Special Events

View photos from the 2013 Gala!

Kaufman Music Center holds a variety of special events throughout the year to benefit our programs at Special Music School, Lucy Moses School and Merkin Concert Hall. To request an invitation, purchase tickets, or learn more about any of our events, please contact the Development Department at 212 501 3350 or development@kaufman-center.org.

Kaufman MUSIC Center GALa

The Gala is our biggest annual fundraising event and honors individuals who are committed to the performing arts and arts education. Past honorees have included Cy Coleman, John Sykes, Betty Comden, Aaron Copland, Alan Menken, Joseph Papp, and Scott Stringer. The elegant evening included a cocktail reception, seated dinner, and a concert by Kaufman Music Center students and Merkin Concert Hall artists.

The 2013 Kaufman Music Center Gala was held on Monday, May 6 at The Pierre (2 East 61st Street). This year, we were thrilled to recognize three Honorees who have made invaluable contributions to the world of music, arts and education:

Vladimir Feltsman: Creative Arts Award
Dr. Kelly Posner Gerstenhaber:  Educational Leadership Award
City Council Member Gale Brewer:  Public Leadership Award

View photos from the 2013 Gala.

Musical Evenings

Held in beautiful homes around the city, Musical Evenings are cocktail receptions followed by intimate performances by world-renowned artists. Performers in past seasons have included flutist James Galway, pianist Lang Lang, violinist Gil Shaham, the Brentano String Quartet, clarinetist David Krakauer, and cellist Matt Haimovitz. All proceeds benefit the music program of Special Music School, the only K-8 public school for musically gifted children in the United States. 

The 2012-13 Musical Evenings will feature pianist Conrad Tao on November 15, 2012, violinist Hilary Hahn on February 11, 2013, and Kronos Quartet on May 8, 2013.

Scholarship Luncheon

Our annual luncheon honors a friend of Kaufman Music Center while raising funds for student scholarships at Lucy Moses School. More than 200 need-based scholarships are awarded each year to students pursuing studies in music, theater and dance.

The 2013 Scholarship Luncheon took place on Tuesday, March 12. The luncheon was followed by our annual Henry Schneider Scholarship Concert in Merkin Concert Hall, which showcases talented students from the scholarship program.

The 2013 Lucy Moses School Scholarship Luncheon honored Kaufman Music Center faculty member Chaim Freiberg. We were thrilled to pay tribute to Chaim for his extraordinary dedication to music education and his work at Lucy Moses School for the past 40 years.

Kaufman MUSIC Center Theater Wing party

The 2013 Theater Wing Party was held on Sunday, January 27. One of Kaufman Music Center’s most beloved events, the annual Theater Wing Party takes place at an exquisite Upper West Side home, complete with delicious cocktails, sumptuous hors d'œuvres and lively entertainment featuring some incredible musical talent from Kaufman Music Center’s very own Broadway Close Up and Broadway Playhouse series. The party culminates in a sing-a-long of Broadway favorites. Proceeds from the event go to support the Center’s Musical Theater programs. Click here for more information about the 2013 Theater Wing Party.