Lehman Center turns 45, executive director says goodbye

Jose Feliciano, B.B. King, Eddie Palmieri and the late-great, Joan Rivers -- a fraction of the famous names who graced the stage of the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts over the decades. 

When the LCPA opened in 1980, it was the only large-scale center featuring 2,275 seats and world-class acts in the Bronx, with the New York Philharmonic as their inaugural act. In its 45^th year, it still stands as the largest concert hall and premier venue for dance and musical acts in the borough.

“I can still recall being a graduate student at Lehman College in the Theatre Department in the late 1970's and passing the area where they were digging a huge hole in the ground to prepare for the foundation of the concert hall,” Andrea Rockower said. In 1985, she became the associate director of LCPA until her retirement in 2011. 

Designed by Jan Hird Pokorny and David F.M. Todd and Associates, the building boasts floor to ceiling glass windows, bathing the upstairs offices in natural light. In the corner office, sits the center’s executive director, Eva Bornstein.

In 2005, Bornstein joined the center when performances revolved around classical acts. She began to tour the neighborhoods to familiarize herself with the people surrounding her new job in the north Bronx and noticed Salsa music playing everywhere she went.

The Bronx has long-been a hub for Spanish-speaking migrants and in the wake of WWII, a boom of Puerto Ricans came to NYC, bringing their customs and sounds. While the neighborhoods surrounding Lehman Center have diversified over the years, Hispanic residents make up a whopping 73.5 percent of the demographic.

“I asked the board, ‘what kind of programming would you like?’ And they said, ‘It’s going to be up to you,’” Bornstein told The Press. “I said, ‘if it’s up to me, we have to do the programming for the people.’”

That was all the information Bornstein needed to revamp the set-list at Lehman, putting Salsa music at the heart of it with acts like Oscar De Leon, La India and El Gran Combo.

Before coming to Lehman, Borstein was unfamiliar with Salsa music, having a background steeped in classical music. She has a decorated career of holding important positions at fine arts centers and foundations throughout the country and Canada. Some positions include executive director at the Woodstock Opera House in Illinois and of the Fairfield Orchestra in Connecticut. She also founded the Canadian Mozart Festival.

Bornstein relied heavily on her assistant, Janet Sanchez to teach her about the history of Latin music and Salsa and the famous songs that that have become synonymous with the genre.

“She was upbeat, she loved her people, she had a way with her people,” Bornstein said of Sanchez who has worked at Lehman since 1996. “It was an instant love affair. Without her there would be no Latino series at Lehman Center.”

Sanchez was born in the Bronx but moved to Puerto Rico as a child where she spent her formative years. She would bring CDs of music to Bornstein and the two would discuss the sounds, composition and artists at length. Sanchez would tell Bornstein what acts to book and explain their importance and history.

In 2006, Sanchez introduced the Christmas parranda to Lehman Center in 2006 – a party typically celebrated in Puerto Rico. El Gran Combo, a highly revered Puerto Rican orchestra band, kicked off what would be decades of dedicated Latino music for a Latino audience.

“Being able to feel like you could express your culture, and then not only being able to express it, but being able to control it, yeah, she let me spread my wings,” Sanchez said of Bornstein.

The center gained notoriety and the attention of locals and in 2017, it announced a $15.4 million renovation project. Designed by Michielli + Wyetzner Architects, it was completed in 2019 and added a balcony, new seating, ADA compliant ramps and the impressive glass windows, allowing a seamless view from outside in.

When the pandemic hit, several institutions suffered, the Lehman Center included. A $1 million Shuttered Venue Operators federal helped keep them afloat. 

With its increased popularity and newly renovated space, the center was dubbed the “Lincoln Center of the Bronx” by then-bough president Ruben Diaz, Jr. who also graduated from the school in 2007 with a degree in political science.

“Once, upon a time in my life, I thought I was going to a rap star,” Diaz laughed. “I would have loved to perform on that stage.”

He shared fond memories of Bornstein.

“She’s given so much energy with her time, with her soul,” Diaz added. “Whoever her replacement is – while she may be short in physical stature – they have huge shoes to fill.”

Bornstein speaks with a thick Polish accent and her eyes are a striking blue, like sapphires. She has a very matter-of-fact way of speaking and has calculated mannerisms. Sanchez on the other hand, has a typical Bronx, Puerto Rican accent and sports a modern short haircut with platinum-colored hair. She speaks with emotion and gets teary-eyed when she speaks about things close to her heart. The two seem like an unlikely pair, but their friendship has flourished over the years and the two go on vacations together.

After 20 years, Bornstein is retiring to focus on her health.

“I hope the person coming in will embrace what we’re doing for our community,” Sanchez told The Press.

The two looked at each other with a bittersweet fondness as they sat in Bornstein’s office.

“We had a good run, right baby?” Bornstein said to Sanchez with a smile. As she choked back tears Sanchez replied, “Yea, we had a good run.”