The New York Philharmonic Gala Returns to David Geffen Hall to Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit

After the long-awaited and highly anticipated renovation of the New York Philharmonic’s home, David Geffen Hall opened its doors just in time for the Lunar New Year gala. Co-chaired by Angela Chen, Misook Doolittle, Oscar L. Tang, and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang, the evening welcomed the year of the Rabbit in style. Dressed in festive attire and gorgeous gowns, guests gathered in the Leon and Norma Hess Grand Promenade for a private pre-show cocktail hour. 

Once the clock struck 7:30 pm, the crowd excitedly discovered the newly immaculate David Geffen Hall before nestling into their seats for showtime. As always, the concert kicked off with Li Huanzhi’s Spring Festival Overture, led by the esteemed conductor Long Yu. Following the opener, erhu soloist Yiwen Lu, outfitted in a watercolor-inspired gown adorned with diamond sleeves, joined the symphony on stage for her debut NY Phil performance. 

The program offered a harmonic blend of traditional Chinese folk songs and western classics, like Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story Suite. Closing out the concert, Ning Feng took the stage and dazzled the crowd with a beautiful solo performance on the violin. Looking around the room, I couldn’t help but notice a few tears of joy and many moved souls. 

Once the eclectic applause faded, guests were greeted to a completely transformed promenade for the three-course dinner affair. From the bountiful florals to the table decor, a bright orange color story warmed up the room on a chilly winter night. Even Mayor Eric Adams stopped by to toast the special evening, which raised over $1 million for the Philharmonic.