Harry Connick Jr. is set to debut a new composition during the 2025-26 season at Carnegie Hall, commemorating the 100th anniversary of his mother’s birth. This event will be part of a festival titled “United in Sound: America at 250,” which honors the Declaration of Independence. The composition, tentatively named “Elaboratio,” aims to musically reflect on his mother Anita Frances Livingston’s life and legacy. Connick plans to perform the piece on May 22, 2026, the centennial of her birth, taking the stage at Carnegie Hall for the first time, with a repeat performance scheduled for the following evening.
Connick’s manager made arrangements for this significant date with Carnegie Hall’s executive director Clive Gillinson seven years ago. In a recent interview following the announcement, Connick expressed his desire to honor his mother’s memory through music in a venue she always wanted him to perform in. He hopes that this piece will serve as a lasting tribute to her life. Anita passed away in 1981 when Connick was only 13 years old.
Currently, Connick is in the process of composing the piece, which will consist of three movements inspired by the places his mother lived: New York, Nouaceur in Morocco, and New Orleans. Notably, Connick’s only previous appearance at Carnegie Hall was in the smaller Zankel Hall back in 2005.
The upcoming Carnegie Hall festival will take place from January through July and is expected to feature at least 35 performances. The concert series will include works from celebrated composers like Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, and George Gershwin. Additionally, it will shine a light on underrepresented musicians, with works by Amy Beach, Florence Price, and William Dawson, covering a diverse array of genres such as jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, hip-hop, Broadway, and bluegrass. A notable concert on March 2 will present “The Secret Life of the American Musical,” inspired by Jack Viertel’s exploration of Broadway show creation, and will feature artists J. Harrison Ghee and Betsy Wolf.
The Perspectives series at Carnegie Hall will welcome esteemed artists including conductor Marin Alsop, pianist Lang Lang, mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, and violinist Maxim Vengerov. Notably, Arvo Pärt, celebrating his 90th birthday in September, will hold the Debs Composer’s Chair but will not be traveling to New York due to his age, as stated by Gillinson.
Beginning the festival on October 7, conductor Daniel Harding will lead the opening night concert featuring alumni from the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America along with pianist Yuja Wang. The evening’s repertoire will include selections from Bernstein’s symphonic dances from “West Side Story,” Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, and Stravinsky’s “The Firebird Suite.”
