When the David Rubenstein Atrium—the vibrant space that serves as a welcome mat for visitors to Lincoln Center—was about to reopen in 2022 after the pandemic, the perfect reintroduction to live performances was a new series, the Festival of Firsts, according to Shanta Thake, Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer.

“It came out of thinking about the barriers to entry for Lincoln Center, perceived or otherwise,” Thake explains. “When we were preparing to reopen the Atrium, we were thinking about what was keeping people out of Lincoln Center. A lot of artists thought they had no ‘in’ or they had to know somebody or they already had to have performed there before. It wasn’t true!”

Now in its third season, Lincoln Center’s Festival of Firsts (October 2–18) once again showcases artists who are making major milestones in their careers—new collaboration, latest album release, world premiere, or Lincoln Center debut. In the cultural melting pot that is New York City, it’s no surprise that performers from Mexico, Norway, Iran, Cuba, Chile, and Jordan— along with local artists—are bringing their musical, theatrical, and comedic artistry to the Atrium: and all for free.

As Thake points out, the Atrium—which opened in 2009 as the new focus point for the Lincoln Center campus—has grown very loyal audiences. “The great thing about the Atrium is that it’s always hosted free performances for wonderful audiences for the past 15 years,” she says. “Before the pandemic, we used to program shows there only once a week, but now it’s 4 or 5 times a week—artists want that local venue where they can perform regularly. And our audiences are still coming!”

In the festival’s first two years, Atrium audiences witnessed the Chilean-Spanish-French theatre company La Mona Ilustre (the very first Festival of Firsts event), Brooklyn’s psych-pop band Toebow, Salty Brine’s And If You Listen Very Hard: The Led Zeppelin Show, and Brazilian singer-songwriter Larissa Luz, among many others.

This fall sees the return of Truth Future Bachman—who appeared at the Atrium both in 2022 with Luna and the Starbodies, a musical that blended epic sci-fi with the camp of Glee, and last summer with Skyward: An Endling Elegy—whose latest work, SECOND SIGHT, receives its world premiere.

“(Truth Future Bachman) always places queer and trans people at the center of their epic stories,” Thake explains. “It’s like a sort of Queer futurism” (October 3).

Making her Lincoln Center debut, puppeteer Ingrid Hansen—who was an important component of the Jim Henson Company’s legendary TV series Fraggle Rock—unveils the appropriately titled Epidermis Circus: The Weirdest Puppet Show You’ve Ever Seen to the Atrium. “As children, Fraggle Rock excited us with its weird but wonderful DIY ascetic,” Thake says. “And when you see (Ingrid’s
Epidermis Circus), it inspires you to look at things around you differently” (October 11).

The world premiere of Jordanian vocalist Farah Siraj and her band is the centerpiece of the festival’s family-friendly events, bringing along their singalong fusion of bossa nova, flamenco, jazz, Middle Eastern music and pop. “I’m always excited about Lincoln Center’s family shows,” Thake explains, “and we’re always happy to deepen what’s usually thought of as ‘family programming’” (October 12).

When it comes to Spanish-language performances, Thake is proud of the success Lincoln Center has had over the years. “I think there’s a gap in programming for this huge part of the New York City population, which grows every year,” she notes. “It’s really important to us—(we’ve programmed) salsa dancing and a
lot of really beautiful Latin dance and poetry, especially in our annual summer La casita events.” Continuing that relevant theme, the opening night of the Festival of Firsts introduces Comedy in Español, the Atrium’s very first Spanish-language comedy night (October 2).

The rest of the Festival of Firsts lineup comprises several Lincoln Center debuts. Luz Elena Mendoza leads her group Y la Bamba in visionary alt-pop and Mexican folk (October 4), Norwegian saxophonist Bendik Giske highlights his Grammy-winning musicianship (October 9), composer, educator, organist, pianist, and vocalist Amina Claudine Myers performs her unique blend of jazz, gospel, and classical (October 10), singer Alex Cuba mixes Cuban folk and North American influences (October 16), the post-punk duo Nova Materia creates hypnotic electronic sounds (October 17), and—as part of the Latin cultural showcase ¡VAYA!—Liza + Willie are a sensational dance duo (October 18).

This lineup is exactly what will excite Atrium audiences, Thake says: “We wanted to call out these new artists, and it’s always incredible to see them embraced by our community.

For more information on Festival of Firsts programming, visit LincolnCenter.org.