Carnegie Hall

(NEW YORK, NY; April 9, 2026)—For more than 40 seasons, Carnegie Hall’s Link Up music education program for students in grades 3–5 has facilitated deeper connections between the concert hall and the classroom through an instrument-focused curriculum that culminates with students performing with a professional orchestra from their seats, often marking the first time many students will have set foot in a concert hall. More than 11,000 New York City-area students have participated in this program in their classroom over the last school year and will travel to Carnegie Hall for one of six concerts in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage from Monday, May 18–Wednesday, May 20. Local press are invited to cover performances at 10:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20.

The theme of this year’s concerts is Link Up: The Orchestra Sings—an interactive program developed by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (WMI) that explores what makes a melody great. Throughout the school year, children study these musical tenets, learn about the orchestra, and create music together in their classrooms. At the end of the year, they put their knowledge into practice by singing, playing, and moving from their seats during the culminating performances of The Orchestra Sings at Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by teen Broadway actress Emiko Dunn, the concert program features Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser conducting the Link Up Orchestra—which includes current fellows and alums of Ensemble Connect and Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the USA and NYO2—as well as other dynamic performers and music educators, all of whom reflect the vibrant makeup of New York City. The program also welcomes elementary school students from The Equity Project Charter School, PS 14 Q, and Success Academy Prospect Heights to perform onstage as part of the concert. The Orchestra Sings features classic works by Dvořák, Beethoven, and Stravinsky, alongside newer music by Valerie Coleman, Reena Esmail, Thomas Cabaniss, and Jim Papoulis.

The longest-running education program of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, Link Up provides an opportunity for its participants to join the orchestra by teaching them to sing and play an instrument in the classroom. The Link Up programs are comprised of four distinctive, year-long curricula: The Orchestra Moves (exploring musical movement and dance), The Orchestra Sings (exploring melody), The Orchestra Rocks (exploring rhythm, pulse, and groove), and The Orchestra Swings (exploring elements of swing and jazz). Link Up materials are designed for use in classrooms throughout the school year, helping students prepare to take part in a culminating concert by their local orchestra at which they sing, play the recorder, or play the violin with the orchestra from their seats.

Through nearly 120 partnerships, Link Up reaches more than 300,000 students and teachers across the country from Alaska to Florida, as well as internationally in Canada, China, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, and beyond. Partner orchestras can utilize any of the program materials created by Carnegie Hall—including teacher guides, student materials, concert scripts, and concert visuals—for free as they work with schools in their own communities. The program’s materials have been translated into several languages, including Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Japanese. A national convening is offered for prospective Link Up partners at Carnegie Hall on Wednesday, May 20.

For more information about Link Up, and to see a full list of national and international Link Up partners during the 2025–2026 season, please click here.

Program Information
Monday, May 18 at 10:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.
Tuesday, May 19 at 10:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.
Wednesday, May 20 at 10:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
LINK UP

Link Up Orchestra
Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, Conductor
Emiko Dunn, Host
Shanna Lesniak-Whitney, Vocals
Tali Rubinstein, Recorder
Charlie Ray, Dancer and Assistant Stage Director
Navatman Dance, Guest Dance Ensemble

Students from The Equity Project Charter School, PS 14Q, and Success Academy Prospect Heights
Bruna Novais, Student Captain and Understudy

Melissa Rae Mahon, Stage Director
Dan Scully, Visuals Designer
Stacey Boggs, Lighting Designer

THOMAS CABANISS “Come to Play”
BEETHOVEN “Ode to Joy” from Symphony No. 9
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”
REENA ESMAIL “Ram Tori Maya”
STRAVINSKY Finale from The Firebird Suite
JIM PAPOULIS “Oye”
VALERIE COLEMAN “Umoja”

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About Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute
Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (WMI) creates visionary programs that embody Carnegie Hall’s commitment to music education, playing a central role in fulfilling the Hall’s mission of making great music accessible to as many people as possible. With unparalleled access to the world’s greatest artists, WMI’s programs are designed to inspire audiences of all ages, nurture tomorrow’s musical talent, and harness the power of music to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. An integral part of Carnegie Hall’s concert season, these programs facilitate creative expression, develop musical skills and capacities at all levels, and encourage participants to make lifelong personal connections to music.

Hundreds of thousands of people each year engage in WMI’s programs through national and international partnerships, in New York City schools and community settings, and at Carnegie Hall. This includes more than 208 orchestras, peer arts organizations, and education and community-based organizations in 46 states as well as internationally in 33 countries on 6 continents. WMI’s hands-on programs tap into the creativity of audiences of all ages, inviting them to make their own music in all genres, express their viewpoints, and raise their voices. WMI shares an extensive range of online music education resources and program materials for free with teachers, families, orchestras, arts organizations, and music lovers worldwide. As a leader in music education, WMI generates new knowledge through original research, which informs Carnegie Hall’s own programs and is also available as a resource to artists, organizations, and peers.

For more information, please visit: carnegiehall.org/education
 

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Lead support for Link Up is provided by Fund II Foundation.

Additional funding for Link Up is provided by Linda and Earle S. Altman, The Barker Welfare Foundation, JJR Foundation, John Morning / Turrell Fund, and Joan and Sanford I. Weill and the Weill Family Foundation.

Link Up in New York City schools is made possible, in part, by an endowment gift from The Irene Diamond Fund.

Public support has been provided by the New York State Senate through NYS Senator Jose M. Serrano.
 

 

 

Photo: Chris Lee