Neil Patrick Harris to Host Lincoln Center's Diamond Jubilee Gala

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts marks the 60th anniversary of the center's groundbreaking this May, continuing weekend-long celebrations with the 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee Gala on Sunday, May 5. The event will honor four families who have had a transformative influence on Lincoln Center: the Audrey and Martin Gruss Family, the Rockefeller Family, the Daisy and Paul Soros Family, and the Laurie M. Tisch Family. As Lincoln Center renews its commitment to supporting a thriving campus for the next generation, funds raised will help benefit the organization's artistic and educational activities which reach millions every year on campus and beyond.

Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, the evening will look to the future with performances by world-class artists from many of the disciplines represented on campus. The program will also celebrate Lincoln Center's legacy with a video highlighting the artistic excellence of the past six decades.

The event will begin with cocktails on Hearst Plaza at 5:30 pm, followed by dinner on the Mercedes T. Bass Grand Tier of The Metropolitan Opera House. At 8:00 pm, the festivities move to Alice Tully Hall for the performance and award presentation, followed by dessert and dancing.

LCPA also announces the formation of the Lincoln Center Artist Committee. Serving a two-year term, celebrated artists from a range of disciplines will provide expertise and support for future endeavors. The inaugural Committee includes Christine Baranski, Joshua Bell, Kristin Chenoweth, Stephen Colbert, Denyce Graves, John Leguizamo, John Lithgow, Terrence McNally, Kelli O'Hara, Laura Osnes, Eric Owens, Tiler Peck, and Desmond Richardson.

A bold idea at the time of its inception, Lincoln Center has grown to become home for eleven distinguished cultural organizations and is an international leader in arts education, serving more than 6 million people on campus annually and millions more through broadcast and digital channels.

A block party kicks off the celebratory events on Saturday, May 4, from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm, with free activities, performances, and community art-making from the constituent organizations that comprise Lincoln Center. Musical Director Sunny Jain will coordinate the day's performances, leading a series of concerts on Josie Robertson Plaza. Additional performances and details about the 60thAnniversary Block Party will be announced in the coming weeks.

In front of a crowd of 12,000 and a TV audience of millions, President Dwight D. Eisenhower presided over Lincoln Center's groundbreaking on May 14, 1959. He described it as "a great cultural adventure," saying, in part, "Here will occur a true interchange of the fruits of national cultures. From this will develop a growth that will spread to the corners of the Earth, bringing with it the kind of human message that only individuals-not governments-can transmit." The ceremony included a performance of the U.S. national anthem by the New York Philharmonic and Juilliard Chorus, as well as solo performances by singers from The Metropolitan Opera, with Leonard Bernstein as master of ceremonies.