Special Events

Kaufman 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 Center Honors

Our annual Gala is our biggest annual fund raising event. The Gala 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 includes a cocktail reception, seated dinner, and a concert by Lucy Moses School and Special Music School students and professional artists.

The 2012 Kaufman Center Gala held on Thursday, April 26, at 583 Park Avenue honored David Israelite, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Music Publishers’ Association; and Ginny Mancini, arts leader and philanthropist. View photos of this year's 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. 

This year’s Musical Evenings will feature mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and baritone Kelly Markgraf accompanied by pianist Steven Blier on February 28, 2012, pianist Ignat Solzhenitsyn on April 5, 2012, and the Harlem String Quartet on May 23, 2012. Event locations to be announced.

Scholarship Luncheon

Our annual luncheon honors a friend of Kaufman 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 2012 Scholarship Luncheon, honoring Kaufman Center Trustee and Lucy Moses School parent Wendy Mosler, will take place on Tuesday, March 13, in the Merkin Concert Hall Balcony, and will feature performances by Lucy Moses School students.

The luncheon will be followed by our annual Henry Schneider Scholarship Concert in Merkin Concert Hall, which showcases talented students from the scholarship program.

Kaufman Center Theater Wing party

The 2012 Theater Wing Party took place on Sunday, March 4 at 6:30 pm. One of Kaufman 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 Center’s very own Broadway Close Up and Broadway Playhouse series. The party culminated 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 2012 Theater Wing Party.