David Geffen gets naming rights to Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center

Gothamist: David Geffen Pays $100 Million For Avery Fisher Hall Naming Rights

http://gothamist.com/2015/03/04/david_geffen_lincoln_center.php

Entertainment mogul David Geffen will have Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center named after him, thanks to a $100 million gift that will also pay for much-needed renovations to the music venue.
He told the NY Times, "I'm an arts junkie."

Last fall, it was revealed that Lincoln Center was looking for donors to help fund a $500 million renovation for the building, which was built in 1962. Avery Fisher gave $10 million in 1973 to support the building (that's over $50 million in today's dollars), and last year Lincoln Center officials gave Fisher's family $15 million to essentially give up naming rights so they could entice potential benefactors.

NY Times: David Geffen Captures Naming Rights to Avery Fisher Hall With Donation

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/a...ign=LCPAFisherRenamingAnnouncement030515&_r=0

Perhaps it’s about injecting Hollywood glamour into New York’s classical musical world. Or maybe it’s about a local boy coming home to make good. Or maybe it’s just about getting a name in granite.

However you look at it, the world of New York high culture was given a surprise dose of glitz on Wednesday, when Lincoln Center announced that David Geffen, the entertainment mogul who has shaped cultural tastes in pop music, art and movies, will donate $100 million to renovate — and rename — Avery Fisher Hall, home of the New York Philharmonic, at Lincoln Center.

 

Maybe he should name it after Avery Fisher

 

He sure doesn't remember the breezes down the Champs-Élysées.

 

I love that idea.

 

IMO if he has $100 million dollars to give away in NYC he should give it to the homeless - who would make up the 10th largest city in New York state.

 

That would build a whole lotta houses for those in need.

 

One hundred million dollars. I cannot even process such a number.

 

A lot from the Eagles Greatest Hits

 

He has quite a lot of my money...so I should get to at least name a brick or something

Saw a documentary recently on him. Interesting how he changed Laura Nyro's focus to building her publishing company for attractive future sale. Really a genious move at the time IMHO. He got a lot a grief for suing Neil Young. I kinda don't fault him too much since he invested lots of money only to get crappy albums (like "Trans").

 

Too bad Tupac isn't around any longer. He could have bought the rights and called it the F-Y'all, F-All Y''all Hall.

 

Maybe he can name it after Judee Sill

 

That American Masters doc was great.

 

I'm sorry they are changing the name. Money buys everything.

 

A classy move would be to request it be named the Leonard Bernstein Hall.

 

Agree 100%

 

I'd change the name back to Philharmonic Hall.

 

Warren Wilhelm Hall

 

I would rather have the David Geffen Hall than it being named after some faceless corporation like a baseball stadium.

 

Interesting that Lincoln Center paid the Fisher family $15million to get rid of the name...
The net is then $85million from Geffen's contribution.

 

So they're naming it Diminutive A*hole Hall?

 

What about this?

"to help fund a $500 million renovation for the building,"

That's FIVE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS!!!! 1/2 a Billion! My Lord what kind of renovations are those? Tear down and rebuild?

 

Let's see Avery Fisher gave the equivalent of $50 millilion dollars in today's dollars, and they built the whole thing from scratch. Geffen gives $100 million for just the naming rights. Somebody has the thumb on the scale.

Any one want to buy some swampland in New Jersey at low tide?

 

As I recall, Philharmonic/Avery Fisher Hall has had problems with acoustics that weren't really fixed the last time they renovated. I hope the new renovations don't make the hall sound even worse. It would be a shame to donate all that money and end up having your name associated with a lemon. Or maybe it doesn't matter.

 

Avery Fisher's gift was for a renovation. Before that it was Philharmonic Hall.

 

Indeed. Equally interesting is that for his $100 million the hall will be named "David Geffen Hall" from September 2015 - years before the renovation is scheduled to start - until the end of the world. Perpetuity has such a nice ring to it!