• Comprised of 78 musicians, The New York Pops is the largest independent pops orchestra in the United States, now in its 43rd season as the only professional symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular music. Led by Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke, the orchestra performs an annual concert series at Carnegie Hall and is among the venue’s most presented ensembles. The New York Pops’ star-studded annual Birthday Gala is celebrated each spring, raising vital funds for the orchestra and its education programs. Recent Gala honorees include Clive Davis, Kristen and Bobby Lopez, and Barry Manilow.

    The New York Pops celebrates the richness of popular music’s evolving songbook. Every concert is a unique experience, with influences that range from Broadway melodies to film scores, jazz, rock, pop, and more. The orchestra collaborates with stars from the stage and screen including Sara Bareilles, Kristen Bell, Clive Davis, Father John Misty, Sutton Foster, Montego Glover, Capathia Jenkins, Carly Rae Jepsen, Angela Lansbury, Queen Latifah, Cyndi Lauper, Norm Lewis, Barry Manilow, Jason Mraz, Kelli O’Hara, LeAnn Rimes, Adrienne Warren, Dionne Warwick, Miss Piggy, and many others.

    Through its PopsEd music education programs, The New York Pops fulfills its dedication to lifelong learning and collaborates with public schools, community organizations, and senior centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City. Each year, PopsEd provides thousands of New York City public school students with arts access, performance opportunities, and in-school music instruction. These programs develop and mentor the next generation of musicians and music lovers from diverse backgrounds and socioeconomic groups.

    PopsEd residency programs blend traditional education with pure fun, utilizing tools like composition, lyric writing, and performance to foster learning and unbridled creativity. In doing so, PopsEd excites students and gives them skills they can apply to all areas of their lives. The orchestra’s Kids on Stage program invites middle school music students to experience the professional performance process, including audition and rehearsal, culminating in a performance alongside New York Pops musicians at the orchestra’s annual Birthday Gala. Through its Kids in the Balcony and Kids in the Stadium programs, thousands of children and their parents have had an opportunity to see The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and Forest Hills Stadium free of charge. To date, PopsEd programs have served over 100,000 New York City students.

    Over the years, the orchestra has performed in iconic New York City venues like Forest Hills Stadium and Radio City Music Hall; presented free concerts in city parks, community organizations, senior centers, and public libraries; performed the National Anthem at sports venues; and toured throughout the world. Past media projects include the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular on NBC Television, a nationally syndicated radio series, and performances on PBS. The orchestra’s discography encompasses recordings of popular standards, theater and film scores, and music for the holidays.

    The New York Pops was founded by Ruth and Skitch Henderson in 1983 with a mission to create greater public awareness and appreciation of America’s rich musical heritage through presentation of concerts and education programs of the highest quality. 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 ReinekeSteven Reineke is one of North America’s leading conductors of popular music and is in his second decade as Music Director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. He is the Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Principal Pops Conductor of the Houston Symphony and Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

      Reineke is a frequent guest conductor and can be seen on the podium with the Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras.

      On stage, Mr. Reineke creates and collaborates with a range of leading artists from the worlds hip-hop, R & B, Broadway, television and rock including: Killer Mike, Maxwell, Common, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Ne-Yo, Bob Weir, Trey Anastasio, Barry Manilow, Cynthia Erivo, Ben Rector, Cody Fry, Sutton Foster, Amos Lee, Dispatch, Jason Mraz, and Ben Folds, amongst others. In 2024 he led the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) on PBS’s Next at the Kennedy Center featuring Ben Folds DeClassified with Jacob Collier, Laufey and dodie. He was previously seen with the NSO on PBS on Great Performances with hip-hop legend Nas performing his seminal album “Illmatic.” Reineke is the conductor on “Ben Folds Live with The National Symphony Orchestra and William Shatner’s “So Fragile, So Blue” with The National Symphony Orchestra.

      As the creator of hundreds of orchestral arrangements, Reineke’s work is performed worldwide and can be heard on numerous Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recordings. 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 perennially.

      A native of Ohio, Mr. Reineke is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio (2020 Alumnus Distinguished Achievement Medal), where he earned two 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.

    • Violin
      Michael Roth, Principal II
      Martin Agee
      Sara Caswell
      Monica K. Davis
      Keats Dieffenbach
      Karen DiYanni
      Joyce Hammann
      Rachel Handman
      Conrad Harris
      Josh Henderson
      Ashley Horne
      Karen M. Karlsrud
      Stanley Kurtis *
      Byung K. Kwak
      Ira Lieberman *
      Elizabeth Lim-Dutton
      Katherine Livolsi-Landau
      Lisa Matricardi
      Laura Oatts
      Louise Owen
      Philip Payton
      Dorothy Strahl
      Belinda Whitney

      Viola
      Orlando Wells, Principal
      Adria Benjamin
      Andrew Griffin
      Ardith Holmgrain
      Christine Ims
      J.J. Johnson
      Karen Olson
      Jack Rosenberg *
      Veronica Salas *

      Cello
      David Heiss, Principal *
      Aminda Asher
      Deborah Assael-Migliore
      Daryl Goldberg
      E. Zoe Hassman
      Sarah Hewitt-Roth
      Daniel D. Miller
      Deborah Sepe

      Bass
      Jeffrey Carney, Principal
      John Beal
      Lou Bruno
      William M. Ellison
      Richard Fredrickson *
      Mark M. Minkler

      Flute
      Susan Rotholz, Principal
      Helen Campo
      Beomjae Kim

      Oboe
      Diane Lesser, Principal
      Toyin Spellman-Diaz

      English Horn
      Randall Ellis

      Clarinet
      David Sapadin, Principal
      Mitchell Kriegler

      Bass Clarinet
      Lino Gomez

      Bassoon
      Harry Searing, Principal

      Horn
      Lawrence DiBello, Principal
      Karl Kramer
      Jean F. Martin-Williams *
      Susan Panny

      Trumpet
      Tony Kadleck, Principal
      James De La Garza
      John Dent

      Trombone
      Richard Clark, Principal
      Mark A. Patterson
      John D. Rojak *

      Tuba
      Marcus Rojas, Principal

      Timpani
      Jonathan Haas, Principal

      Percussion
      James F. Saporito, Principal
      Barry Centanni
      Javier Diaz

      Harp
      Anna Reinersman, Principal

      Orchestra Personnel Managers
      Neil Balm
      Jonathan Haas

      Music Librarian
      Manly Romero

      * Member of The New York Pops since 1983

    • Founders
      Ruth and Skitch Henderson†

      Chairman
      John Littzi

      Treasurer
      John Gardner

      Secretary
      Mary Carr Patton

      Members
      David Blakelock
      Candace Carroll
      Jeffrey P. Englander
      Megan Hayes
      Capathia Jenkins
      Norm Lewis
      Michael Maizner
      Kelli O’Hara

      Robert S. Pohly
      Andrea Reiser
      Michael Rosen
      Dorothy Samuels
      Jonathan Sands
      Anthony V. Thompson
      Karen van Bergen
      Nadine Wong

      Chairman Emeritus
      James A. Read

      Secretary Emerita
      June Freemanzon

      Members Emeriti
      Catherine French
      Nancy Rabstejnek Nichols

    • President and Executive Director
      Anne M. Swanson

      General Manager
      Jamie Moses

      Director of Development
      Meredith Cappel

      Assistant Director of Development
      Chrissy Brinkman

      Development Apprentice
      Daphne Hwang Spencer

      Marketing and Communications Manager
      Stephen Furda

      Administrative and Production Coordinator
      Madison Davis

      Education Operations Coordinator
      Ganling B. Chu

      Director, Kids on Stage
      Brian Worsdale

      Public Relations
      Morahan Arts and Media

      Music Librarian
      Manly Romero

      Assistant Librarian
      Maguette Ndiaye

      Music Library Assistant
      Cassity Warnecke

      Orchestra Personnel Management
      Gemini Music Productions, Neil Balm and Jonathan Haas

      Legal Counsel
      Jeffrey P. Englander, Esq.
      Morrison Cohen, LLP

      Event Coordinator
      DS Consulting Group

      Designer
      Matthew Heckart

  • Where do I buy tickets for The New York Pops concerts?

    Tickets are available on Carnegie Hall’s website beginning each season in August. The Box office is located at Carnegie Hall (corner of 57th Street and Seventh Avenue). Tickets can also be purchased through CarnegieCharge by calling 212-247-7800. Tickets to The New York Pops Birthday Gala become available in January through The New York Pops office.

    What should I expect at a New York Pops concert? How should I dress?

    Learn more about the Carnegie Hall concert experience, including what to wear, here. New York Pops concerts are loads of fun, and you can expect to laugh and smile. Most New York Pops concerts last 110-120 minutes, including one intermission.

    Do I qualify for a discounted ticket?

    Visit Carnegie Hall’s discount ticket page for a list of all reduced-rate ticket programs.

    How do I get to Carnegie Hall? Where is Forest Hills Stadium?

    Carnegie Hall is located in midtown Manhattan, at the corner of 57th Street and Seventh Avenue. It is easily accessible by subway, bus, or car. More information can be found here. Forest Hills Stadium is located in Queens, on the grounds of the West Side Tennis Club. For information on getting to the venue, click here.

    Who is Steven Reineke’s favorite singer?

    Ella Fitzgerald is Steven’s all-time favorite singer.

    Who were the first “stars” to appear with The New York Pops?

    Opera legend Roberta Peters appeared with The New York Pops in January 1984.

     

     

    “Throughout the evening, [Skitch] Henderson conducted with effusion. Time will tell whether the New York Pops can grow to become a mainstay in Manhattan’s musical community. But Mr. Henderson’s determination, and the enthusiasm of his forces, augur well for the young orchestra.” – Tim Page, The New York Times, January 22, 1984.

  • Thank you for your interest in working with The New York Pops. Please see our openings below:

    The New York Pops is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The New York Pops is actively striving to achieve greater diversity amongst our Board of Directors, staff, and orchestra. We are committed to an inclusive workspace, and we strongly encourage applications from BIPOC, AAPI, LGBTQ+ who are excited about contributing to our mission.

  • The New York Pops is committed to transparency. We are grateful to our supporters and donors, who make possible all the work we do.

    For detailed financial information, please see our most recent Form 990 and our audited financial statements for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

    Click here to read our Education Report and learn more about how our PopsEd programs impacted students in the 2023-2024 school year.