LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring the Brooklyn Academy of Music upon the
occasion of its 150th Anniversary

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor and pay trib-
ute to educational institutions, organizations and individuals whose
commitment and creative talents have contributed to the entertainment
and cultural enrichment of their community and the State of New York;
and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern and fully in accord with its long-
standing traditions, it gives this Legislative Body great pleasure to
honor the Brooklyn Academy of Music upon the occasion of its 150th Anni-
versary, to be celebrated with a special 150th Anniversary Gala Dinner
followed by a concert featuring the legendary Dr. John and special guest
performers on Thursday, April 12, 2012; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1861, the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is Amer-
ica's oldest performing arts center; it is a major performing arts venue
in Brooklyn, New York and is known as a center for progressive and avant
garde performance; and
WHEREAS, The Brooklyn Academy of Music presented its first performance
in 1861 and began operations in its present location in 1908; today, it
has a worldwide reputation as a leader in artistic innovation and has
grown into a model urban arts center focused on both international
issues in the arts and local community needs; and
WHEREAS, The Brooklyn Academy of Music presents or produces up to 220
stage performances each year, many of international origin; and
WHEREAS, The Brooklyn Academy of Music's enduring purpose is to
provide a distinctive environment in which its audiences, which are
annually, more than 550,000 people from New York City and beyond, may
experience a broad array of aesthetic and cultural programs; and
WHEREAS, The first BAM facility at 176-194 Montague Street in Brooklyn
Heights was conceived as the home of the Philharmonic Society of Brook-
lyn; the building, designed by architect Leopold Eidlitz housed a large
theater seating 2,200, a smaller concert hall, dressing and chorus
rooms, and a vast impressive kitchen, at which BAM presented amateur and
professional music and theater productions, including performers such as
Ellen Terry, Edwin Booth, Tomas Salvini, and Fritz Kreisler; and
WHEREAS, After the building burned to the ground on November 30, 1903,
plans were made to relocate to a new facility in the then fashionable
neighborhood of Fort Greene; the cornerstone was laid at 30 Lafayette
Avenue in 1906 and a series of opening events were held in the fall of
1908 culminating with a grand gala evening featuring Geraldine Farrar
and Enrico Caruso in a Metropolitan Opera production of Charles Gounod's
"Faust"; The Met would continue to present seasons in Brooklyn, featur-
ing star singers such as Caruso, until 1921; and
WHEREAS, In 1967, Harvey Lichtenstein was appointed Executive Direc-
tor; he gave a home to the Chelsea Theater Center, in residence from
1967-1977, and during the 32 years he led the Brooklyn Academy of Music
it experienced a renaissance; and
WHEREAS, The Brooklyn Academy of Music is now recognized interna-
tionally as a progressive cultural center well known for The Next Wave
Festival, begun in 1983; and
WHEREAS, Artists who have presented their works at the Brooklyn Acade-
my of Music include Philip Glass, Peter Brook, Pina Bausch, Merce
Cunningham, Laurie Anderson, Lee Breuer, ETHEL, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,
Steve Reich, Seal, Alice in Chains, Robert Wilson, BLACKstreet, Ingmar
Bergman, The Whirling Dervishes and the Kirov Opera directed and
conducted by Valery Gergiev among others; and

WHEREAS, Now, for more than 25 years the Brooklyn Academy of Music's
activities have been ably conducted under the leadership of Karen Brooks
Hopkins, President, and Joseph V. Melillo, Executive Producer; and
WHEREAS, The arts are the building blocks of civilization, they are
central to human expression; they enlighten us and inspire the imagina-
tion; educational institutions, individuals, and organizations which
further such worthy purposes richly merit the recognition and appreci-
ation of this Legislative Body and the people of the State of New York;
and
WHEREAS, As the Brooklyn Academy of Music looks back with great pride
to its beginnings, taking just repletion in its purposeful growth, it
renews its dedication to artistic excellence and its commitment to those
it has served since 1861 and expresses its appreciation to all those who
have helped to sustain and enhance it over the years; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor and salute the Brooklyn Academy of Music upon the occasion of its
150th Anniversary; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the Brooklyn Academy of Music.