NEW YORK, NY.- Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts announced its upcoming Fall/Spring season. As the institution continues its next chapter opening the campus more fully to the city through the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Lincoln Center West Initiative, the season reflects this same spirit artistically: offering groundbreaking connections—between artists and audiences, tradition and innovation, and local and global perspectives—for all New Yorkers. Programming is offered for free or Choose-What-You-Pay.
Complementing the artistry of the ten world-class resident organizations with whom LCPA shares the Lincoln Center campus, the season is anchored by a number of major initiatives drawing connections across genres and generations, including the Lincoln Center Visionary Artist series, Lincoln Center Contemporary Dance Festival, and Legacies of San Juan Hill Festival.
Longstanding series return, including American Songbook, Big Umbrella Festival, VAYA!, Lincoln Center Moments, and more. Newer series deepen commitment to contemporary artistry, including Lincoln Center Immersive, Festival of Firsts, Unsound New York, Under the Radar, and a sweep of global programming for kids and families. Relaxed performances across the campus are available for all, especially welcoming people who are neurodivergent or families with young children.
The institution’s expanded commitment to contemporary dance continues with the first January edition of the Lincoln Center Contemporary Dance Festival, alongside additional presentations that engage with contemporary dance across cultures, including Jacqulyn Buglisi’s Table of Silence Project 9/11 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of 9/11; Aszure Barton and Ambrose Akinmusire’s A a | a B : B E N D; an evening honoring the legacy of Carmen de Lavallade with dancers from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Dance Theatre of Harlem; and more.
The 26/27 season marks five years for Shanta Thake as Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer, having begun her tenure just as the industry was coming out of the pandemic in the fall of 2021. In her time with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, she has established multiple artist residencies and fellowships; spearheaded major collaborations including the Anthem to US project with Brooklyn Public Library and in collaboration with composers Damien L. Sneed, Jaime Lozano, Martha Redbone, and Aaron Whitby; led the American Modern Opera Company (AMOC*) Lincoln Center debut and most ambitious Run AMOC* Festival to date with 10 New York premieres across 12 productions; and catalyzed more than 50 new works and commissions across genres from internationally celebrated artists—all within a framework of access, belonging, and purposefully designed experiences that create close connections between artists and audiences. Commission highlights include:
• Island Prayers by David Balakrishnan, Terence Blanchard, Rhiannon Giddens, and Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate (2023)
• Soundcake: Aural Confections by Sapphira Cristl and Mont X Change (2024)
• The Dream Machine Experience by Nona Hendryx (2024)
• He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing by Hannah Kendall (2024)
• Ethan Lipton & His Orchestra… And Their Orchestra (2024)
• City of Floating Sounds by Huang Ruo (2024)
• Collective Body by Sarah Silverblatt-Buser (2025)
• A More Perfect Union by Billy Childs (2026)
• Declaration by Lara Downes (2026)
• Change Thy Course by Hannah Ishizaki (2026)
• Urban Love Suite by Sekou McMiller (2026)
• These Righteous Paths by Jessie Montgomery (2026)
• PLAZA by Andrew Schneider (2026)
• Empire at Sea by Peter Flaherty (2027)
Thake’s approach to curation and free and Choose-What-You-Pay programming has strengthened the institution’s commitment to building the next generation of arts audiences, resulting in more than 600,000 new audiences since her tenure began. These audiences are more reflective of the city of New York than ever before.
“Lincoln Center has been committed since our founding to putting the arts at the center of civic life. Today we do that across our campus and throughout the year, investing in exceptional and accessible programming for all. Shanta’s vibrant, contemporary vision lights the way for artists to carry us forward,” said Mariko Silver, President and CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. “Shanta has continually expanded the ambitious excellence that is at home here at Lincoln Center and deepened our role as one of New York’s most powerful cultural access points.”
“I am so proud of the artists, audiences, and staff that make Lincoln Center unlike anywhere else in the world. A place that can welcome anyone with open arms and offer artistic connections whether you’re a fan of grand opera, salsa dance, or are new to live performance and simply want to be in an extraordinary experience with fellow New Yorkers,” said Shanta Thake, Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. “It’s been an incredible five years working alongside the incomparable talent here at Lincoln Center. As we mark this moment, I’m proud of the season we’ve curated that delves into significant artistic connections across time and cultures, and invites audiences not to simply attend, but to be part of the extraordinary transformations the arts offer us all.”
All tickets are free or Choose-What-You-Pay, creating access for even more neighbors, New Yorkers, and visitors to share in the transformative experiences of live performance. Tickets for fall presentations go on sale Wednesday, September 9.
