Carnegie Hall’s Opening Night 1891 (From the Carnegie Hall Archives)

On May 5, 1891, Carnegie Hall opened its doors for the first time, Tchaikovsky ushering in a new standard for the presentation of live music and public events in New York City. Now 120 years later—in the first of a new series—Carnegie Hall’s Museum Director and Archivist Gino Francesconi provides a fascinating and entertaining insight into the Hall’s first Opening Night, using some of the earliest and rarest artifacts from the Archives. More information about Carnegie Hall’s history and Archives is available at