On August 12, 2023, a significant event took place as Louis Langrée conducted his final performance with the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, bringing an end to a longstanding summer tradition in New York City. The familiar orchestral presence at Lincoln Center will continue in the coming years, albeit with a fresh identity and conductor. Jonathan Heyward has been selected to take on the role of Music Director for a three-year term, commencing in the summer of 2024, as part of the "Summer for the City" festival initiative.

Jonathan Heyward's responsibilities will encompass crafting the repertoire for Lincoln Center's summer orchestra, collaborating with Chief Artistic Officer Shanta Thake to invite guest conductors and soloists, and further incorporating the orchestra series into the broader framework of the Summer for the City festival. The launch of this unified festival in 2022 merged all of Lincoln Center's diverse summer events under a single banner and introduced an innovative "Choose-What-You-Pay" ticketing model to expand its audience base.

Louis Langrée, who has held the position of Music Director for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra since 2013 and the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center since 2003, has been a constant presence in New York City since his debut in 1998. Over the years, he conducted over 250 performances and concerts at prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera, the Mostly Mozart Festival, and the New York Philharmonic.

Reflecting on his tenure, Langrée expressed his deep connection with the orchestra musicians and the shared experiences that have enriched his journey at Lincoln Center. He conveyed his honor in contributing to an extraordinary Festival that has fostered musical access for all New Yorkers for over sixty years. As he bids farewell, he extends his best wishes to Jonathan Heyward, acknowledging the joys that await him on this exceptional artistic journey.

Jonathan Heyward made his debut at Lincoln Center in August 2022, conducting the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra during the inaugural Summer for the City festival. His more recent accomplishment includes his debut with the New York Philharmonic in April 2023. Heyward conveyed his immense honor at being chosen to lead Lincoln Center's summer orchestra, inspired by Louis Langrée's legacy and looking forward to embarking on a new chapter of artistic growth with the ensemble.