In Gratitude for Carnegie Hall’s Unwavering Presence

Growing up in her Maine hometown, Nancy Wight often strained to hear the music playing through her radio, its clarity muddied by a weak signal. Still, she listened through the static, admiring the beauty behind it.

After falling in love with and subsequently studying classical music, Nancy began her career at Columbia Masterworks Records. Assisting two of Columbia’s top producers, she worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that recordings by such luminaries as Leonard Bernstein, Rudolf Serkin, and Yo-Yo Ma reached listeners in cities and towns throughout America and around the world.

It was at Columbia Masterworks Records that Nancy met renowned violinist Isaac Stern, the key figure in saving Carnegie Hall from the wrecking ball in the late 1950s.

I would greet him very friendly-like on the street with a big ‘Hello, Mr. Stern!’” she laughs. “He loved being recognized and responded. We owe a huge debt to him.” When Nancy finally visited Carnegie Hall after moving to New York City, it quickly became her anchor, feeding her love of music through every season of life.

When Nancy finally set eyes on Carnegie Hall after moving to New York City, it quickly became her anchor, feeding her love of music through every season of life.

“I remember circling the Hall for the first time in 1966, anxious for it to open,” she shares. “I still cherish hearing Jascha Heifetz and Gregor Piatigorsky on Opening Night!”

From the Vienna Philharmonic to Vladimir Horowitz, the legendary orchestras and artists that Nancy has seen at the Hall are almost too many to count. She especially treasures memories of attending performances with her beautiful daughter, the late Rowenna Wight White. Mother and daughter would share the experience of music, often with one of Rowenna’s friends.

To honor her daughter, and to thank the venue that holds these precious memories, Nancy was inspired to make a bequest to Carnegie Hall’s endowment fund, to be used in the manner that best helps the Hall.

“Carnegie Hall has always been at the forefront of my existence,” she states. “There are few things we can depend on for that type of profound enrichment and comfort.”

Make the Music Last

Nancy’s tribute gift has a twofold purpose: to honor a loved one, and to allow the Hall to continue to be a source of incredible works for years to come. To learn more about how you can incorporate Carnegie Hall into your own legacy, contact Susan J. Brady, Chief Development Officer, at sbrady@carnegiehall.org or 212-903-9624.