The New York Pops

The New York Pops

The New York Pops is the largest independent pops orchestra in the United States, and the only professional symphonic orchestra in New York City that specializes in popular music. Led by Music Director Steven Reineke, the orchestra performs an annual subscription series and birthday gala at Carnegie Hall. The New York Pops also gives free concerts in New York City parks, performs interactive concerts for families, and has toured throughout the world. The New York Pops' extensive education programs allow thousands of New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds to participate in concert and music-making experiences at Carnegie Hall, public schools, community organizations, children's hospitals, and senior centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City. A recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The New York Pops is a non-profit organization supported solely through the generosity of individual donations, institutional grants, corporate sponsorships, and concert income.

Steven Reineke

Steven Reineke's boundless enthusiasm and exceptional artistry have made him one of the nation's most sought-after pops conductors, composers, and arrangers. Mr. Reineke is music director and conductor of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, the newly appointed principal pops conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and principal pops conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

Mr. Reineke is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and in the past year he has conducted the Boston Pops, The Cleveland Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival. His extensive North American conducting engagements include appearances with the orchestras of Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle, Edmonton, Vancouver, Ottawa, Detroit, Fort Worth, Jacksonville, Tampa, Calgary, Memphis, and Oklahoma City.

As the creator of more than 100 orchestral arrangements for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Mr. Reineke's work has been performed worldwide, and can be heard on numerous Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recordings on the Telarc label. His symphonic works Celebration Fanfare, Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Casey at the Bat are performed frequently in North America, including performances by the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic. His Sun Valley Festival Fanfare was used to commemorate the Sun Valley Summer Symphony's pavilion, and his Festival Te Deum and Swan's Island Sojourn were debuted by the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops orchestras. 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.

Aaron Lazar

A native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Aaron Lazar is currently starring in MammaMia! on Broadway. He starred in the Broadway revival of A Little Night Music as Count Carl-Magnus opposite two pairs of leading ladies: Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury, and Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch. He also appeared on Broadway in The Phantom of the Opera, the revival of Oklahoma!, A Tale of Two Cities, The Light in the Piazza at Lincoln Center and on PBS, the world premiere of Impressionism, and the revival of Les Misérables, which garnered him critical acclaim and a Drama Desk Award nomination.

Mr. Lazar has starred as Lt. Cable in South Pacific at the Hollywood Bowl under Paul Gemignani, and as Billy Bigelow in Carousel with the Boston Pops under Keith Lockhart. He has performed in concert with The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall under Steven Reineke, the Cincinnati Pops under Erich Kunzel, the Philly Pops under Peter Nero, and the National Symphony Orchestra under Marvin Hamlisch.

On television and film, Mr. Lazar has appeared in White Collar, Person of Interest, A Gifted Man, The Notorious Bettie Page, Ugly Betty, New Amsterdam, All My Children, and Clint Eastwood's film J. Edgar. Mr. Lazar's recordings include A Little Night Music, Kathie Lee Gifford's Everyone Has a Story, Sam Davis's Love on a Summer Afternoon, Tim Prottey-Jones's More with Every Line, and the concept album of Imagine This with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.

Kelli O'Hara

Kelli O'Hara has unequivocally established herself as one of Broadway's great leading ladies. She is currently starring opposite Matthew Broderick in the 10-time Tony-nominated Broadway musical Nice Work If You Can Get It, for which she received her fourth Tony nomination.

A native of Oklahoma, Ms. O'Hara received a degree in opera, and, after winning the State Metropolitan Opera Competition, moved to New York and enrolled at the Lee Strasberg Institute. She earned her first Tony and Drama Desk nominations for her role in The Light inthe Piazza in 2005. In 2006, she joined Harry Connick Jr. on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning production of The Pajama Game, for which she received Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle nominations. Ms. O'Hara starred in the Tony Award-winning revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center, garnering Tony and Drama Desk nominations. Last fall, she made her Public Theater debut in King Lear, and prior to that she starred as Ella Peterson in the City Center Encores! production of Bells Are Ringing. Ms. O'Hara recently starred as Cathy Whitaker in the musical adaptation of Far From Heaven at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.

In addition to her critically acclaimed performance as Eliza Doolittle in the New York Philharmonic's production of My Fair Lady, Ms. O'Hara has performed at Carnegie Hall with The New York Pops, at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra under Marvin Hamlisch, and with the Boston Pops under Keith Lockhart.

Among her film and television credits are Sex and the City 2, Blue Bloods, The Keyto Reserva, The Dying Gaul, Alexander Hamilton, NUMB3RS, All My Children, and the animated series Car Talk, as well as numerous live performances on national television shows. Her two solo albums Always and Wonder in the World are currently available on Ghostlight Records. She resides in New York with her husband Greg and their son Owen.

Paulo Szot

Paulo Szot is one of the most acclaimed and versatile baritones in the world, having won international praise both as an opera singer and as an actor. In 2008, he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Emile de Becque in the Broadway revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center.

Mr. Szot made his US debut in the 2003-2004 season as Escamillo in Carmen at New York City Opera, and his European debut in 2004 in the title role of Eugene Onegin in Marseille. In addition to his performances in South Pacific, Mr. Szot made his New York Philharmonic debut in 2009 in a concert conducted by Marvin Hamlisch, and he debuted at the Ravinia Festival in concert with Kelli O'Hara. He also appeared in concert in the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Café Carlyle.

In 2010, Mr. Szot made his highly acclaimed Metropolitan Opera debut in a new production of Shostakovich's The Nose, conducted by Valery Gergiev. He made his Carnegie Hall debut with The New York Pops that same year.

Engagements in the 2012-2013 season include his debut at the Washington National Opera in the title role of Don Giovanni, as well as his debut at La Scala in a new production of A Dog's Heart. He also makes his debut at Rome Opera in a new production of The Nose, and performs in a solo concert with the New York Philharmonic.

Essential Voices USA

Judith Clurman's Essential Voices USA (EVUSA) promotes the love of music and the art of ensemble singing. The group has a flexible roster of professional singers, auditioned volunteers, and high school students who perform a wide range of musical genres and styles. EVUSA produces its own classical concerts, workshops, and recordings at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music and other well-known New York City venues, and is currently in residence with The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. EVUSA performed in the Leonard Bernstein Celebration at Symphony Space and participated in the Sing Out, Mr. President vocal series on National Public Radio. The group has appeared in The Composer Speaks programs, which have featured music by Bruce Ruben, Larry Hochman, Paul Schoenfield, Shulamit Ran, and Joshua Schmidt. EVUSA was also featured at the 2011 Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting in New York City, broadcast on NBC. Ms. Clurman conducted student and adult members of EVUSA in a recording of Peace by Howard Shore with words by Eleanor Roosevelt at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. She also led EVUSA members in a recording of the Marvin Hamlisch / Rupert Holmes song "The Music in My Mind" for Marvin Hamlisch's children's book Marvin Makes Music, which will be released in November 2012. EVUSA's upcoming recording, Celebrating the American Spirit, features soloists Kelli O'Hara and Ron Raines, and will be released in October 2012.

New York Theatre Ballet

                                 
Founded in 1978 by Artistic Director Diana Byer, New York Theatre Ballet has earned critical acclaim for its reconstruction and revivals of classic ballet masterworks, drawing on such innovative choreographers as Frederick Ashton, Merce Cunningham, José Limón, Agnes de Mille, and Antony Tudor. While dedicated to restorations, New York Theatre Ballet also serves as a center for the creation and performance of new choreography suitable to its distinctive role as a national chamber ballet company. The company has given hundreds of performances throughout the US and abroad, appearing in major performing arts centers and festivals, as well as at colleges, schools, and community settings. New York Theatre Ballet and its training academy, Ballet School NY, have been featured in print and electronic media for their work with New York City shelters.