Created by composer Etienne Charles, San Juan Hill: A New York Story is an immersive multimedia creation that celebrates a vital chapter of New York’s past. Through music, visuals, and first-person accounts, this powerful work shines a light on the historic communities of the area where Lincoln Center stands today. Blending diverse musical styles—including ragtime, jazz, stride piano, swing, blues, mambo, paseo, Antillean waltz, calypso, funk, disco, and Hip-Hop—with historical film and compelling narratives, the work showcases the myriad cultures that migrants brought to New York from the American South and the Caribbean. Featuring Etienne Charles & Creole Soul, Frost Symphony Orchestra and special guests, this piece is a testament to the enduring spirit and forgotten stories of a community that helped shape the city’s cultural landscape.

Commissioned by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Note: The 2022 premiere of this work was co-presented by Lincoln Center and the New York Philharmonic, performed by Etienne Charles & Creole Soul and the New York Philharmonic, and created in collaboration with a range of artists and academics, including Carl Hancock Rux, Elena Pinderhughes, DJ Logic, playwright Eljon Wardally, video artist Maya Cozier, graffiti/visual artist Wicked GF (Gary Fritz), visual artist Bayete Ross Smith, and historian Julia Foulkes, among others.