WELCOME
Park Avenue Armory strives to engage audiences with high-quality classical music, becoming a “locus for important chamber music concerts” (The New Yorker). Set in the intimate and lush surroundings of the Board of Officers Room, the Armory provides “a space for chamber music, which marries excellent acoustics and an austerely elegant Gilded Age interior. With its blood-red mahogany paneling and chandeliers that diffuse a soft caramel glow while bronzed chain curtains filter out the daylight, the room creates an atmosphere of luxury and concentration” (The New York Times).
For the 2025 Season, the Recital Series includes highly anticipated recital debuts, 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.
In February, we welcome BBC Next Generation Artist baritone Konstantin Krimmel for his North American recital debut, in a program of works by Schubert, Loewe, and Ralph Vaughan Williams with pianist Ammiel Bushakevitz. Soprano Erin Morley brings her sought-after lyric coloratura to the intimate Board of Officers Room stage in April with an artfully curated program of works from her recent album Rose in Bloom, including repertoire connected to flowers, gardens, and nature from Schumann and Berg to Saint-Saëns and Rimsky-Korsakov and a song cycle by Ricky Ian Gordon.
The series continues in the fall with Samoan tenor Pene Pati following his glowing reviews at his Met Opera debut earlier this year, making his North American recital debut with pianist Ronny Michael Greenberg in September.
One of America’s foremost pianists, Jeremy Denk, gives a marathon performance in October of Bach’s Six Partitas, presumably the most famous and challenging collection of suites in music history, showcasing his virtuosic playing and sensitive musicality.
Two-time Grammy Award-winning mezzo soprano Sasha Cooke gives an updated take on her ongoing exploration of the theme “Love Letters” in November, an artfully curated program with pianist Myra Huang of works by Debussy, both Alma and Gustav Mahler, and the New York premieres of a song cycle by Scott Ordway and an Armory-commissioned work by American composer Jasmine Barnes. Finally, the Attacca Quartet closes out the 2025 Recital Series the North American premiere of “Daisy”—an Armory-commissioned new composition by David Lang alongside a wide-ranging program of classic quartets by Bartók and Felix Mendelssohn, quartet-arranged interpretations of signal works for other instrumentation.
Over the past decade of recitals at the Armory, we are proud to have held more than 130 intimate performances by almost 240 internationally renowned musicians, including 16 important North American, US, and New York debuts of dynamic artists including tenor Allan Clayton, soprano Barbara Hannigan, and pianist Igor Levit. We have also been proud to serve as the locale for 18 premieres by contemporary composers, including works by Michael Hersch, Anna Thorvaldsdóttir, John Zorn, Dai Fujikura, Michael Gordon, Jake Heggie, Chris Cerrone, Viet Cuong, 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 Board of Officers Room. We hope you join in our excitement for witnessing these magical moments in music.
Rebecca Robertson
Adam R. Flatto Founding President and Executive Producer
Pierre Audi
Anita K. Hersh Artistic Director
2025 RECITAL SERIES IN THE RESTORED BOARD
OF OFFICERS ROOM
ERIN MORLEY, SOPRANO GERALD MARTIN MOORE, PIANO
Friday, April 11, 2025 at 8pm Sunday, april 13, 2025 at 3pm
The Recital Series is supported, in part, by the Howard & Sarah D. Solomon Foundation.
Citi and Bloomberg Philanthropies are Park Avenue Armory’s 2025 Season Sponsors. Leadership support for the Armory’s artistic programming has been generously provided by the Charina Endowment Fund, Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust, the Pinkerton Foundation, the Starr Foundation, and the Thompson Family Foundation.
Major support was also provided by the Emily Davie and Joseph S. Kornfeld Foundation, the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Marc Haas Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, the SHS Foundation, 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 Adrienne Adams.
PROGRAM
Ricky Ian Gordon
Georges Bizet
Sergei Rachmaninov
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Claude Debussy
Camille Saint-Saëns
Intermission
Johannes Brahms
Robert Schumann
Alexander von Zemlinsky
Alban Berg
Selections from Huit Chansons de Fleurs (New York premiere)
“We Should Not Mind So Small a Flower”
“One Perfect Rose”
“Peonies at Dusk”
“Her Garden”
“Afterlife with Lilacs”
“Ouvre ton coeur”
Twelve Romances, op. 21 no. 5 “Lilacs” “The Rose Enslaves the Nightingale”
“Les papillons” “La libellule”
9 Lieder und Gesänge, op.63 no. 5 Junge Liebe I “Meine Liebe ist grün”
Myrthen op. 25 no. 3 “Der Nussbaum” Ehetanzlied, op. 10 no 3 “Vöglein Schwermut” Sieben frühe Lieder no. 3 “Die Nachtigall”
Camille Saint-Saëns “Le rossignol et la rose” (Parysatis)
Traditional Irish
Julius Benedict
“The Last Rose of Summer” “La Capinera”
This program runs approximately 75 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
Flowers, trees and birds (joined by some other flying creatures), as well as the feelings they evoke in us, are the subjects of this recital. Over the years, many composers have taken inspiration from these beauties of nature, which are emblems of love and grace, while also reminding us of the transience of life.
Ricky Ian Gordon, an American composer who has written operas as well as musicals, composed a song cycle in English, with the French title Huit chansons de fleurs, in 2021. We will hear five of the eight songs tonight. The cycle, commissioned by Tony W. Lee and So-Chung Shinn, was premiered by Erin Morley and Gerald Martin Moore at the Kennedy Center in 2024 and subsequently recorded by them for Orchid Classics.
In these songs, flowers serve as vehicles for a whole range of emotions. “We Should Not Mind So Small a Flower” after Emily Dickinson (1830-86) is a quiet idyll; “One Perfect Rose” after Dorothy Parker (1893-1967), a seemingly innocent miniature with an unexpected punchline. The next two songs are closely connected: Jane Kenyon’s (1947-95) “Peonies at Dusk” is suffused by the poet’s love for her garden–the same garden that her husband, Donald Hall (1928-2018) must “let go” as he grieves for his wife’s untimely death. In Canadian poet Telmo Dos Santos’s “Afterlife with Lilacs,” one can truly “let go” after breathing in the scent of the lilac bush, which will accompany one into “the next world.”
The rest of the program, sung in French, Russian, German and Italian, explores many more aspects of this inexhaustible topic. Georges Bizet’s Ouvre ton cœur is part of a cantata, written as a requirement of the Rome Prize that Bizet received in 1859. It is a lively serenade in the rhythm of the bolero, on words by a minor poet named Louis Delâtre (1815-93). Will the “young angel” open her heart to her suitor, like the daisy that opens its petals to the rising sun?
In the two Russian selections, any pleasure that the flower may give its admirer is tinged with melancholy. The lilac only grants some “poor little pleasure,” in what otherwise seems a rather dreary life, in Sergei Rachmaninoff’s 1902 romance, the words of which are by writer and translator Yekaterina Beketova (1855-92). And the unfortunate nightingale is hopelessly in love with an indifferent rose in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “oriental romance” from 1865-66, after a poem by the popular poet Alexei Koltsov (1808-42). On her recording, Morley sings an ornamental passage that was originally intended for the piano, to magical effect. This passage emphasizes the exotic interval of the augmented second, that makes the song sound “Oriental.”
The first half of the program ends with two French songs about insects. The manuscript of the 19-year-old Claude Debussy’s Les papillons (1881), now held at the New York Public Library, was unknown until the 1960s. The text is a love poem by Théophile Gautier (1811-72), one of France’s most prominent literary figures. Traditional romantic imagery receives an anticlimactic twist in La libellule (1890), written by a 55-year-old Camille Saint-Saëns on a poem of his own. In this dazzling showpiece, we admiringly follow the graceful flight of the dragonfly until we realize its murderous intentions at the end of the song.
The nightingale and the lilac bush return in Johannes Brahms’s sparkling Meine Liebe ist grün (1874), on a poem by Felix Schumann (1854-79), the youngest child of Robert and Clara, named in Mendelssohn’s memory, who died tragically at a young age. In Robert Schumann’s Nussbaum (1840), after poet and playwright Julius Mosen (1803-67), the walnut blossoms inspire sweet dreams of love in a young girl.
Alexander von Zemlinsky, a composer on the cusp of the modern era, painted a grim picture of a death-bringing Melancholy Bird (1901). The remarkable poet Christian Morgenstern (1871-1914), known mostly for his satirical verse, struck a rather ominous tone here. The lyrics of Alban Berg’s Die Nachtigall are by Theodor Storm (1817-88), a poet and novelist who was often critical of Romanticism. For all its beauty, the song of the nightingale makes a young girl feel uneasy. One of Berg’s Seven Early Songs (1907-08, rev. 1928), the song is filled with sensitive harmonies to express the girl’s discomfort, while a gentle, dance-like rhythm serves to maintain a peaceful exterior.
Saint-Saëns’s “The Nightingale and the Rose” (1901), a wordless vocalise, comes from the incidental music for a play about Parysatis, a Queen in ancient Persia. It is a real tour de force for the soprano, whose part includes imitations of the actual birdsong.
How could The Last Rose of Summer, that most famous of traditional Irish tunes, be missing from a bouquet of flower songs? And could one imagine a more fitting ending to such a recital than La capinera (“The Blackcap”)? This virtuoso extravaganza, on an anonymous Italian text, was composed by German-born Julius Benedict, who spent most of his life in England.
— Peter Laki
A NOTE FROM THE COMPOSER
ON HUIT CHANSONS DES FLEURS
When So-Chung Shinn came to me with the idea of commissioning a song cycle with her spectacular husband Tony Lee, she had in mind something having to do with flowers. Tony had asked her what she wanted for her birthday, and the very quintessence of graciousness, she said she wanted to be behind the creation of a new work. Lucky me, I was the recipient of the commission. So-Chung sent me a little description of all the flowers she loves, but I had to take the idea and create a narrative in my head. It is always a matter of pleasing the commissioner but coming up with something you can get behind and hear music for as well. I already knew I wanted to use my Tulips poem which is really about the arc of a relationship as represented through the life-span of the Tulips, their incremental disappearance, and, in many ways, disappointment, and Dorothy Parker’s “One Perfect Rose,” which is wry, bitter, cynical and funny, in a way only Dorothy Parker can so pithily express. I thought of Jane Kenyon’s exquisite “Peonies at Dusk,” because knowing she died so young, at 48, of Leukemia, the poem has such a particular resonance, almost humanizing the Peonies, casting the moon as a sentient being, illustrating so beautifully how connected everything is, alive here, and revolving around and drawn to these exquisite blossoms. Then, I remembered her husband Donald Hall’s poem “Her Garden,” which he wrote after she died, his grief intermingled with his inability to care for what she had created, to keep alive what so represented her aliveness, because he was so broken, and I felt I already had a story. I found the Wordsworth, because it felt like pure joy to me, but also, if each of the songs has a color in my head, “The Daffodils,” is pure yellow and a good place to start. My partner Kevin and I live on a lake, and every year, the first Daffodils, the shock of yellows, the oranges, the blinding whites, after the long snowy winters, sing of the newness that is about to enfold us in its
green miraculousness. At first, the cycle ended with the Langston Hughes poem “Cycle,” or “New Flowers,” because it was lovely, and about rebirth, which is obviously optimistic, and apt, but then, my friend Telmo Dos Santos, a wonderful Canadian poet who I met at Banff, sent me his poem “Afterlife With Lilacs,” having no idea what I was working on. I felt I had to add it because it is so dazzling and immediately felt like the missing link. Finally, there were unfortunately, rights issues, namely, we could not, no how, get in touch with the Langston Hughes estate, after so many happy collaborations. After almost a year’s frustration, I scrapped his poem, and I wrote my own text, “Play, Orpheus,” which ended up being fortuitous, because the first time I met So Chung, she entered the room and the most exquisite scent of Lillies of the Valley, Muguet de Bois, filled the room. I went right over to her and rudely put my nose to her neck, for the intoxication of the scent, so “Play, Orpheus,” is for So-Chung, to remind us of the precious treasures of this world flowers are, and remind us of their, and everything’s evanescence. Everything and everyone comes and goes, lives and dies, lives and dies. Death and resurrection. And of course, this is music, this is song, so the inclusion of Orpheus, the God of music, seems apt. Huit Chansons des Fleurs is really about what flowers represent, their radiance, their flickering impermanence, the way they are used to celebrate, to hallow, as well as to mourn … and of course, their fragrance. Their fragrance.
— Ricky Ian Gordon, July 28th, 2021, revised October 24th, 2023
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
ERIN MORLEY
One of today’s most sought-after lyric coloratura sopranos, Erin Morley regularly appears on the greatest opera stages. In the 2024-25 season she returns to the Met as Olympia in The Tales of Hoffman and Gilda in Rigoletto. Further highlights see her return to Arena di Verona and in the role of Cunegonde in concert performances of Candide at the Semperoper Dresden. On the concert platform, Morley appears with Staatskapelle Berlin with a program of Strauss Orchesterlieder led by Maestro Christian Thielemann, as well as the Boston Baroque and Boston Symphony Orchestra. In recital, she presents Wolf’s Italienisches Liederbuch with Huw Montague Rendall and Malcolm Martineau at London’s Wigmore Hall and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw; and presents her “Rose in Bloom” program at Park Avenue Armory, Yale School of Music, Friends of Chamber Music, and the BRAVO! Series at BYU. Most recently, the Met Opera announced Morley’s role debut as Marie in Donizetti’s La fille du régiment coming up in the 2025-26 season. Recent operatic highlights include: Pamina in a new production of Die Zauberflöte, the title role in Matthew Aucoin’s Eurydice, Sophie Der Rosenkavalier and Olympia Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Met Opera); her Teatro alla Scala debut as Zerbinetta Ariadne auf Naxos; Gilda in a new production of Rigoletto, Tytania in a new production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Zerbinetta, and Sophie (Wiener Staatsoper); Norina Don Pasquale and Zerbinetta (Glyndebourne); Lakmé (Washington Concert Opera); Konstanze Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Sophie (Opera de Paris); Tytania, Roxana Krol Roger, and the title role in Stravinsky’s The Nightingale (Santa Fe Opera). Cunegonde in Candide is another role that Morley has made her own at LA Opera, Philadelphia Orchestra, and at the Carnegie Hall Centenary celebration.
Equally at home on the concert platform, Morley has performed with leading orchestras around the globe and has collaborated with pianists Vlad Iftinca, Ken Noda, Gerald Martin Moore, and Malcolm Martineau. Morley’s debut recital disc “Rose in Bloom” with Gerald Martin Moore was released in 2024 to critical acclaim (Orchid Classics). She also appears on various recordings by the Metropolitan Opera, LA Phil, Opéra National de Bordeaux, and New York Philharmonic, and others.
Morley holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, The Juilliard School, and the Juilliard Opera Center. Additional training at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Ravinia Festival Stearns Institute, and Wolf Trap Opera Company.
GERALD MARTIN MOORE
An internationally renowned voice and opera pedagogue, Gerald Martin Moore has worked as a vocal consultant for major opera productions at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Edinburgh International Festival, La Scala, Opéra National de Paris, and Féstival d’Aix-en-Provence, and worked with such acclaimed performers as Renée Fleming, Erin Morley, Sabine Devieilhe, Natalie Dessay, Dame Sarah Connolly, Magdalena Kožená, Elīna Garanča, Isabel Leonard, and Javier Camarena.
Moore is the director of the Yale Opera and coordinator of vocal studies at the Yale School of Music. Since his appointment to Yale in 2020, alumni from his studio have gone on to sing roles with major companies including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Houston Grand Opera, among others.
Moore has given master classes at the Merola Opera Program, Los Angeles Opera Young Artist Program, and Washington National Opera. He has taught at the Ravinia Festival’s Steans Music Institute, Music Academy of the West, the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier lyrique, the Glyndebourne Festival, Curtis Institute of Music, and the Santa Fe Opera’s Apprentice Program for Singers. He has served as Artistic Associate of Carnegie Hall’s SongStudio program led by celebrated soprano Renée Fleming.
A frequent recitalist, most notably with Renée Fleming, he has performed before such dignitaries as President Obama, President Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, HRH King Charles, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Moore was recently featured accompanying Renée Fleming on the soundtrack for the movie Bel Canto and coached Julianne Moore to play the role of Roxanne. In May 2024, Moore made his Kennedy Center debut in recital with soprano Erin Morley, coinciding with the release of their new album “Rose in Bloom.”
Moore studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and at the National Opera Studio in London. Moore may currently be heard as a regular host of the Metropolitan Opera Quiz, and is a frequent judge for prestigious vocal competitions, including the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.
RICKY
IAN
GORDON (b. 1956)
Huit Chansons des Fleurs (2021)
1. We Should Not Mind So Small a Flower
Text by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
We should not mind so small a flower
Except it quiet bring Our little garden that we lost Back to the Lawn again -
So spicy her Carnations nodSo drunken, reel her BeesSo silver, steal a hundred flutes From out a hundred trees -
That whoso sees this little flower By faith, may clear behold The Bobolinks around the throne And Dandelions gold.
4. One Perfect Rose Poem by Dorothy Parker (1893-1967)
A single flow’r he sent me, since we met. All tenderly his messenger he chose; Deep-hearted, pure, with scented dew still wet—
One perfect rose.
I knew the language of the floweret; “My fragile leaves,” it said, “his heart enclose.” Love long has taken for his amulet
One perfect rose.
Why is it no one ever sent me yet
One perfect limousine, do you suppose?
Ah no, it’s always just my luck to get
One perfect rose.
5. Peonies at Dusk Poem by Jane Kenyon (1947-1995)
White peonies blooming along the porch send out light while the rest of the yard grows dim. Outrageous flowers as big as human heads! They’re staggered by their own luxuriance: I had to prop them up with stakes and twine.
The moist air intensifies their scent, and the moon moves around the barn to find out what it’s coming from. In the darkening June evening I draw a blossom near, and bending close search it as a woman searches a loved one’s face.
6. Her Garden Poem by Donald Hall
I let her garden go. let it go, let it go
How can I watch the hummingbird Hover to sip
With its beak’s tip
The purple bee balm—whirring as we heard It years ago?
The weeds rise rank and thick let it go, let it go
Where annuals grew and burdock grows, Where standing she At once could see
The peony, the lily, and the rose
Rise over brick
She’d laid in patterns. Moss let it go, let it go
Turns the bricks green, softening them
By the gray rocks
Where hollyhocks
That lofted while she lived, stem by tall stem, Blossom with loss.
7. Afterlife with Lilacs Poem by Telmo Dos Santos
If you ask me
To choose
Just one thing
To take with me
To the next world, It would not be A ring of gold. It would not be A letter, Or a book. It would not be A photograph, Or any memento Of worth.
The Egyptians Buried their royalty With precious gifts, It is said, To help them
In their new life...
But I think, perhaps, They were Weighing them down, Keeping them close.
So,
If you ask me
To choose
Just one thing
To take with me
To the next world, It would not be
A ring of gold. I would grab a bunch Of lilac flowers, Breathe deeply
The smell of spring, New and temporary, Sweet and fresh, And hold them closeHold them close. Then I would let go.
GEORGES BIZET (1838-1875)
Ouvre ton cœur (1859)
Text by Louis Delâtre (1815)
La marguerite a fermé sa corolle, L’ombre a fermé les yeux du jour. Belle, me tiendras-tu parole? Ouvre ton cœur à mon amour.
Ouvre ton cœur, ô jeune ange, à ma flamme, Qu’un rêve charme ton sommeil. Je veux reprendre mon âme, Comme une fleur s’ouvre au soleil!
SERGEI RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
Twelve Romances, op. 21 no. 5 “Lilacs” (1902)
Text by Ekaterina Andreyena Beketova (1855-1892)
По утру, на заре,
По росистой траве,
Я пойду свежим утром дышать;
И в душистую тень,
Где теснится сирень,
Я пойду своё счастье искать...
В жизни счастье одно
Мне найти суждено,
И то счастье в сирени живёт;
На зелёных ветвях,
На душистых кистях
Моё бедное счастье цветёт…
Open your heart English translation by Richard Sharman
The daisy has closed its petals, Shadow has closed the eyes of the day My beauty, will you keep your promise to me?
Open your heart to my love.
Open your heart, young angel, to my flame So that a dream may charm your sleep I wish to take back my soul
As a flower opens before the sun!
Lilacs
English translation by Gina Levinson
In the morning at dawn, On the grass glistening with dew, I will walk to breathe the freshness of the morning; And the fragrance of the lilacs, Crowded by the shadows, I will seek my fortune …
In life there is a single-minded quest for happiness I am destined to find it, And that happiness lives in these lilacs; On its branches covered by greenery, On its fragrant cluster, My fragile happiness can blossom… I wanted to make you a bouquet
NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908)
Plenivshis rozoj, solovey (‘The Nightingale’)
Text by Aleksey Vasil’yevich Kol’tsov (1808-1842)
The Nightingale
English translation by Gina Levinson
Entranced by roses, the nightingale Day and night sings over her; But the rose listens silently … Another singer takes up the lyre Singing for a young lady; But the naive lady has no clue For whom is he singing, and why Such sad songs from him?
CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Les papillons (1881)
Text by Théophile Gautier (1811-1872)
Les papillons couleur de neige Volent par essaims sur la mer; Beaux papillons blancs, quand pourrai-je Prendre le bleu chemin de l’air?
Savez-vous, ô belle des belles, Ma bayadère aux yeux de jais, S’ils me pouvaient prêter leurs ailes, Dites, savez-vous où j’irais?
Sans prendre un seul baiser aux roses À travers vallons et forêts, J’irais à vos lèvres mi-closes, Fleur de mon âme, et j’y mourrais.
JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897)
9 Lieder und Gesänge, op. 63 no. 5 “Junge Liebe I: Meine Liebe ist grün” (1874)
Text by Felix Schumann (1854-1879)
Meine Liebe ist grün wie der Fliederbusch Und mein Lieb ist schön wie die Sonne; Die glänzt wohl herab auf den Fliederbusch Und füllt ihn mit Duft und mit Wonne.
Meine Seele hat Schwingen der Nachtigall Und wiegt sich in blühendem Flieder, Und jauchzet und singet vom Duft berauscht Viel liebestrunkene Lieder.
Butterflies
English translation by Richard Sharman
Butterflies, the color of snow Swarm over the sea
Beautiful white butterflies, when may I Embark upon the blue path of air?
Do you know, beauty of beauties, My black-eyed bayadère, If they may lend me their wings Tell me, do you know where I am going?
Without once kissing the roses
Through valleys and forests
I would go towards your half-closed lips, Blossom of my soul, and there would I die.
Songs of Youth I: My love’s as green English translation by Richard Stokes
My love’s as green as the lilac bush, And my sweetheart’s as fair as the sun; The sun shines down on the lilac bush, Fills it with delight and fragrance. My soul has a nightingale’s wings And sways in the blossoming lilac, And, drunk with fragrance, exults and sings Many a love-drunk song.
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Myrthen, op. 25 no. 3 “Der Nussbaum” (1840)
Text by Julius Mosen (1803-1867)
Es grünet ein Nussbaum, vor dem Haus, Duftig, Luftig
Breitet er blättrig die Blätter aus.
Viel liebliche Blüten stehen d’ran, Linde
Winde
Kommen, sie herzlich zu umfahn.
Es flüstern je zwei zu zwei gepaart, Neigend,
Beugend
Zierlich zum Kusse die Häuptchen zart. Sie flüstern von einem Mägdlein, das Dächte
Die Nächte
Und Tagelang, wüsste ach! selber nicht was. Sie flüstern—wer mag verstehen so gar
Leise
Weis’?
Flüstern von Bräut’gam und nächstem Jahr.
Das Mägdlien horchet, es rauscht im Baum; Sehnend,
Wähnend
Sinkt es lächelnd in Schlaf und Traum.
The Walnut Tree
English translation by Richard Sharman
A walnut tree grows green before the house
Fragrantly, Airily,
It spreads out its leafy canopy.
Many beautiful blooms blossom from it
Soft
Breezes
Come, to warmly embrace them
Paired two by two they whisper
Bowing, Bending
To delicately kiss their sweet heads
They whisper of a maiden
Who thinks
All day and night
But ah! Even she does not know
They whisper – who might understand
Such a gentle tune?
They whisper of a bridegroom and next year.
The maiden listens, the tree rustles, Longing, Hoping,
She sinks smiling into sleep and dreams.
ALEXANDER VON ZEMLINSKY (1871-1942)
Ehetanzlied op. 10 no. 3 “Vöglein Schwermut” (1901)
Text by Christian Morgenstern (1871-1914)
Ein schwarzes Vöglein fliegt über die Welt, das singt so todestraurig...
Wer es hört, der hört nichts anderes mehr, wer es hört, der tut sich ein Leides an, der mag keine Sonne mehr schauen. All Mitternacht ruht es sich aus auf dem Fingern des Tods.
Der streichelt’s leis und spricht ihm zu: “Flieg, mein Vögelchen! flieg, mein Vögelchen!” Und wieder fliegt’s flötend über die Welt.
The Bird of Melancholy English translation by Ryan M. Prendergast
A little black bird flies over the world, And sings so very sadly… Whoever hears it hears nothing else, Whoever hears it does themselves harm, And sees the sun no more.
At the midnight hour, it rests itself
On the fingers of Death.
With gentle caress, he speaks to it: “Fly, my little bird! Fly, my little bird!” And once again it flies whistling over the world.
ALBAN BERG (1885-1935)
Sieben frühe Lieder no. 3 “Die Nachtigall” (1907)
Text by Theodor Storm (1817-1888)
Das macht, es hat die Nachtigall Die ganze Nacht gesungen; Da sind von ihrem süssen Schall, Da sind in Hall und Widerhall Die Rosen aufgesprungen.
Sie war doch sonst ein wildes Blut, Nun geht sie tief in Sinnen; Trägt in der Hand den Sommerhut Und duldet still der Sonne Glut Und weiß nicht, was beginnen.
Das macht, es hat die Nachtigall Die ganze Nacht gesungen; Da sind von ihrem süssen Schall, Da sind in Hall und Widerhall Die Rosen aufgesprungen.
TRADITIONAL IRISH
The Last Rose of Summer
Text by Thomas Moore (1779-1852)
Tis the last rose of summer left blooming alone
All her lovely companions are faded and gone No flower of her kindred, no rosebud is nigh To reflect back her blushes, or give sigh for sigh. I’ll not leave thee, thou lone one, to pine on the stem, Since the lovely are sleeping, go sleep thou with them. Thus kindly I scatter thy leaves o’er the bed, Where thy mates of the garden lie scentless and dead. So soon may I follow when friendships decay, And from love’s shining circle, the gems drop away. When true hearts lie withered, and fond ones are flown, Oh who would inhabit this bleak world alone?
The Nightingale (Seven Early Songs) English translation by Ryan M. Prendergast
Because the nightingale Has sung the entire night, From her sweet sound, From its echo and resound, The roses have sprung up.
Once she was of wild blood, Now she wafts deep in thought. She carries a summer hat in her hand, And silently suffers the summer heat And knows not what to begin.
Because the nightingale Has sung the entire night, From her sweet sound, From its echo and resound, The roses have sprung up.
JULIUS BENEDICT (1804-1885)
“La Capinera” (1881)
Unknown text origin, possibly by Francesco Rizelli
Col ritornar del dolce April
Tu torni pur, o mia gentil, E vieni a dir la tua canzon Fra vaghi fior del mio veron.
Tua voce un tal piacer mi fa Che di cantar desio mi dà.
Cantiam insiem mi guida tu Cantiam l’amor, la gioventù.
Salutan te l’erbe ed i fior
In quell’ arcan linguaggio lor. Del venticel il mormorar
Un bacio sol cercar ti par
E mentre il cor vicin a te
D’un gaudio ho pien ch’uman non è Io vuò cantar mi guida tu Cantiam l’amor la gioventù, La gioventù, l’amor cantiam!
The Wren English text by Richard Sharman
With the return of sweet April
You return too, my sweet one
And come to tell me your song
Between the beautiful flowers on my balcony
Your voice gives me so much pleasure
It makes me want to sing
Let us sing together, you will show me how,
Let us sing to love and to youth.
The grass and the flowers greet you
In that strange language of theirs
The whispering of the wind seems
To beg just one kiss from you
And while my heart is close to yours
It is filled with a joy that is not mortal
I want to sing, you will show me how,
Let us sing to love and to youth,
To youth and to love, we will sing!
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 and Roderick Williams, clarinetist Andreas Ottensamer, and cellist István Várdai; the North American solo recital debuts of tenor Michael Spyres 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 WiederAtherton 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
NEXT IN THE SERIES
PENE PATI & RONNY MICHAEL GREENBERG
SEPTEMBER 24 & 26
The first Samoan tenor to perform on Europe’s top opera stages, Pene Pati has made a name for himself on both sides of the Atlantic with an exceptional versatility in repertoire that showcases his luminous timbre, a seductively natural singing style, and perfectly nuanced articulation. Pati makes his North American solo recital debut in the Board of Officers Room with a varied program of songs traversing eras and continents that beautifully showcases his caressing colors and amber high notes.
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; and Viet Cuong’s Next Week’s Trees, performed by Sandbox Percussion.
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 entitled 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; and soprano Barbara Hannigan with pianist Bertrand Chamayou
JEREMY DENK, PIANO
OCTOBER 8 & 10
Jeremy Denk is one of America’s foremost pianists, receiving acclaim from audiences and critics alike for his nuanced performances on both the recital and orchestral stage. Denk will give a marathon performance of what is considered the most famous and challenging collection of suites in music history—Bach’s Six Partitas—large musical canvases that follow the basic form of the Baroque dance suite and beautifully showcase virtuosic playing.
NEXT AT THE ARMORY
CONSTELLATION
JUNE 5 –AUGUST 17
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Diane Arbus’s stark, documentary style of capturing people outside the boundaries of ordinary society has influenced countless artists with iconic images that seem to reflect Arbus’ restless attraction to the unfamiliar in all its guises. These dynamic pictures are given an evocative new life at the Armory in an immersive installation that brings together all of the photographs—some still unpublished— from the set of more than 450 prints. Marking the largest and most complete showing of her works in New York to date, this unprecedented collection of Arbus’s works provides a diverse and singularly compelling portrait of humanity. Co-presented with LUMA Arles
MONKEY OFF MY BACK OR THE CAT’S MEOW
SEPTEMBER 9 – 20
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Centered on a stunning Mondrian-like colored grid spanning the length of the Drill Hall, choreographer, dancer, and Guggenheim fellow Trajal Harrell’s dancing runway show is turned on its head with iconography that juxtaposes everyday gestures and artificial poses with historical references, pop culture, and political rhetoric. And while drawing on the Declaration of Independence as a foundation for the US and its urgent call for freedom, this vivid mosaic of a double-edged paradigm also explores the resulting inequalities to the forebearers of the land affected by those actions while celebrating the unifying power of community.
11,000 STRINGS
SEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 7
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Surrounding audiences with 50 micro-tuned pianos playing simultaneously alongside a chamber ensemble, maverick composer Georg Friedrich Haas’s spatial masterpiece, performed by Klangforum Wien, unleashes a cascade of sound that transcends traditional tonality while focusing on the human dimension in music experimentalism and creating a new way of listening. This sonically adventurous spatial work is realized as a concert installation in the Wade Thompson Drill Hall, howcases Haas’s focus on the human dimension in his experimentalism while creating a new way of listening.
THE FAGGOTS AND THEIR FRIENDS BETWEEN REVOLUTIONS
DECEMBER 2 – 14
NORTH
AMERICAN PREMIERE
This cult book of fables and myths serves as the starting point for a new music theater adaptation from the creative minds of composer Philip Venables and director Ted Huffman. Together they conjure up a world that takes the original text on a kaleidoscopic journey that ignores boundaries just like the characters on stage do, drawing on theater, dance, and song from the Baroque to Broadway and beyond.
The performers serve as actors, storytellers, and musicians all rolled into one, continually swapping roles while doing away with gender and genre norms and replacing them with unapologetic individuality and a lust for life. The resulting cabaret-like spectacle is both vulnerable and daring, a fantastic parable hiding a political manifesto for survival that gives voice to the marginalized and oppressed everywhere.
MAKING SPACE AT THE ARMORY LENAPEHOKING: AN EVENING WITH BRENT MICHAEL DAVIDS
MAY 30
Marking the 400th anniversary of the start of construction of New Amsterdam on what is now lower Manhattan, this evocative evening of chamber music and storytelling considers the myth of Manhattan’s purchase while celebrating the enduring presence of Lenape and other Indigenous nations. Featuring captivating compositions by Brent Michael Davids, this memorable musical journey, incorporating unique Native American instruments as well as a string quartet and chorus of singers, engages audiences with Indigenous cultural expressions to envision decolonial futures through the power of music and narrative.
BLACK THEATER ADVANCE SEPTEMBER 6
Building on a multi-year initiative to catalyze growth and permanence for Black theaters across the nation, this dynamic salon tackles the issues facing us all in reimagining the future of American theater as a space for bold artistic expression and social change. Through conversations, activations, and manifestos, the event manifests the vision and voices of Black theater makers, with innovative approaches to storytelling, amplifying diverse voices, community engagement, and institutional transformation.
Co-presented with National Black Theatre
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
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman Emeritus
Elihu Rose, PhD
Co-Chairs Adam R. Flatto
Amanda J.T. Riegel
President
features presentations by scholars and writers on topics related to Park Avenue 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 institutions 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 NYNG (Ret.) Ralph
Avant-Garde Chair
Adrienne Katz
Directors Emeriti Harrison M. Bains
Angela E. Thompson*
Wade F.B. Thompson* Founding Chairman, 2000-2009
Pierre Audi
Anita K. Hersh Artistic Director
PARK AVENUE ARMORY STAFF
Rebecca Robertson Adam R. Flatto Founding President and Executive Producer
Pierre Audi 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
Aarti Ogirala Associate Director of Education, School Programs
Biviana Sanchez School Programs Manager
Nadia Parfait Education Programs Manager
Ciara Ward Youth Corps Manager
Bev Vega Youth Corps Manager
Milen Yimer Youth Corps Assistant
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, Victoria Fernandez, Sebastian Harris, Adriana Taboada Teaching Assistants
Shatisha Bryant, Alexus Heiserman, Melina Jorge, Oscar Montenegro Teaching Apprentices
Joseph Balbuena, Eden Battice, Teja Caban, Koralys De La Cruz, Fatou Diallo, AJ Volkov Youth Corps Advisory Board
Eden Battice, Melina Jorge, Nephthali Mathieu, Hillary Ramirez Perez, AJ Volkov Youth Corps, Post High School Advanced Interns
Phoenix Acevedo, Justin Amesquita, Mariela Bonilla, June Bottex, Rose Brunache, Neon Caceres, Brooke-Lynn Clarke, Matthew Deyhill, Nathaly Estrella, Leah Fernandez, Azrael Hernandez, Jahrye Jalloh, Ria Matula, Rochelin Mendoza, Armaan Pabey, Hennsy Pena, Naima Rodriguez, Layne Steede Youth Corps, High School
BUILDING OPERATIONS
Karen Quigley Vice President of Capital Projects and Facilities
Marc Von Braunsberg Director of Operations and Security
Samuel Denitz Director of Facilities
Xavier Everett Security/Operations Manager
David Burnhauser Collection Manager
Emma Paton Administrative and Office Coordinator
Williams Say Superintendent
Olga Cruz, Leandro Dasso, Mayra DeLeon, Jeferson Avila, Felipe Calle, Jose Campoverde, Edwin Fell, Jacob Garrity, 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 Major Gifts Officer
Chiara Bosco Manager 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, Sarah Jack, Matthew Kamen, Emma Komisar, Michelle Meged, Caleb Moreno, Arriah Ratanapan, Ester Teixeira
Vianna Box Office Associates
Caitlin O’Keefe, Anne Wolf Tour Guides
Natasha Michele Norton Director of House Management
Clayton McInerney, Dawn Clements, Nancy Gill Sanchez, Terrelle Jones House Managers
Becky Ho, Cody Castro, Rachel Carmona, Tayler Everts Assistant House Managers
Adonai Fletcher-Jones, Aiyana Greene, Arriah Ratanapan, Beth Miller, Christina Johns, Christine Lemme, Dorsen Sween, Eboni Greene, Edwin Adkins, Eileen Rouke, Elijah Tejeda, Eliza Goldsteen, Gloriveht Ortiz, Janelyne DeVoe, John Summers, Joseph Balbuena, Kathleen Rodriguez,
Kathleen White, Kedesia Robinson, Kin Tam, Lana Hankinson, Mariel Mercedes, Melina Jorge, MJ Ryerson, Naomi Santos, Neda Yeganeh, Nephthali Mathieu, Regina Pearsall, Sandra Kitt, Sarah Gallick, Sebastian Harris, Tess Kondratiev, Yanitza Ordonez, Yao Adja, Yenupaak Konlan, Zoe Rhinehart Ushers
Resnicow + Associates Press Representatives
PRODUCTION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Matthew Epstein, Sarah Billinghurst Solomon Artistic Consultants for Vocal Recitals
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.
*Subject to ticket availability
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.
For more information about membership, please contact the Membership Office at (212) 616-3958 or members@armoryonpark.org. For information on ticketing, or to purchase tickets, please contact the Box Office at (212) 933-5812 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 Miller
Anne-Victoire Auriault/Goldman Sachs Gives
Abigail and Joseph Baratta
Blavatnik Family Foundation
Jeanne-Marie Champagne
Hélène and Stuyvesant Comfort
Caroline and Paul Cronson
Courtney and Jonathan Davis
Jessie Ding and Ning Jin
Misook Doolittle
Lisa and Sanford B. Ehrenkranz
The Lehoczky Escobar Family
Adam and Abigail Flatto
Robin Fowler
Roberta Garza and Roberto Mendoza
Lorraine Gallard and Richard H. Levy
Barbara and Peter Georgescu
Joan Granlund
Kim and Jeff Greenberg
Lawrence and Sharon Hite
Samhita and Ignacio Jayanti
Carola Jain
LEGACY CIRCLE
Wendy Keys
Irene Kohn
Fernand Lamesch
Almudena and Pablo Legorreta
Christina and Alan MacDonald
Andrew Martin-Weber and Beejan Land
John and Lisa Miller
Lily O’Boyle
Valerie Pels
Amanda J.T. and Richard E. Riegel
Ben Rodriguez-Cubeñas
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
Slobodan Randjelović and Jon Stryker
Saundra Whitney
Ku-Ling Yurman
Anonymous (2)
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
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
Citi
Empire State Local Development Corporation
Adam and Abigail Flatto
Marina Kellen French
Barbara and Andrew Gundlach
Anita K. Hersh Philanthropic Fund
Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, Inc.
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
The Pershing Square Foundation
Amanda J.T. and Richard E. Riegel
Susan and Elihu Rose
The Arthur Ross Foundation and J & AR Foundation
Joan Smilow and Joel Smilow*
Sanford L. Smith*
The Starr Foundation
The Thompson Family Foundation
Wade F.B. Thompson*
The Zelnick/Belzberg Charitable Trust Anonymous (3)
$500,000 to $999,999
Bloomberg Philanthropies
Lisa and Sanford B. Ehrenkranz
Almudena and Pablo Legorreta
Office of the Manhattan Borough President under the leaership of Mark Levine
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
The Rockefeller Foundation
Marshall Rose Family Foundation
$100,000 to $249,999
The Achelis and Bodman Foundations
R. Mark and Wendy Adams
Linda and Earle Altman
Blavatnik Family Foundation
Booth Ferris Foundation
Hélène and Stuyvesant Comfort
Caroline and Paul Cronson
Courtney and Jonathan Davis
Jessie Ding and Ning Jin
Misook Doolittle
Roberta Garza
Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation
Joan Granlund
Kim and Jeff Greenberg
Marjorie and Gurnee Hart
Samhita and Ignacio Jayanti
The Emily Davie and Joseph S. Kornfeld Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Lester Morse
New York State Assembly
Stavros Niarchos Foundation
Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust
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
Joan and Michael Steinberg
Mr. William C. Tomson
$25,000 to $99,999
Amy and David Abrams
Sarah Arison
Jody and John Arnhold
The Avenue Association
The Cowles Charitable Trust
Cora and Luis Delgado
Jenna Fagnan and Thomas Jacquot
Lorraine Gallard and Richard H. Levy
Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation
Barbara and Peter Georgescu
Howard Gilman Foundation
Agnes Gund
Janet Halvorson
Howard Hughes Corporation
The Keith Haring Foundation
Carola Jain
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
The Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Foundation
Fernand Lamesch
The Lehoczky Escobar Family
Christina and Alan MacDonald
Marc Haas Foundation
Andrew Martin-Weber and Beejan Land
Lisa S. Miller and John N. Miller
National Endowment for the Arts
New York State Council on the Arts
Lily O’Boyle
Slobodan Randjelović and Jon Stryker
Rhodebeck Charitable Trust
Genie and Donald Rice
Rebecca Robertson and Byron Knief
The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation
Caryn Schacht and David Fox
Orville Schell
The Shubert Foundation
Sydney and Stanley S. Shuman
Amy and Jeffrey Silverman
Denise Littlefield Sobel
TEFAF NY
Terra Foundation for American Art
The SHS Foundation
The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering
Tishman Speyer
Jane Toll
Susan Unterberg
Van Cleef & Arpels
Wescustogo Foundation
Saundra Whitney
Ying Zhou and Run Ye
Ku-Ling Yurman
Anonymous (5)
$10,000 to $24,999
AECOM Tishman
Judith Hart Angelo
Anne-Victoire Auriault / Goldman Sachs Gives
Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation
Harrison and Leslie Bains
Susan Bram
Alexandra Andrea Cahill
Susan and Jeff Campbell
Suzanne Hall and Valentino Carlotti
Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation
Jeanne Donovan Fisher
William F. Draper
Ella M. Foshay and Michael B. Rothfeld
Robin Fowler
Elliot Friman
John R. and Kiendl Dauphinot Gordon
Lawrence and Sharon Hite
Sheila and Bill Lambert
Judy and Leonard Lauder
Leon Levy Foundation
James Marlas and Marie Nugent-Head Marlas*
Danny and Audrey Meyer
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Stéphanie and Jesse Newhouse
Michael Peterson
Katharine Rayner
Fiona and Eric Rudin
Mrs. William H. Sandholm
Cynthia and Tom Sculco
Brian S. Snyder
Howard & Sarah D. Solomon Foundation
Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang
The Prospect Hill Foundation
Barbara D. Tober Dabie Tsai
Michael Tuch Foundation
Diana Wege Maria Wirth
Anonymous (5)
$5,000 to $9,999
Barbara Goldstein Amster
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Steve Marshall
Page Ashley
Stephanie Bernheim
The Emma and Georgina Bloomberg Foundation
Nicholas Brawer
Dr. Joyce F. Brown and Mr. H. Carl McCall
Amanda M. Burden
Mary and Brad Burnham
Cindy and Tim Carlson
Arthur and Linda Carter
Michael Woloz
Judith-Ann Corrente
Baronnes Lulu Sezercan Dalkanat
David L. Klein, Jr. Foundation
Jennie L. and Richard K.* DeScherer
John H. Alschuler and Diana Diamond, Therme US
Jamie Drake
Dr. Nancy Eppler-Wolff and Mr. John Wolff
The Felicia Fund
Andrew and Theresa Fenster
Jennivée Fiorese
Joshua Dachs/Fisher Dachs Associates
Jill
Bart
Gail
Perennial
Susan
Preserve
Laura
Ida
Marjorie
Chuck
Stewart and Justin Stewart
Michael and Veronica Stubbs
Doris Valle Risso
Peter van Egmond Rossbach
Nina and Nicholas von Moltke
Mary Wallach
George Wang and Shanshan Xu
Diana Wege
The Wege Foundation
Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, GRoW @ Annenberg
Michael Weinstein
Beth Williams
Cynthia Young and George Eberstadt
Toni Young
Anonymous (4)
$2,500 to $4,999
Carolina Abed Gaona
Allen Adler and Frances Beatty
Kenneth Ashley
Susan Baker and Michael Lynch Bard College
Lauren and Suprotik Basu
Tony Bechara
Catherine Behrend
Candace and Rick Beinecke
Rick Berndt and Marie-Camille Havard
Elaine S. Bernstein
Melanie Bouvard and Matthew Bird
Mr. and Mrs. Richard* Braddock
Elaine and Dan Brownstein
Michael Carlisle and Sally Peterson
Natalia Chefer
Lori and Alexandre Chemla
David and Peri
Foundation
Max Ember
Dasha Epstein
Fiona Morgan Fein
Nicholas Firth and Sophie de Brignac Gwen and Austin Fragomen
Eleanor Friedman and Jonathan J. Cohen
Judith Garson and Steven Rappaport
Tracey and Scott Gerber
Pascale and Brian Hainline Ben Hakim
Rolf Heitmeyer
Andrea Hirsch
Barbara Hoffman Mr. Joseph C. Hoopes, Jr. Howe-Lewis International
Brian Hughes
Anuradha T. Jayanti
Adele Johnson
Jeanne Kanders
Adrienne Katz
James and Stephanie Kearney
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List as of March 14, 2025 * In memoriam
ABOUT THE BOARD OF OFFICERS ROOM
“The restoration of the Park Avenue Armory seems destined to set a new standard, not so much for its scale, but for its level of respect and imagination.”
— The New York Times
The Board of Officers Room is one of the most important historic rooms in America and one of the few remaining interiors by Herter Brothers. After decades of progressive damage and neglect, the room completed a revitalization in 2013 by the architecture team at Herzog & de Meuron and executive architects Platt Byard Dovell White Architects to transform the space into a state-of-the-art salon for intimate performances and other contemporary art programming. The Board of Officers Room is the third period room at the Armory completed (out of 18) and represents the full range of design tools utilized by the team including the removal of accumulated layers on the surfaces, the addition of contemporary lighting to the 1897 chandeliers, new interpretations of the stencil patterns on areas of loss, the addition of metallic finishes on new materials, new programming infrastructure, and custom-designed furniture. The room’s restoration is part of an ongoing $215-million transformation, which is guided by the understanding that the Armory’s rich history and the patina of time are essential to its character. A defining component of the design process for the period rooms is the close collaboration between architect and artisan. Highly skilled craftspeople working in wood, paint, plaster, and metals were employed in the creation of the building’s original interiors and the expertise—and hand—of similar artisans has been drawn upon for the renovation work throughout.
The renovation of the Board of Officers Room was made possible through the generosity of The Thompson Family Foundation. Cover photo: James Ewing.
