$10 million gift from Ila and Dinesh Paliwal positions Indian classical and contemporary music alongside the Western compositions that have long defined Carnegie Hall’s identity, signaling how diasporic donors are reshaping cultural institutions in New York and beyond

Carnegie Hall’s newly announced Indian Music Festival is, at its core, a story about a family of philanthropists choosing to underwrite not just a three-day celebration in 2027, but a long-term place for Indian musical heritage at one of the world’s most storied concert halls.

The $10 million commitment from Ila and Dinesh Paliwal and their family foundation instantly positions Indian classical and contemporary music alongside the Western canon that has long defined Carnegie’s identity, signaling how diasporic donors are reshaping cultural institutions in New York and beyond.

For the Paliwals, the gift formalizes a relationship with Carnegie Hall that has been building over years of artistic engagement and community advocacy. Ila Paliwal, a New York–based vocalist, composer, and producer with classical training in Indian music, has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center, using her own artistic practice to bridge Indian traditions with global audiences. Her albums and performances have consistently foregrounded Indian classical forms while embracing contemporary production values, a dual commitment that now echoes in the design of the festival itself, which will showcase both traditional repertoire and new work.

The couple’s philanthropy, however, extends well beyond the stage. Through the Ila and Dinesh Paliwal Foundation, they have built a diversified portfolio of giving that spans education, arts and culture, environmental stewardship, climate action, and human services, with a particular emphasis on empowering emerging leaders. The foundation’s grants have supported organizations such as Charity: Water and initiatives like the Paliwal Club of 100 – STEAM Scholars Fund, which backs high-potential young women in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, underscoring a belief that creativity, innovation, and social mobility are tightly linked.

Education has been a recurring throughline in the Paliwals’ philanthropy. In 2017, they made a $1.5 million gift to Miami University’s Farmer School of Business—Dinesh’s alma mater—to establish the Dinesh and Ila Paliwal Innovation Chair and a scholarship program focused on exceptional international students. That commitment reflected the couple’s conviction that global perspectives and entrepreneurial thinking are essential to leadership in the twenty-first century, and it codified Dinesh’s oft-stated view that giving back to institutions that shaped his trajectory is both obligation and privilege. The Carnegie Hall gift follows the same logic: supporting an institution that not only presents world-class performances but also invests heavily in education and community engagement.

Within Carnegie Hall, the timing and structure of the gift are also noteworthy. Announced in early February 2026, the $10 million commitment will underwrite the inaugural Indian Music Festival, scheduled for May 21–23, 2027, and establish it as an annual fixture in the Hall’s 2026–2027 season and beyond. The funds will support performances across Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage and Zankel Hall, where programming will range from cross-generational collaborations by renowned artists from India to intimate recitals and contemporary works that “honor tradition while embracing innovation.” Just as important, a significant portion of the gift is earmarked for Carnegie’s broader programming and educational and community initiatives, ensuring the impact extends far beyond the festival’s three days each year.

Philanthropic strategy is also evident in the way governance and programming are intertwined. Alongside the festival announcement, Carnegie Hall disclosed that Ila Paliwal has been recommended for appointment to its board of trustees at the upcoming February 25 meeting, a move that would formally bring her artistic and cultural perspective into the institution’s leadership. Board Chair Robert F. Smith—himself a prominent philanthropist—highlighted her “global perspective and deep commitment to the arts,” framing her as a partner in advancing the Hall’s mission at a time when major cultural institutions are under pressure to diversify both their stages and their governance.

For Carnegie’s Executive and Artistic Director Clive Gillinson, Paliwal’s dual identity as artist and advocate appears to be central to the partnership. Gillinson has emphasized that her passion for artistic excellence and cultural exchange aligns closely with the Hall’s values, and that her voice will be “invaluable” as the institution broadens its representation of global musical traditions. That alignment is already visible in the festival’s design: programming is being planned in consultation with Paliwal, ensuring the curatorial framework is informed by practitioners deeply rooted in Indian classical and contemporary forms, rather than treating the festival as a one-off, surface-level nod to diversity.

The gift also arrives in a broader geopolitical and cultural context in which India’s global cultural footprint is rapidly expanding, and New York’s South Asian community is demanding greater visibility in high-profile civic spaces.

The Consulate General of India in New York publicly welcomed Carnegie Hall’s announcement and expressed “sincere thanks” to Ila and Dinesh Paliwal, underscoring how diaspora philanthropy can serve as both a vehicle for cultural diplomacy and a source of community validation.

At the same time, the choice to embed Indian music as a recurring festival within one of the world’s leading Western classical venues signals a shift from one-off “heritage nights” to a structural investment in South Asian artistic presence on premier stages.

From a donor-profile standpoint, the Paliwals embody a modern archetype of culturally fluent, globally mobile philanthropists who deploy capital, networks, and personal narratives in tandem. Dinesh, a seasoned corporate leader with board experience at multinational companies and major arts institutions, brings governance acumen, strategic insight, and a global business lens, while Ila contributes lived artistic expertise and on-the-ground relationships within the Indian and international arts communities.

Together, their foundation’s focus on education, arts, and innovation reveals a theory of change that seeks to empower creative leaders, widen access, and build durable platforms for cross-cultural exchange—priorities that converge almost perfectly in an annual Indian Music Festival at Carnegie Hall.

For audiences and artists, the Paliwals’ $10 million gift will be most visible through performances, fellowships, and new commissions that animate the festival each year.

Yet for observers of philanthropy and institutional change, the deeper story lies in how this commitment reshapes Carnegie Hall’s long-term programming architecture and governance, embedding Indian musical heritage into the core of its identity and inviting a new generation of South Asian and global donors, artists, and audiences to see themselves reflected on its stages.

Any account of major philanthropy at Carnegie Hall ultimately rests on an earlier act of civic and artistic stewardship: Isaac Stern’s decisive role in saving Carnegie Hall itself.

In 1960, when plans were underway to demolish Carnegie Hall and replace it with a commercial development, Stern mobilized artists, civic leaders, and donors to rally public opinion, spearheading the campaign that led the City of New York to purchase the Hall and preserve it as a cultural landmark.

His leadership during that crisis did more than rescue an iconic venue; it established a template for how artists and philanthropists could work together to safeguard institutions for future generations.

Stern’s legacy also intersects directly with the world in which today’s culturally attuned donors operate.

As a founding member of the Governing Board of Lifestyles Magazine/Meaningful Influence, Maestro Stern helped shape an early platform to chronicle the lives and values of major philanthropists, cultural leaders, and changemakers.