Carlisle Floyd Centennial Celebration at Carnegie Hall in 2026
The Carlisle Floyd Centennial presents an evening celebrating the composer's 100th birthday at Carnegie Hall in June 2026. Music from Floyd's iconic operas will be performed by artists including soprano Gabriella Reyes, baritone Edward Nelson, baritone Reginald Smith, Jr., and bass-baritone Ryan McKinny.
The Carlisle Floyd Centennial (CF100) will present a landmark concert at Carnegie Hall on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 8 PM. The concert will honor the 100th birthday of composer Carlisle Floyd. The legacy of Floyd, who is widely regarded as the “Father of American Opera,” will be celebrated on the Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage. The program includes excerpts from Floyd’s most beloved works, notably Susannah, alongside rarely heard gems from Cold Sassy Tree, Willie Stark, and others.
> June 20: Carlisle Floyd Centennial Concert
Christopher James Ray—the CF100 Executive Director—conducts the Centennial Celebration orchestra. The eminent artists to be featured include soprano Gabriella Reyes, baritone Edward Nelson, baritone Reginald Smith, Jr., and bass-baritone Ryan McKinny, joined by members of the Florida State University and the University of Houston choirs. The concert will be emceed by renowned composer Jake Heggie and is presented in collaboration with National Concerts.
“We are thrilled to join hands with CF100 in celebrating Carlisle Floyd, who was not only a towering figure in American opera but also a cherished part of the Houston Grand Opera artistic leadership team for decades,” said HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor. “His influence on our company is profound—from the many world premieres he entrusted to us to his co-founding of our Butler Studio, where he mentored young artists until the very end of his life. It is a joy to see his legacy honored at Carnegie Hall for a truly remarkable evening of music.”
CF100 Board President Jane Floyd Matheny, Floyd’s niece, reflected on the Centennial’s vision. “When we began planning, David Gockley [former General Director of San Francisco and Houston Grand Operas and co-founder of the Butler Studio] reminded us that my uncle’s contributions to opera reached audiences across the nation. He encouraged us to think big—to create a truly national event. That inspiration led directly to this Carnegie Hall concert.”
She added: “It has taken our dream and turned it into reality, and I know I speak for my family and everyone involved with CF100 when I say we are excited, elated, and deeply grateful.”
Steven Lankenau, Senior Vice President of Boosey & Hawkes, Floyd’s music publisher, stated: “Floyd was not only known by everyone in the American opera community—he was beloved. It is no surprise, then, that the opera world has come together to celebrate both the man and his music, on this occasion and many others during the Centennial season. It is a joy to witness the enduring power of his music for audiences today.”
The Carnegie Hall concert stands as the centerpiece of CF100’s multi-year national celebration of Floyd’s centennial, affirming his place as a defining voice in American opera and ensuring that his legacy resonates with audiences for generations to come.
Tickets are on sale now, starting at $25. Ticketing information can be found at www.carlislefloyd.org/carnegie, by phone at 212-247-7800, or in person at the Carnegie Hall Box Office (57th Street and Seventh Avenue).
Carnegie Hall Concert Sponsors
University Sponsor ($50,000): Sallie & Dubose Ausley
Special Support ($25,000): Edgar Foster Daniels Foundation, the Florida State University, Gordon P. Getty, Patrick F. Taylor Foundation, the University of Houston
Conductor Sponsor ($20,000): John Shannon & Jan Serr
Artist Sponsors ($10,000): Martha & Jeremy Solomon; Heidi Munzinger & John Shott
Additional Support: ($5,000) Mrs. Roger Hanahan, Johnson Flanagan Fund at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, ($2,500) Anita & Gernot Köhler, Mary & Tom Patton, Clark Bason, Eerie Mills & Tom Rescigno, ($1,000) The Perry Family Foundation, Sydney Rhame Janney, Susan Hensley
About the Carlisle Floyd Centennial
The Carlisle Floyd Centennial (CF100) is a multi-year national initiative honoring the legacy of one of America’s most influential opera composers through performances, scholarship, exhibitions, and education. CF100 brings together artists, students, and institutions to explore Floyd’s work in the wider context of American culture, ensuring that his contributions remain vibrant and accessible for future generations.
In partnership with Boosey & Hawkes, Houston Grand Opera, the South Caroliniana Library at the University of South Carolina, the Florida State University, and the University of Houston, CF100 supports producing companies, presenters, and universities celebrating Floyd’s centennial. The initiative offers resources including archival materials, curated exhibitions, and educational guides; commissions and promotes scholarship such as a forthcoming biography of Floyd; and engages communities through public programming, performances, and learning initiatives.
At the heart of CF100 is a commitment to education and artistic excellence—presenting top artists in performance, creating spaces for dialogue and discovery, and sharing Floyd’s enduring influence with audiences nationwide. Learn more at carlislefloyd.org.
Support for the Carlisle Floyd Centennial provided by: Anonymous, Mark Adamo & John Corigliano, Carol Franc Buck Foundation, Jack Calhoun, Samantha Cohen, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Kip Cranna, Carol & Dixon Doll, Gordon P. Getty, David Gockley, Stephen E. Heiman, Jerry Henry, Susan A. Hensley, Leslie & George Hume Fund, Sydney Rhame Janney, Johnson Flanagan Fund at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, Anita & Gernot Köhler, Michael McGinley, Anne & Barry Munitz, Mary & Tom Patton, The Perry Family Foundation, Delories Richerson, Ellen Schlaefer, Jan Serr & John Shannon, Martha & Jeremy Solomon, Patrick F. Taylor Foundation, Wendy Tripodi, Francesca Zambello & Faith Gay.
About Carlisle Floyd
Carlisle Floyd (1926–2021), hailed as the “Father of American Opera,” was one of the foremost composer-librettists of the 20th century. A graduate of Syracuse University, he began his career on the faculty of Florida State University before becoming M.D. Anderson Professor of Music at the University of Houston, where he co-founded the Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio with David Gockley.
Floyd rose to prominence with Susannah (1953–54), premiered by Florida State University in 1955. The work won the New York Music Critics’ Circle Award and represented the United States at the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair. His Wuthering Heights (1958) premiered at Santa Fe Opera and was later released in an acclaimed 2016 recording. Other enduring works include Of Mice and Men (1970), a worldwide repertory staple, and Willie Stark (1981), televised nationally on PBS’s Great Performances. Later operas include Cold Sassy Tree (2000), widely staged across the US, and Prince of Players (2016), whose premiere recording earned two GRAMMY nominations.
Beyond opera, Floyd composed notable choral and orchestral works such as Citizen of Paradise (1984) and A Time to Dance (1993). His many honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Medal of Arts (2004), induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and recognition by both the South Carolina and Florida Artist Halls of Fame. He was also a recipient of Opera America’s inaugural Opera Honors in 2008.
Floyd’s operas—hallmarks of American music for their lyrical power and dramatic immediacy—are published exclusively by Boosey & Hawkes.
Photo: Daniel Tchetchik