Jonathon Heyward To Continue As Music Director Of The Festival Orchestra Of Lincoln Center Through 2029

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts has announced an extension for Renée and Robert Belfer Music Director Jonathon Heyward’s contract with the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center through the 2029 season.

In recognition of Heyward's commitment to furthering the Orchestra's impact across Lincoln Center's campus and the city of New York, Artistic Director is being added to his title, making him Music Director & Artistic Director of the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center, effective immediately.

Heyward’s leadership over the next several years will continue to expand on the Orchestra’s legacy of accessible and engaging concerts that uphold the traditions of classical music while paving the way for its future.

“I feel such a profound connection to the musicians of this Orchestra and am thrilled to be continuing this chapter,” said Jonathon Heyward, Renée and Robert Belfer Music Director & Artistic Director of the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center. “My inaugural summer in 2024 was truly special—filled with extraordinary music-making and incredible moments that can only happen in a city like New York. I look forward to many more summers forging new ties across campus and the city at large. Together, we will continue to grow and explore time-tested repertoire alongside new discoveries, deepening the unique sense of community that exists inside the concert hall. This is just the beginning.”

Building on a banner inaugural season in 2024 that included two commissions from New York-based composers Huang Ruo and Hannah Kendall, Heyward will lead commissions by three dynamic composers whose works will premiere across the next two summers as part of Summer for the City.

The culminating performance of the 2025 Orchestra season sees the premiere of a commission by James Lee III, the current Composer-in-Residence with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, where Heyward also serves as Music Director. Two commissions are featured in the 2026 season: a Double Concerto by Billy Childs for Anthony McGill (Principal Clarinet at the New York Philharmonic) and Demarre McGill (Principal Flute at the Seattle Symphony), and a Cello Concerto by Jessie Montgomery for Abel Selaocoe.

The 2025 season spans past and present with pieces by Beethoven, Mozart, Clara Schumann, and more performed alongside contemporary works by Michael Abels, Osvaldo Golijov, and Anna Clyne, among others. This summer also sees Heyward’s continued exploration of Robert Schumann’s four symphonies through the lens of mental health, presented in collaboration with Jameel Arts & Health Lab, established with the World Health Organization (WHO). He leads the Festival Orchestra in Schumann’s Fourth Symphony in 2025 and Schumann’s First Symphony in 2026. Additional highlights of the 2025 season include the continued collaborations with the New York Philharmonic through their Very Young Composers Program (VYC) and the New York City Public Schools’ Summer Arts Institute (SAI), emphasizing Heyward’s commitment to education and community outreach, as well as the return of the popular “Symphony of Choice” concert—giving audiences the opportunity to vote on the evening’s program, choosing from a menu of repertoire from the summer season ahead.

A special focus of the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center is providing new entry points to the unparalleled classical music and artistry happening across campus year-round. In collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, the Festival Orchestra will embark on an in-depth exploration of the “Da Ponte” operas—The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte—three operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart based on libretti by poet Lorenzo da Ponte, across the three summer seasons 2027-2029.

“Lincoln Center was founded on the belief that the arts are for all, and Jonathon’s leadership of this Orchestra reflects this promise,” said Mariko Silver, President and CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. “From dynamic repertoire spanning composers old and new to inspiring audiences of all ages, we look forward to many more summers with Jonathon at the helm of this great Orchestra.”

“We are incredibly grateful to be continuing this exciting journey with Jonathon and the Festival Orchestra,” said Shanta Thake, Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. “His passion and commitment to making classical music accessible to audiences of all kinds is felt the moment you walk into the concert hall, and we are thrilled to be expanding his role and impact.”

Thake continued: “Jonathon’s vision for the Orchestra goes well beyond the stage. As we continue to integrate artists more deeply into the fabric of everything we do, we are proud to elevate and support this important work alongside the other artistic visionaries across campus.”

“My Orchestra colleagues and I are thrilled to be continuing this chapter with Jonathon Heyward,” said Ann Kim, Cellist, Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center & Orchestra Committee Chair. “We feel a deep sense of excitement for the future and are grateful for Jonathon's commitment, fresh interpretations, and wonderful spirit of collaboration. Together we will continue to build on this Orchestra's legacy—bringing iconic works in conversation with new and rediscovered pieces, and making classical music more accessible.”

Core to the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center’s mission is expanding audiences for classical music with dynamic repertoire, educational initiatives, and affordable ticketing options. In recent years, the Orchestra has made significant strides in providing greater access and expanding its audiences—drawing younger and more diverse concertgoers, more families with children, and more residents from NYC’s outer boroughs. Recent data has also shown a sharp increase in repeat attendance: during the 2024 season, the number of audience members booking four or more Orchestra concerts more than doubled when compared with 2019. All Festival Orchestra performances will remain Choose-What-You-Pay, starting at $5.

The concluding concert from Jonathon Heyward’s inaugural season as Music Director of the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center is now available to stream on allarts.org, featuring works by Bach, Schumann, and a world premiere by Hannah Kendall. It will air on the ALL ARTS broadcast channel on February 26, at 8pm.

More details about the 2025 season of the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center and the fourth annual Summer for the City will be announced in the coming months.