Article Contributed by Press Here Publicity
Published on 2026-03-04
Photo: Noam Galai & Ilya Savenok for Getty Images on behalf of Tibet House US
Last night, the 39th Annual Tibet House US Benefit Concert brought an evening of moving performances and activism to New York’s Carnegie Hall. The eclectic lineup of artists, assembled by co-artistic directors and curators Philip Glass and Laurie Anderson, included Robert De Niro, Elvis Costello, Maya Hawke, The B-52’s Kate Pierson, Allison Russell, Jesse Malin, Toro y Moi, Christian Lee Hutson, Elysian Fields, SNL’s James Austin Johnson, The Philip Glass Ensemble, Tenzin Choegyal, The Resistance Revival Chorus, The Scorchio Quartet and an incredible house band led by the evening’s Musical Director Tony Shanahan.
Each year, what makes the annual Tibet House Benefit Concert so memorable and special are the extraordinary one-night-only performances and collaborations. The evening had countless standout moments as the artists celebrated the Year of the Fire Horse. Kicking off the night with their resonant chants, the Tibetan Monks from The Drepung Gomang Monastery performed to an entranced audience before welcoming the renowned Philip Glass Ensemble who played “Train-Spaceship,” an excerpt from one of Glass’s most famous works, a four-part opera entitled Einstein on the Beach, before throwing the thunderous applause to Philip Glass, in attendance. In one of the evening’s most anticipated events, Robert De Niro appeared to a standing ovation to read poignant excerpts from Lincoln’s Lyceum Address, which is the basis, in part, for Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 15 “Lincoln.” Glass withdrew the premiere from the Kennedy Center earlier this year in a letter citing the values of the center today conflicting with the message of the symphony.
Wishing everyone a happy lunar new year and noting that the night fell on Tibet’s day of miracles due to the full moon, Tibet House US President Bob Thurman spoke about the Tibet House US mission to protect as well as promote the Tibetan culture of kindness, love, and wisdom. Sharing his gratitude to the evening’s lineup, he remarked on how artists are the perfect people to carry this important mission as they create with open hearts. Laurie Anderson took to the stage for a haunting performance of “Walk on Water,” which seamlessly transitioned into an impassioned reading of Allen Ginsberg’s “Ballad of the Skeletons” accompanied by SNL’s James Austin Johnson. New York’s own Elysian Fields treated the audience to an intoxicatingly smoky rendition of their original song “Dream Within A Dream” before Anderson returned to the stage to join the band for a performance of “Lucid Dreaming.”
Next up, Christian Lee Hutson gave a stunning, acoustic performance of his unfinished song “Untitled” before welcoming “the inimitable, my wife, Maya Hawke” to the stage. The recently wed couple performed an enchanting duet of Maya’s new single “Devil You Know.”
Acclaimed Tibetan artist Tenzin Choegyal performed a moving version of “White Crane,” based on the poem by the 6th Dalai Lama, before launching into the joyful “Snowy Mountains – GangRi” alongside Alex Gray on piano, The Resistance Revival Chorus (RRC) and The Scorchio Quartet. The RRC remained on stage for a timely performance of “Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind Stayed on Freedom)” by Reverend Robert Wesby, noting that they hope to see the audience out in the streets with them because peace is something you must participate actively in. “There is work to be done. There are ICE agents taking our neighbors from their homes. There is war. There are people in this city who are hungry. Your neighbors need you. It’s time to be a really good neighbor.” Singing themselves off stage, The RCC welcomed Allison Russell for a powerful performance of “Hy-Brasil” after she remarked “War, never holy. All children are our children. No exceptions.” Finishing the song with a clarinet solo as the backing vocals fell away, Russell welcomed Kara Jackson to the stage for her Carnegie Hall debut, joining her Hadestown cast members Morgan Dudley and Ganessa James in a surprise performance of “We Raise Our Cups,” a song that Russell said feels like resistance.
Russell was then joined on stage by Toro y Moi, for a beautiful duet performance of The Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses.” Toro y Moi picked up the energy to turn Carnegie Hall into a rock venue with his own “Undercurrent” and a cover of “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Sir Paul McCartney.
Appearing to massive applause, New York City’s own renaissance man Jesse Malin said, “This is a crazy time, so it’s good to be here with so many people whose hearts are in the right places,” and performed an emotional rendition of “Greener Pastures” alongside Derek Cruz on electric guitar. Standing up from his wheelchair to cheers from the entire audience who followed suit, Malin launched into “Meet Me @ the End of the World” and skyrocketed the energy in the room, leading people to dance in the aisles and in front of the stage.
Taking the stage to throngs of excitement, Elvis Costello enveloped the hall with his poignant performance of Blondie’s “Picture This,” “We Are All Cowards Now,” “Which Side Are You On” and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding,” before handing off the microphone to The B-52’s Kate Pierson who played The B-52’s hit “Revolution Earth” before leading the entire company in a showstopping finale of Patti Smith’s famed anthem “People Have The Power.” Uma Thurman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Arden Wohl and Jonah Freeman served as the evening’s honorary chairs.
The festivities continued late into the night as the performing artists, VIPs, and Tibet House supporters enjoyed the elegant post-concert gala at Ziegfeld Ballroom – a perfect end to one of the longest-running and most acclaimed live cultural events in New York City. Proceeds support the work of Tibet House US as they forge ahead with their mission to protect, preserve, and empower the unique Tibetan culture.
Throughout its rich history, the Tibet House US Benefit Concert has had hundreds of world-class artists participate, including boygenius, Alabama Shakes, Phoebe Bridgers, Carly Simon, David Bowie, Stephen Colbert, Lou Reed, Sharon Jones, FKA twigs, The Roots, Jim James, Vampire Weekend, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Blood Orange, Sigur Ros, Emmylou Harris, Jon Batiste, Nathaniel Rateliff, Jason Isbell, Iggy Pop, The Flaming Lips, Keanu Reeves, Eddie Vedder, Annie Lennox, Brittany Howard, Black Pumas, Cage The Elephant, Cyndi Lauper, Trey Anastasio and many, many more. The event has garnered praise from many, including New York Times, Rolling Stone, Hollywood Reporter, Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, Associated Press, Billboard, Vogue.
