The New York Public Library’s Library Lions Gala is a landmark event on the city’s cultural calendar, honoring icons of literature, art, and entertainment.
This year’s event, held in the Library’s historic Rose Main Reading Room, paid tribute to Bruce Springsteen, Shonda Rhimes, James Patterson, Louise Erdrich, Daniel Kehlmann, and James McBride, all of whom were inducted as the 2025 Library Lions.
Together with other acclaimed New York production partners, L&M Sound & Light provided audio and lighting design and production throughout most of the event, including the Library’s grand entrance, Astor Hall, and the sound for the Rose Reading Room. Outside, L&M created a warm, celestial-inspired lighting design to welcome guests and set the tone for the evening. Inside Astor Hall, the team produced two distinct environments: an elegant cocktail reception followed by a dynamic transformation for the after-party.
According to Vogue’s article, The NYPL's Library Lions Gala Turned Into a Mini Bruce Springsteen Concert, the historic Rose Main Reading Room “is known for its grandeur and elegance, as well as its impressive scale: stretching roughly 90 meters, approximately the length of two city blocks. Once a year, its 16-meter-high ceilings and stunning murals are transformed into the setting for this iconic gala”.
Audio design for an iconic space
For the gala in the Rose Main Reading Room, L&M created an audio system designed to adapt to the space’s demanding acoustic and architectural characteristics, using 1 SOUND loudspeakers.
Four Tower Systems from 1 SOUND were placed at the front of the stage as the main system, providing even coverage for speeches and live performances, including a surprise appearance by Bruce Springsteen.
The Towers’ controlled directivity, with a wide dispersion pattern and a narrow 5° throw from the top of the speaker, ensured clear and balanced audio without reflections bouncing off the vaulted ceiling. Their active cardioid cancellation helped maintain clarity for both lectern microphones and live music, minimizing unwanted sound spill onto the stage.
Each Tower System included three Tower LCC44 loudspeakers and a CSUB610 subwoofer, deployed horizontally in omni mode, taking up only 11 inches of floor space. For delay coverage, three Contour CT28 loudspeakers per side provided the full-range, medium–long throw coverage needed to maintain consistent sound throughout the room. Their horn-loaded, controlled linear dispersion design minimized off-axis reflections.
L&M’s audio design for the gala delivered a discreet system that ensured consistent coverage and clarity. This allowed the 540 attendees to keep their attention focused on the front of the room, without distractions from the event’s important message (Vogue, 2025).
Onstage with Bruce Springsteen
For Springsteen’s performance, L&M used four CM38 cardioid concert monitors from 1 SOUND. Compact at just 8 inches tall, with a maximum SPL of 130 dB and a 3-way crossover, these monitors were ideal for such an elegant setting: sufficiently low-profile to avoid blocking sightlines, yet powerful enough to deliver detailed audio.
The CM38’s linear passive cardioid behavior provided an 8 dB reduction behind the monitor, preventing excess stage spill and maintaining clarity for the first rows of the audience. As Vogue reported:
To the audience’s delight, Springsteen agreed to give a surprise performance. Before launching into ‘Thunder Road,’ The Boss paused to point out that although he has played at firemen’s fairs, weddings, and bar mitzvahs… this was something entirely new in his career: 'I’ve never played in a f*cking library!' —Paul Chi, Vogue, November 4, 2025.
A night of literary legends
As the evening came to a close, guests moved to the after-party in Astor Hall. From the illuminated entrance to the inspiring presentations and the performance in the Rose Reading Room, the night reflected a balance of art and precision—hallmarks of the event’s production.
