CARNEGIE HALL PRESENTS
The New York Pops

Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 8:00 PM

The New York Pops
Steven Reineke, Music Director and Conductor
Méav, Guest Artist
Ronan Tynan, Guest Artist
Liz Knowles, Violin
Kieran O'Hare, Uilleann Pipes
Darrah Carr Dance
NYPD Pipes and Drums of the Emerald Society

Program is approximately 1 hour, 45 minutes, including one intermission

Sponsored by KPMG LLP

Program Notes:

I have been a fan of Celtic music since I was a little boy. The lilting melodies and upbeat jigs have always brought a smile to my face. Tonight’s concert features some of the classic Irish standards, such as “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” “The Galway Piper,” and “My Irish Molly O’,” as well as more contemporary Irish songs including “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” by Dublin’s rock powerhouse U2, and the Celtic-influenced hit “My Heart Will Go On,” from the James Cameron blockbuster film Titanic. With the advent of the hit shows Riverdance and Lord of the Dance in the mid-1990s, Celtic music and Irish step-dancing were thrust into the pop culture spotlight, creating a worldwide phenomenon and generating new interest in this glorious music. It is with that same sentiment of “old” meeting “new” that I crafted tonight’s program. We are pleased to be joined onstage tonight by some outstanding international talent, including Irish singers Méav and Ronan Tynan, Celtic fiddler Liz Knowles, and uilleann piper Kieran O’Hare. Since dance is so closely tied to this great music, I have invited Darrah Carr Dance to join us as well. Even though I am of German and Austrian descent, the spirit and music of St. Patrick’s Day have always captivated my heart. I hope you enjoy these beautiful melodies and rhythms from the Emerald Isle. Erin Go Bragh!

—Steven Reineke

More Information:

For St. Patrick’s Day, it’s a gala Celtic evening, featuring some of the biggest stars of Irish music. These include Ronan Tynan, the surging Irish tenor; Celtic Woman’s Méav, with her pure soprano; Liz Knowles and her rollicking fiddle, from Riverdance; and Kieran O’Hare’s tin whistle and pipes. The music’s greener on this side.

The New York Pops
Steven Reineke, Music Director and Conductor
Steven Reineke

Steven Reineke begins his tenure as Music Director of The New York Pops in the 2009–2010 season. Mr. Reineke conducts the orchestra's annual concert series at Carnegie Hall as well as tours, recordings, and nationwide telecasts, including the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular on NBC. Mr. Reineke also begins as Principal Pops Conductor of the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra in 2009–2010, and he retains that title with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he holds the title of Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, where for 15 years he served as a composer, arranger, and conducting protégé of the late celebrated pops conductor Erich Kunzel.

Mr. Reineke's recent guest-conducting appearances include the orchestras of Los Angeles, Toronto, Houston, Detroit, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Vancouver, and Edmonton. In 2009, he made his Boston Pops and Philadelphia Orchestra debuts, as well as his Asian debut conducting the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra. In 2008, Mr. Reineke made his Carnegie Hall debut conducting The New York Pops 25th Birthday Gala. He made his Hollywood Bowl debut in 2007 with the multifaceted entertainer Wayne Brady, and returned there in 2008 to conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In addition, Mr. Reineke conducted, arranged, and orchestrated the music for Mr. Brady's orchestral show, and played the same role in his collaboration with rock legend Peter Frampton.

As the creator of more than 100 orchestral arrangements for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Mr. Reineke's arrangements have been performed worldwide, and can be heard on numerous Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recordings on the Telarc label. Mr. Reineke is also an established symphonic composer. His works Celebration Fanfare, Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Casey at the Bat are performed frequently in North America, with the most recent performances by the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic in July 2008. In August 2008, his Sun Valley Festival Fanfare debuted with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony to commemorate the opening of the orchestra's new pavilion. In 2005, his Festival Te Deum and Swan's Island Sojourn were performed by the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops, respectively. His numerous wind ensemble compositions are published by the C. L. Barnhouse Company, and are performed by concert bands around the world.

A native of Ohio, Mr. Reineke is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio, where he earned Bachelor of Music degrees with honors in both trumpet performance and music composition. He currently resides in New York City.



The New York Pops

The New York Pops is the largest independent pops orchestra in the US and the only professional symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular music. Led by Music Director Steven Reineke, the orchestra performs an annual subscription series and birthday gala at Carnegie Hall, enjoying one of the highest subscription renewal rates of any series at Carnegie Hall. The New York Pops was founded by former NBC music director Skitch Henderson in 1983 with a mission to create greater public awareness and appreciation of America's rich musical heritage. In addition to performing at Carnegie Hall, The New York Pops tours throughout the world and gives free concerts in New York City parks. The orchestra's media projects include annual appearances since 2005 in the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular on NBC, nationwide radio broadcasts, and numerous recordings. The New York Pops' extensive education programs allow thousands of public schoolchildren to participate in concert and music-making experiences at Carnegie Hall and in schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City.

Méav, Guest Artist
Méav

A multi-million-selling Irish singer and recording artist, Méav studied classical voice, harp, and piano while completing her law degree at Trinity College, Dublin. As a founding member of Celtic Woman, Méav is featured on that group's hugely successful audio and video recordings. During her time with Celtic Woman, the group was voted the No. 1 Top World Music Artist by Billboard magazine, selling over four million units. Its television specials have aired over 13,000 times in the US. Personal highlights include performing in Radio City Music Hall and breaking Andrea Bocelli's record by remaining in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard World Music charts for 90 consecutive weeks. Méav has released three successful solo albums, including Celtic Journey, which debuted in the Billboard World Music top 10; has toured as a solo artist in Europe, Asia, and North America; was honored with an invitation to perform in Korea and Japan, where her singing is known as healing music; was chosen to play the role of Erin the Goddess in Lord of the Dance in South Africa; and has performed with a wide variety of artists, including Elvis Costello and the Chieftains with Anúna, the original Riverdance choir. Méav is featured on the Disney soundtrack of Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure. She will headline the Québec Celtic Music Festival in September 2010.

Ronan Tynan, Guest Artist
Ronan Tynan

Introduced to international audiences as a member of the Irish Tenors, Ronan Tynan quickly became known for his unique voice and irresistible appeal. An international audience of more than 35 million heard him sing "Amazing Grace" and Schubert's "Ave Maria" at the funeral of President Ronald Reagan. Mr. Tynan has regularly performed "God Bless America" at Yankee Stadium and at many Buffalo Sabres hockey games.

Mr. Tynan won both the John McCormack Cup for Tenor Voice and the BBC talent show Go for It less than one year after he began to study voice. The following year, he won the International Operatic Singing Competition in Maumarde, France. He made his operatic debut as Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. In 1998, Mr. Tynan joined Anthony Kearns and John McDermott (later Finbar Wright) as The Irish Tenors.

Mr. Tynan's self-titled debut album reached No. 2 on Billboard's Classical Crossover chart and had the eighth-best-selling classical crossover album of 2005. He has also written an autobiography, Halfway Home, and recorded a DVD of his motivational speech: Hitting the High Notes, Living Life to the Fullest. He is currently in the recording stages of two upcoming CD releases: an all-Irish CD, and a collection of songs performed at his concerts and requested by fans worldwide.

Liz Knowles, Violin
Liz Knowles

Fiddler Liz Knowles has brought her distinctive sound—a synthesis of classical training and traditional Irish music—to festivals and concert stages across the world. As a fiddle soloist, she has recorded on the soundtrack of Michael Collins, toured with the Irish dance extravaganza Riverdance, and performed and recorded with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. She was a member of the John Whelan band and Cherish the Ladies, and currently performs as a member of the highly acclaimed String Sisters.

Ms. Knowles released her first solo project, The Celtic Fiddle of Liz Knowles, on Lyrichord Discs, and her newest album will be released in early 2010. As a soloist on Broadway, Ms. Knowles has performed in The Green Bird and The Pirate Queen. She is also a composer and arranger, and recently worked as musical director, composer, and performer for Celtic Legends, an Irish music and dance show currently touring the world. In addition to touring, performing, and recording, she is also a teacher, combining classical music methodologies with methods of learning traditional fiddle styles.

Kieran O'Hare, Uilleann Pipes
Darrah Carr Dance
NYPD Pipes and Drums of the Emerald Society
Kieran O'Hare

Kieran O'Hare is a highly respected and sought-after performer of Irish music on the uilleann pipes, concert flute, and tin whistle. In 1994, Mr. O'Hare became the first American-born player of Irish music to be invited to perform in the annual Ace and Deuce of Piping concert, held in Ireland's National Concert Hall. Since then, he has made countless appearances at festivals and concerts in North America, Japan, China, and Europe. Among the many artists with whom Mr. O'Hare has performed, toured, or recorded are the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Bonnie Raitt on VH1 Storytellers, The Paul Winter Consort, Josh Groban, and Don Henley.

Mr. O'Hare has worked extensively designing music for the stage, and is in great demand as a session musician and as a teacher of Irish music. In 2002, he appeared in a musical role in the Sam Mendes film Road to Perdition. He was the featured uilleann pipes and tin whistle player on Broadway for the new musical The Pirate Queen, written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and produced by John McColgan and Moya Doherty of Riverdance. In 2007, Mr. O'Hare was a featured performer on the PBS special presentation Celtic Origins with the Irish choral group Anúna. Currently, with his wife Liz Knowles, Mr. O'Hare is touring the world as musical director of the Europe-based show Celtic Legends. He makes his Carnegie Hall debut this evening with The New York Pops.



Darrah Carr Dance

Darrah Carr Dance specializes in ModERIN, a unique blend of traditional Irish step and contemporary modern dance. The company blends Irish music, step dance footwork, and spatial patterns to create high-energy, rhythmically based work that is accessible to a broad audience. Recent performance highlights include The Today Show on NBC, the company's 10th-anniversary season at the Irish Arts Center, The Yeats Project at the Irish Repertory Theater, a New York season at The Duke Theater on 42nd Street, Celebrate Brooklyn in Prospect Park, and Stam-Pede at Symphony Space. Darrah Carr Dance has toured throughout the East Coast, to the Bank of Ireland Arts Centre in Dublin, to Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, and to the Yard in Martha's Vineyard. The company tours regularly with The Andy Cooney Band. Ms. Carr's choreography has also been presented in Ohio, West Virginia, California, and Canada. Committed to arts-in-education, the company performs through the rosters of Young Audiences New York, Young Audiences New Jersey, and The Brooklyn Arts Council. Artistic Director Darrah Carr, named one of the Top 100 Irish Americans of the Year by Irish America Magazine, holds an MFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wesleyan University. She teaches in the Dance Department at Hofstra University, and has been a guest artist at Manhattanville College and Adelphi University. Ms. Carr is a frequent contributor to Dance Magazine, Dance Studio Life, and The Dance Insider.



NYPD Pipes and Drums of the Emerald Society

Sgt. Brian Coughlan (Bomb Squad), Bandmaster
Det. Joe O'Carroll (Harbor Unit), Pipe Major
Ptl. Phil Thompson (Retired), Drum Major

The New York City Police Department Pipes and Drums of the Emerald Society celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2010. The band is comprised of the Irish-born and the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons of Irish warriors who came to this country to find a better life. Only active and retired police officers are afforded the privilege. The members work in Patrol, Narcotics, Special Operations, the Detective Bureau, and many other assignments throughout the NYPD, serving proudly as cops, detectives, and supervisors.

Since its inception, the band has established itself by its dedicated work ethic and professionalism. Each year, the Emerald Society Pipe Band performs at hundreds of events throughout New York City, mostly on the members' own time. The band has performed at numerous venues across the US, as well as in Europe, Asia, and Australia. The Pipes and Drums have also appeared through the years in countless movies and television programs, from the Ed Sullivan Show in the 1960s to the Hollywood blockbusters The Departed (2008) and Salt (2010).