The New York Pops is the largest independent pops orchestra in the United States, and the only professional symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular music. Under the leadership of dynamic Music Director Steven Reineke, The New York Pops continues to re-imagine orchestral pops music. The orchestra performs an annual subscription series and birthday gala at Carnegie Hall and a summer series at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York. The New York Pops is dedicated to lifelong learning, and collaborates with public schools, community organizations, children's hospitals, and senior centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City. PopsEd allows thousands of New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds to participate in fully customizable music programs that blend traditional education with pure fun.

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 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, principal pops conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and principal pops conductor designate of the Houston Symphony. He previously held the posts of principal pops conductor of the Long Beach Symphony and Modesto Symphony Orchestra, and associate conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

Mr. Reineke is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra and has been on the podium with 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, Seattle, Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, Ottawa (National Arts Centre), Detroit, Milwaukee, and Calgary.

On stage, Mr. Reineke has created programs and collaborated with a range of leading artists from the worlds of hip-hop, Broadway, television, and rock, including Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Sutton Foster, Megan Hilty, Cheyenne Jackson, Wayne Brady, Peter Frampton, and Ben Folds, among others.

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 and Los Angeles philharmonics. 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 worldwide.

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 with his husband, Eric Gabbard. Mr. Reineke is represented by Peter Throm Management, LLC.

Originally from Ontario, Canada, Caissie Levy has called Broadway home for the last decade. She recreated the iconic role of Fantine in the 2014 Broadway revival of Les Misérables, and is perhaps best known to New York and London audiences for originating the roles of Molly in Ghost and Sheila in the Tony Award-winning revival of Hair. Ms. Levy's other Broadway credits include Elphaba in the Broadway and Los Angeles productions of Wicked; Penny in the Broadway, first national tour, and Toronto companies of Hairspray; and Maureen in the national tour of Rent. Off-Broadway, she starred as Patti Davis and Julie Nixon in the world premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's First Daughter Suite at the Public Theater, and as Sara in the Off-Broadway production of Murder Ballad. In concert, she was a guest soloist with the United States Military Academy at West Point, and has performed solo shows to sold-out audiences at Feinstein's / 54 Below, Joe's Pub, Galapagos Arts Space, Atlanta's Alliance Theatre, and the Hippodrome in London. Recordings include the original cast albums of Ghost, Hair, and First Daughter Suite, as well as countless albums by new and seasoned composers, including her husband, composer-lyricist David Reiser. In 2013, Ms. Levy released her debut solo album, With You, featuring stripped-down arrangements of songs from her Broadway shows. @CaissieLevy and caissielevy.com

Tony Yazbeck was just seen in Manhattan Concert Productions' 25th anniversary concert of Crazy for You, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman. Prior to that, he starred in the Broadway production of Finding Neverland and the Susan Stroman / Harold Prince-helmed Prince of Broadway in Japan. For the 2014 Broadway revival of On the Town, he won the coveted Astaire Award and was nominated for Tony, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle awards for his virtuosic performance. His other Broadway credits include Chicago (Billy Flynn), Irving Berlin's White Christmas (Phil Davis), Gypsy opposite Patti LuPone (Tulsa; Outer Critics Circle Award nomination), A Chorus Line (Al), Oklahoma!, Never Gonna Dance, and Gypsy with Tyne Daly. Off-Broadway credits include Fanny Hill (York Theatre), and--for City Center Encores!--he has appeared in Little Me, On the Town, Gypsy, The Apple Tree, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Pardon My English. Regional credits include Alliance Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Hartford Stage, Goodman Theatre, St. Louis Muny, Goodspeed Opera House (Connecticut Critics Circle Award), Signature Theatre (Helen Hayes Award), Trinity Repertory Company, Paper Mill Playhouse, and Old Globe Theatre. Mr. Yazbeck was seen internationally in Kiss Me, Kate at Royal Albert Hall in London. Television and film credits include the upcoming season of Billions, Smash, and the feature documentary Every Little Step. Mr. Yazbeck also stars in his own song and dance show, The Floor Above Me, which has been released digitally and on CD by PS Classics.