The New York Pops

Performers

• The New York Pops
  Steven Reineke, Music Director and Conductor
• Kelli O'Hara, Guest Artist
• Matthew Morrison, Guest Artist
• Essential Voices USA
  Judith Clurman, Music Director and Conductor

Event Duration

Bios

• 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 at Carnegie Hall, enjoying one of its highest subscription renewal rates. PopsEd allows thousands of New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds to participate in fully customizable music programs that blend education with pure fun.

  
  Steven Reineke

  
  Steven Reineke is the music director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, principal pops conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and principal pops conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
  
  Mr. Reineke is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and has also conducted the Boston Pops, The Cleveland Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia. His extensive North American conducting appearances include performances with the orchestras of San Francisco, Houston, Seattle, Edmonton, and Pittsburgh.
  
  As the creator of more than 100 orchestral arrangements for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, where he served as associate conductor, Mr. Reineke's work has been performed worldwide. A native of Ohio, Mr. Reineke currently resides in New York City with his husband Eric Gabbard. 

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• Kelli O'Hara

  
  Kelli O'Hara has established herself as one of Broadway's great leading ladies. This year, she received her fifth Tony Award nomination-along with Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle award nominations-for her portrayal of Francesca in the musical adaptation of The Bridges of Madison County. Additionally, she starred as Mrs. Darling in NBC's live telecast of Peter Pan.
  
  A native of Oklahoma, Ms. O'Hara moved to New York after winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She made her Broadway debut in Jekyll & Hyde, and also appeared in Stephen Sondheim's Follies, Sweet Smell of Success, and Dracula. In 2005, she received Tony and Drama Desk award nominations for her role in the Broadway production of The Light in the Piazza. In 2006, she joined Harry Connick Jr. on Broadway in The Pajama Game, receiving Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle award nominations. Ms. O'Hara starred in the revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center, garnering Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle award nominations. She later teamed up with Matthew Broderick in the musical comedy Nice Work if You Can Get It.
  
  Regional and Off-Broadway credits include Far from Heaven, King Lear, Bells Are Ringing, Sunday in the Park with George, My Life with Albertine, and Beauty. Ms. O'Hara received critical acclaim for her performances in the New York Philharmonic's productions of Carousel and My Fair Lady.
  
  Film and television credits include Sex & the City 2, Martin Scorsese's short The Key to Reserva, The Dying Gaul, Blue Bloods, All Rise, Alexander Hamilton, NUMB3RS, All My Children, and the animated series Car Talk. She has released two solo albums, Always and Wonder in the World. On New Year's Eve, Ms. O'Hara makes her Metropolitan Opera debut in The Merry Widow with Renée Fleming, and next spring, she returns to Broadway in Lincoln Center Theater's revival of The King and I opposite Ken Watanabe.

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• Matthew Morrison

  
  Emmy, Tony, and Golden Globe-nominated star Matthew Morrison came to national prominence through his role as the perpetually optimistic high school teacher Will Schuester on Fox's Glee, though the Southern California native was turning heads years earlier on Broadway.
  
  After studying at Tisch School of the Arts, Mr. Morrison made his debut on Broadway in Footloose, followed by The Rocky Horror Show. However, it was his role as Link Larkin in the original cast of the Broadway production of Hairspray that served as his breakthrough and led to his being cast in the critically acclaimed musical The Light in the Piazza. His role garnered him a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. He subsequently received a Drama Desk Award nomination for the off-Broadway musical 10 Million Miles, and reprised the role of Lieutenant Cable in Lincoln Center's Tony Award-nominated production of South Pacific.
  
  Mr. Morrison has also released two studio albums since 2011. He was the first artist signed to 222 Records, a label started by Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine. Following a stint on Mercury Records, Mr. Morrison released his latest album, Where It All Began, on 222 Records. That same year, Mr. Morrison released A Classic Christmas, an EP of holiday favorites, some of which are heard on tonight's program.
  
  Audiences can look forward to seeing Mr. Morrison return to the Great White Way in the spring of 2015, as he will star as playwright J. M. Barrie in the new Peter Pan-inspired musical Finding Neverland, produced by Harvey Weinstein and based on the 2004 film of the same name.

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• Essential Voices USA

                                 
  Essential Voices USA (EVUSA) was recently featured under Judith Clurman's baton in the 2014 telecast of Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular on NBC. The ensemble performs regularly at Carnegie Hall with The New York Pops and produces The Composer Speaks series at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music. EVUSA produced and performed on the critically acclaimed CD Celebrating the American Spirit (Sono Luminus), recorded Marvin Hamlisch's song "The Music in My Mind" for his children's book, was featured in Leonard Bernstein: A Celebration at Symphony Space in 2010, and performed on NBC's 2011 and 2012 national broadcasts of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting. EVUSA was thrilled to participate in the 2013 Presidential Inaugural activities: it performed in a community sing-along of the "Sing Out, Mr. President" song cycle at the Church of the Presidents in Washington, DC, and had selections from Celebrating the American Spirit featured on NPR on Inauguration Day. Engagements in the 2014-2015 season include The Composer Speaks programs of Bach and Mozart; the musical launch of Harvard University professor Carol J. Oja's book Bernstein Meets Broadway; and the release of the recording Cherished Moments on Sono Luminus.

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