Audra McDonald, Harold Prince & More Among First Inductees to Lincoln Center Hall of Fame

The inaugural class of Legends at Lincoln Center: The Performing Arts Hall of Fame, which celebrates unparalleled excellence in the arts, was announced today by Jed Bernstein, President of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The inductees for the 2016 inaugural class are: Louis Armstrong, Plácido Domingo, Yo-Yo Ma, Audra McDonald, Leontyne Price, and Harold Prince. The inaugural induction ceremony and gala will take place on June 20, 2016 at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall and will include tribute performances. The inductees will be acknowledged with an award designed by Thomas Heatherwick of London's Heatherwick Studio, one of the firms selected for the redesign of David Geffen Hall. Proceeds from the gala will benefit Lincoln Center and its resident organizations.

"We are extremely proud to honor this inaugural class of inductees whose deep generosity of spirit and passion and exceptional creativity and tenacity have shaped and continue to shape the performing arts. As a class, they represent the diversity of the arts and artists celebrated at Lincoln Center each and every day and their contributions have added joy and wonder to our lives," said Bernstein.

Said Yo-Yo Ma, "I am honored to be among the inaugural inductees to the named Legends of Lincoln Center, and to share this distinction with such an illustrious group. In creating this new Legends Hall of Fame, the Center not only celebrates the performing arts but also pays tribute to the extraordinary vision, dedication and contributions of those who founded this great cultural center."
Commented Harold Prince, "I don't spend much time looking back. What excites me so much about this honor is the chance to communicate my love of the performing arts to new audiences each day, with each visitor who spends time on this beautiful campus."

Reflected Audra McDonald, "Ever since I moved to New York to attend The Juilliard School, I've spent so much of my life at Lincoln Center that I consider it my home away from home. To receive this honor and be included among this incredibly esteemed group of artists is beyond my wildest dreams."

To honor and memorialize the Legends, their names will be integrated into the paving stones on Josie Robertson Plaza, the heart of the world's largest performing arts complex. Each inductee will become part of the fabric of Lincoln Center. The inset names will each be accompanied by a marker, unique to each individual and highlighting their role, which will enable an interactive experience through a free app. Visitors may scan the individual markers with their mobile devices to access interpretive content and stories about the inductees. The free app will also allow visitors to navigate additional exhibitions in other venues at Lincoln Center and give them the opportunity to share their stories and memories.

With the plan for the interactive app in the markers embedded in Josie Robertson Plaza, Legends at Lincoln Center advances Lincoln Center's commitment to being a destination to visit anytime, by making interactive exhibits and installations available for free in campus buildings and public spaces to educate, inspire, and entertain new and existing audiences. As previously announced, to accomplish this, Legends at Lincoln Center has partnered with award-winning design firm Ralph Appelbaum Associates and renowned design and technology firm Potion for conceptual design of the space, exhibits, and installations.

The six inaugural inductees were selected through a substantial and rigorous process created by Legends at Lincoln Center, through campus-wide collaboration. All 11 resident organizations were invited to participate in the nomination process, which also included expert input from a body of nine performing arts professionals who form the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee narrows the list of nominees and publishes a final ballot that is voted upon by an expanded Voting Committee. The Voting Committee is comprised of delegates invited by the Lincoln Center resident organizations as well as Nominating Committee members and, in future years, living inductees.

The creation of Legends at Lincoln Center which will celebrate all of the performing arts with an annual induction ceremony recognizing career achievement, exhibitions/installations, and displays in each venue on campus, was announced last month. All campus resident organizations-The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, The Film Society of Lincoln Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center Theater, The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, New York Philharmonic, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the School of American Ballet, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts- are participating.

A special class of 30 Founding Legends, whose work forms the foundation of Lincoln Center, exclusively selected by the Lincoln Center resident organizations, was previously announced.

About AUDRA MCDONALD: The Tony Awards' most decorated performer with six Tony Award wins, Emmy and Grammy award-winner Audra McDonald's affiliation with Lincoln Center and its resident organizations is inspiring. One year after graduating from The Juilliard School in 1993, McDonald made her Lincoln Center Theater debut in 1994 in a Tony Award-winning performance of Carousel. Since then, she has performed numerous times for Lincoln Center Theater, the New York Philharmonic, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and currently serves as the host of Live from Lincoln Center. Her appearances at Lincoln Center over the years includeMarie Christine (1999), Lincoln Center Theater; Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2000, in concert), New York Philharmonic; 2001 Concerts in the Parks, New York Philharmonic; Henry IV, 2003, Lincoln Center Theater; Charles Ives: An American Original in Context, 2004, New York Philharmonic; Lincoln Center's American Songbook 2005; New Year's Eve 2006 with Audra McDonald and Members of the New York Philharmonic; Sondheim: The Birthday Concert, 2010, New York Philharmonic; One Singular Sensation: Celebrating Marvin Hamlisch, 2012, New York Philharmonic; and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, 2014, Live From Lincoln Center, New York Philharmonic.

About HAROLD PRINCE: Harold Prince, is one of Broadway's most celebrated producers and directors with more Tony wins than any other individual. Over the course of his illustrious career, Prince has worked with George Abbott, Robert Griffith, Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, and John Kander and Fred Ebb, producing and directing such favorites as The Pajama Game, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Company, and Sweeney Todd. He made his Lincoln Center debut directing The Ballad of Baby Doe for New York City Opera in 1976, which was the first of his three LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER broadcasts. He subsequently made his Met Opera debut with a 1990 production of Faust. In 1991 he returned to the Met with Faust and a Benefit for The Metropolitan Opera Pension Fund in celebration of the 25th company anniversaries of Mirella Freni, Alfredo Kraus, and Nicolai Ghiaurov. In 1999 he co-conceived and directed Parade at Lincoln Center Theater. Price is also a board member for the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Source: LincolnCenter.org

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos