The Olayan Group announced they have partnered with Kristopher Hull to bring classical music out of the concert hall and into The 550 Garden, the largest green space to be built in East Midtown in decades.
As part of the artist residency, the Garden will host live performances on Tuesdays and Thursdays in a limited engagement. Kristopher Hull is a cultural fixture in New York City, known for pushing his custom-mounted 1964 Baldwin Upright Piano around lower Manhattan, bringing a mix of Chopin études, preludes, and nocturnes into the Garden for the enjoyment of all New Yorkers.
Referred to as the “Pianist Errant” after the knight-errant Don Quixote, the majority of Hull’s work is performed in front of murals and in public gardens around Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side. Now, in partnership with 550 Madison, he is bringing live classical music to Midtown. Inspired by 550 Madison’s architectural heritage and the natural history of the region, the 550 Garden is East Midtown’s first new publicly accessible space in decades. Designed by architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee, 550 Madison Avenue is one of the city’s most recognizable architectural masterworks. It is a postmodern gem known for its distinctive “Chippendale” curved roof pediment and pink granite façade.
The reawakened space, open year-round and features a heated hearth seating area, embraces nature as an amenity for building tenants, area residents, and visitors. New Yorkers find solace within the Garden among trees and plants and now live classical music.
The 550 Garden offers an elegant and welcoming space where New Yorkers can immerse themselves in nature without stepping outside the heart of Midtown. We are pleased to make Hull’s extraordinary performances of classical music accessible to the public, further enhancing the dynamic experience in the Garden.
Erik Horvat, Head of Real Estate at Olayan America.
Hull is a self-taught classical pianist who began learning the instrument at 20 years old, inspired by recordings of his favorite 20th-century pianists such as Vladimir Horowitz and Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli. He has also performed at some of the city’s most renowned street art venues like Freeman Alley, First Street Green Art Park, and the Park Avenue Tunnel. His performances at the Garden will feature Chopin and Mozart.
“My work as a pianist centers around the belief that pairing classical music and art provides an entirely new type of experience,” said Hull. “I’m thrilled to bring live music to complement 550 Madison’s serene Garden and Philip Johnson’s renowned post-modern architecture.”
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