Who We Are

Newark Symphony Hall

Who We Are

From Marian Anderson and Plácido Domingo to Aretha Franklin, the Hall’s story is one of music, movement, and meaning. Its historic stage has hosted The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, The Temptations, Kirk Franklin, Judy Garland, Tony Bennett, Gladys Knight, The O’Jays, Richard Pryor, Queen Latifah, Dick Gregory, and Patti LaBelle — artists whose work shaped global culture and affirmed Newark’s place at its center.

Beyond performance, Newark Symphony Hall has long fueled the growth of New Jersey’s arts landscape. It nurtured institutions that would define the state’s creative identity, serving as the original home of the New Jersey Ballet Company and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and welcoming the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Leonard Bernstein. That
legacy of institutional leadership continues today, as the Hall advances cultural preservation, creative opportunity, and community impact at scale.