Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts welcomed June with its Summer Gala, featuring an evening with EGOT-winning musician John Legend.
The annual event raises funds for Summer for the City, Lincoln Center’s arts festival that offers annual pay-what-you-wish and free arts programs for the public. Since its inception in 2022, the festival has served over 1.6 million visitors. The gala also recognized Andreas C. Dracopoulos, president of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) and dancer-author-philanthropist Misty Copeland for their efforts to make the performing arts accessible.
Jerry I. Speyer, Katherine Farley, Mariko Silver, Misty Copeland, Andreas C. Dracopolous, Tina Swartz, and Steven R. Swartz. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts)
SNF is a philanthropic organization dedicated to support nonprofits including those serving arts and culture. Under Dracopoulos, SNF has launched its Lincoln Center West Initiative, a design to open up the Amsterdam Avenue side of the Center’s campus. Extensive community feedback developed this initiative, which began in 2023. Slated to open Summer 2028, the West campus proposes water features, green spaces and an amphitheater that will fit 2,000 guests.
“The West initiative really enables us to engage with our neighbors in new ways,” Lincoln Center President and CEO Mariko Silver told The Knockturnal.
Copeland, the first Black female Principal Dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, has worked closely with Lincoln Center for 25 years. She currently serves on the board, which has overseen the West Initiative. Copeland received the Center’s inaugural Luminary Award, honoring both her singular artistic talents and her dedication to community service. Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem presented Copeland with the award.
“It means so much to me to call Lincoln Center home,” Copeland told The Knockturnal. “To see the campus really grow, change and evolve says so much about the institution and the future of the arts. I’m really honored to receive this award and serve on the board as an artist and a Black woman. It’s really meaningful.”
Misty Copeland and Thelma Golden. (Lawrence Sumulong)
Guests gathered inside the Wu Tsai Theater at the Center’s David Geffen Hall for remarks and An Evening With John Legend, the Gala’s headline concert. A video tribute to Copeland included contributions from artists including Alicia Keys, Debbie Allen and Steven R. Swartz. Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Alice Smith opened the performance with her powerful rendition of “I Put A Spell On You.”
John Legend. (Lawrence Sumulong)
Legend took the stage with just a piano and microphone, belting out classics like The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun” and his first-ever single “Used to Love U.” Legend turned the audience into a chorus, encouraging guests to sing along. Of course, the set ended with crowd-favorite “All of Me.”
Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City officially begins on June 10 and ends Aug. 8, featuring an exciting slate of pay-what-you-wish and free dance performances. Upcoming events include Social Dance nights and the sixth BAAND Together Dance Festival with five New York City dance companies. Lincoln Center’s biannual Contemporary Dance Festival also launches this summer, overseen by new Director of Contemporary Dance Donald Borror.
“[These] performances are choreography in conversation with the architecture of Lincoln Center’s campus,” Borror told The Knockturnal. “What’s so exciting about dance is that it’s super accessible. Anyone can watch something and derive meaning from it.”
Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City offers first-come, first-served and box office tickets for its programs. Information about upcoming events and tickets can be found online.
