Merkin Hall

The story

Merkin Hall seats 449 people, yet draws 70,000 concertgoers a year — a number that speaks to how relentlessly it programs. It opened in 1978 inside the Abraham Goodman House, part of what was then the Hebrew Art School, and quickly separated itself from the Lincoln Center world nearby without ever affiliating with it. Since 1986 it has co-presented New Sounds Live with WNYC, hosted by John Schaefer and broadcast live on the radio — a reminder that adventurous programming, three times recognized by ASCAP/Chamber Music America, can reach well beyond any single room.