'Live with Carnegie Hall' Continues with New Episodes in December

Carnegie Hall’s free streaming series continues on Thursday evenings throughout December with new original Live with Carnegie Hall episodes curated by leading artists and Learn with Carnegie Hall programs on Wednesday afternoons featuring highlights from Carnegie Hall’s three acclaimed national youth ensembles: the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), NYO2, and NYO Jazz.

On Thursday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m. EST Carnegie Hall invites viewers to a celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday in a program focusing on the “Ode to Joy” from the composer’s Ninth Symphony. Originally scheduled to lead a yearlong project with performances of the Ninth Symphony across six continents, conductor Marin Alsop has transformed this celebration into the digital Global Ode to Joy, inviting organizations, artists, and people worldwide to share videos that inspire joy online. Along with Alsop, this special Live with Carnegie Hall program includes violinist and president of Beethoven-Haus Bonn Daniel Hope and former U.S. poet laureate Tracy K. Smith, plus performances by Joyce DiDonato with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and the Stay At Home Choir with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.

On Thursday, December 10 at 7:30 p.m. EST, Michael Feinstein hosts an evening of classic crooner songs. Filmed at Vitello’s—his 1940s-style club in California—Feinstein performs favorites from the Great American Songbook and jazz standards made famous by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Mel Tormé, and others.

On Thursday, December 17 at 7:30 p.m. EST, Carnegie Hall pays tribute to the medical community working on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19, doing everything possible to keep the world healthy. When they are not in hospitals or research labs, many medical professionals find creative outlet as gifted musicians, longing for the day when we can all enjoy live concerts together again. This episode provides a platform for these modern-day heroes to showcase their musical talents, including a special performance by the National Virtual Medical Orchestra and a guest appearance by violinist Joshua Bell.

For more than 50 years, performances by the New York String Orchestra have been a Christmas Eve tradition at Carnegie Hall. In keeping with that legacy, on Thursday, December 24 at 7:30 p.m. EST, pianist Emanuel Ax hosts a tribute to the New York String Orchestra seminar which annually brings together talented young string players from across the country under the direction of Jaime Laredo. The episode revisits past performances and goes behind the scenes as this year’s seminar goes online.