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Carnegie Hall celebrates 125 years and counting

From left, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Lang Lang, Emanuel Ax, Michael Feinstein, Isabel Leonard, Renee Fleming and James Taylor perform during Carnegie Hall's 125th Anniversary Concert, Thursday, May 5, 2016, in, New York. The Oratorio Society of New York sang along as the Orchestra of St. Lukes played conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
From left, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Lang Lang, Emanuel Ax, Michael Feinstein, Isabel Leonard, Renee Fleming and James Taylor perform during Carnegie Hall's 125th Anniversary Concert, Thursday, May 5, 2016, in, New York. The Oratorio Society of New York sang along as the Orchestra of St. Lukes played conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson) From left, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Lang Lang, Emanuel Ax, Michael Feinstein, Isabel Leonard, Renee Fleming and James Taylor perform during Carnegie Hall's 125th Anniversary Concert, Thursday, May 5, 2016, in, New York. The Oratorio Society of New York sang along as the Orchestra of St. Lukes played conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

By Associated Press 3 min read

NEW YORK (AP) – James Taylor thought back four decades to his Carnegie Hall debut and said it was “the sort of cultural sign” that he had made it to a certain level of stardom.

“We celebrated,” the singer-songwriter said. “That’s why I don’t remember it that well.”

Taylor helped Carnegie Hall commemorate its 125th anniversary Thursday night with a gala concert that included performances by singer/pianist Michael Feinstein, soprano Renee Fleming, mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, pianists Emanuel Ax and Lang Lang, violinist Itzhak Perlman and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Two retired singers, soprano Martina Arroyo and mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne, gave spoken tributes, and first lady Michelle Obama recorded a video that was played. Horne, who is 82, joked that she felt as if she’d been at Carnegie for all 125 years.

Host Richard Gere paid tribute to the violinist Isaac Stern, who made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1943, led the campaign that saved the hall from demolition after the New York Philharmonic moved to Lincoln Center in the 1962 and served as Carnegie’s president until his death in 2001.