How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.
That phrase is as true now as it was when the concert venue first opened on this day 125 years ago.
Carnegie Hall, located on Seventh Avenue between 56th and 57th streets, was originally constructed by steel industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1891.
"There was almost nothing up here at the time. But he could see the city was going to move up north," said Carnegie Hall Executive and Artistic Director Clive Gillinson.
The hall has hosted artists from the Beatles and Led Zeppelin to the greats of jazz and classical music.
A bigger mistake was averted in 1960 when the hall was to be demolished and replaced by a skyscraper.
Violinist Issac Stern lead a campaign to save it from the wrecking ball.
While a lot of big names have played the iconic stage, Carnegie Hall also prides itself in training the great musicians of tomorrow.
"It is absolutely a responsibility and it's a sense that we are the lucky ones to be involved in this extraordinary art form. Everybody should have that right," noted Gillinson.
Performers at Thursday night's anniversary gala include James Taylor, Reneé Flemming, and Yo-Yo Ma.
To learn more, visit carnegiehall.org.