodan Randjelović and Jon Stryker
Rhodebeck Charitable Trust
Genie and Donald Rice
Amanda J.T. and Richard E. Riegel
Rebecca Robertson and Byron Knief
Jordan Roth and Richie Jackson
The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation
The SHS Foundation
The Shubert Foundation
Sydney* and Stanley S. Shuman
Amy and Jeffrey Silverman
The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering
Joan and Michael Steinberg
TEFAF NY
The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation
Susan Unterberg
Doris Valle Risso
Van Cleef & Arpels
Saundra Whitney
Anonymous (3)
$10,000 to $24,999
The Achelis and Bodman Foundations
AECOM Tishman
Barbara Goldstein Amster
Judith Hart Angelo
Kenneth Ashley
Anne-Victoire Auriault / Goldman Sachs Gives
Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation
Harrison and Leslie Bains
Susan Bram Alexandra Andrea Cahill Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation
David L. Klein, Jr. Foundation
Jeanne Donovan Fisher
Ella M. Foshay and Michael B. Rothfeld
Robin Fowler
Jill and Michael J. Franco
John R. and Kiendl Dauphinot Gordon
Agnes Gund*
Harkness Foundation for Dance
Lawrence and Sharon Hite
Mark Kingdon and Anla Cheng
Suzie and Bruce Kovner
Fernand Lamesch
Judy and Leonard* Lauder
Leon Levy Foundation
James C. Marlas
Nancy Maruyama
Ryan McNaughton and Anastasia Antoniev
Danny and Audrey Meyer
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Stéphanie and Jesse Newhouse
Sanjay and Leslie Patel
Susan Pernick
Michael Peterson
Susan Porter
The Prospect Hill Foundation
Katharine Rayner
Thomas Rom
Marjorie P. Rosenthal
Valerie Rubsamen and Cedomir Crnkovic
Fiona and Eric Rudin
Mrs. William H. Sandholm
Cynthia and Tom Sculco
Brian S. Snyder
Howard & Sarah D. Solomon Foundation
Tishman Speyer
Tobin Theatre Arts Fund
Dabie Tsai
Michael Tuch Foundation
Wendy vanden Heuvel
Diane Wege
Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, GRoW @ Annenberg
Maria Wirth Toni Young
Anonymous (5)
$5,000 to $9,999
Carolina Abed and Salvador Quezada
Amy and David Abrams
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Page Ashley
Candace and Rick Beinecke
John and Gaily Beinecke
Lee Bell and Fotios Pantazis
Stephanie Bernheim
The Emma and Georgina Bloomberg Foundation
Nicholas Brawer
Dr. Joyce F. Brown and Mr. H. Carl McCall
Matthew Brown
Amanda M. Burden
Canard, Inc.
David and Peri Clark
Nancy Coles and Jeffrey Goldstein
Judith-Ann Corrente
Andrew and Mimi Crawford
Joshua Dachs / Fisher Dachs Associates
Courtney and Jonathan Davis
Jennie L. and Richard K.* DeScherer
Therme US
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
Galerie Buchholz
Buzzy Geduld
The Georgetown Company
Kurt Gilman and Paul Phillips
Mira Goldberg
Suzanne and John Golden
Elaine Golin
Great Performances
Holly and Robert Gregory
Mr. Joseph C. Hoopes, Jr.
Shujaat Islam and Fay Sardjono
Adrienne Katz
Amelia Kaymen
Claire
Olympic
Orentreich
Peter
Anne
Preserve
Douglass
Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Martin and Rebecca Eisenberg Foundation
Deborah and Ronald Eisenberg Foundation
Dasha Epstein
Fiona Morgan Fein
Gwen and Austin Fragomen
Eleanor Friedman and Jonathan J. Cohen
Harriet Goodman
T.J. Gottesdiener and Abra Levine Dedrea and Paul Gray
Yen
Sara
Stephanie
Denise
Lea
Allyson
Nina
$2,500
Frances Beatty
Benigno Aguilar and Gerald Erickson
Ashwyn Balani
Alexandra Ballard
Lauren and Suprotik Basu
Catherine Behrend
Rick Berndt and Marie-Camille Havard
Elaine S. Bernstein
Melanie Bouvard and Matthew Bird
Elaine and Dan Brownstein
Ann Marie E. Carr
Arthur* and Linda
Natalia Chefer
Theo
Robert
$1,000 to $2,499 Marina
Edward G. Klein, NYNG (Ret.)
Meghan and
Larry and Mary McCaffrey
Melanie and Matthew McLennan
Peter Mensch and Anita Bitton
Virginia A. Millhiser Whitney and Andrew Mogavero Stephanie Neville & Alan Beller
Nancy Newcomb and John Hargraves
Arlena Olsten
David Orentreich, MD / Orentreich Family Foundation Robert A Press MD
and Anna Rabinowitz Cami and Tarek Raucci
Reifel Douglas and Jean Renfield-Miller
Chase Reyes
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
Rose Shifke
Lauryn Siegel
Esther Simon Charitable Trust
Ileene Smith and Howard Sobel
Max Snow
Megan Stackhouse
Lauren Stafford
Dr. Michael Stewart
Christine Strumpen-Darrie
Alexey Surkov
Barbara D. Tober
Elizabeth Tunick
Robert Turner and Peter Speliopoulos
Steven Usdan and Amelia Cottrell
Cynthia Vahlkamp and Robert Kenyon
Debra Valentine
Todd van Stolk-Riley
Timothy Wagner and Ola Kvist
Kay and Sandy Walker
Andrew and Sarah Wetenhall
Shelby White
Kim and Sam Younes
Samiah Zafar and Minhaj Patel
Sabrina Zaro
Steven Zhou
Jillian Zrebiec Zubatkin Owner Representation, LLC
Anonymous (10)
List as of January 30, 2026 * In memoriam
