The Music of US: From then to now
March 13, 2026
8:00 PM
Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorum / Perelman Stage
Steven Reineke, Music Director and Conductor
Max Clayton, Guest Artist
Nova Y. Payton, Guest Artist
Ephraim Sykes, Guest Artist
Tchin, Indigenous American Courting Flute
Hilary Hawke, Banjo
Essential Voices USA, Judith Clurman, Director
Explore a retrospective of America’s rich and unique musical heritage 250 years in the making, from Indigenous music to spirituals, hymns, ragtime, jazz, blues, Appalachian folk, rock ‘n’ roll, R&B, rap, and more. An extraordinary lineup of guest singers and instrumentalists joins The New York Pops in this special journey through music by Sam Cooke, Scott Joplin, George and Ira Gershwin, Willie Nelson, Irving Berlin, Talking Heads and Brian Eno, James Weldon Johnson, Michael Jackson, and many more.
This concert is part of Carnegie Hall’s United in Sound: America at 250 festival highlighting the extraordinary musical riches that have evolved and flourished in the United States. With a wide variety of programs exploring diverse voices and influences that have shaped—and continue to shape—American identity, the festival offers a multifaceted musical reflection of the United States 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
The New York Pops Carnegie Hall Subscription Series is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Max Clayton was last seen as Fred Casely in CHICAGO on Broadway. He served as Hugh Jackman’s standby in the record-breaking revival of The Music Man, receiving rave reviews for his performance as Harold Hill opposite Sutton Foster. Additional Broadway credits: Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Hello Dolly! (starring Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters and Donna Murphy), Pretty Woman, Bandstand (Chita Rivera Award nom: Best Male Dancer), Something Rotten!, On The Town, and Gigi (starring Vanessa Hudgens). NY: A Chorus Line (Don, New York City Center Encores!) Regional: Signature Theatre (Helen Hayes Award nom: Riff in West Side Story), Ogunquit Playhouse: Crazy For You (Bobby Child), Singin’ In The Rain (Don Lockwood), The Kennedy Center, The MUNY, PCLO, Lyric Opera of Chicago, NSMT. TV/Film: Kiss of the Spider Woman, Dear Edward on Apple TV, White Noise on Netflix, PBS Great Performances- Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway’s Best, BANDSTAND: The Broadway Musical on Screen. Max received his BFA in Musical Theatre from The University of Cincinnati’s CCM.
Nova Y. Payton, a native Washingtonian, has performed all over the world. You may have heard her soprano voice on PBS Television with Maestro Luke Frazier and The American Pops Orchestra in “Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas”, “We Are Family” or as a featured performer and associate producer in “ Black Broadway: A Proud History, Limitless Future”. Nova’s performance with the 2008 internationally staged musical, 3 Mo’ Divas, could be seen on PBS Television as well and garnered her and the other ladies a 2008 NAACP Image Award Nomination for Outstanding Duo or Group. She is a two-time Helen Hayes Award Recipient, for her portrayal as Celie in Signature Theatre’s 2022 production of The Color Purple and her portrayal as Motormouth Mabel in Signature Theatre’s 2011 production of Hairspray. She has been seen in countless regional theatre productions across the country. Boasting a prolific catalog of artists collaborations, Nova has traveled the world singing background for the legend, Roberta Flack, for many years. She has shared the stage with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, the late Natalie Cole, Stephanie Mills, Melba Moore, Norm Lewis, Kelli O’Hara, Bobby McFerrin, Patti LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Yolanda Adams, Betsy Wolfe, Michael Uris and Anthony Hamilton to name of few. Nova has graced the symphonic stages with orchestras including Anchorage, American Pops, Houston, Grand Rapids, Helena, West Virginia, and Kennedy Center’s NSO Pops to name a few. She has also opened for heavyweights like Ashford and Simpson, Will Downing, The Chi-Lites and the Dramatics.
Nova toured with The American Pops Orchestra as a featured performer on a State Department Tour to Panama in summer 2024. She has performed in over 150 major cities in the US, as well as Canada, Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Europe.
Ephraim Sykes was nominated for a Tony, Grammy, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League Award for his performance as ‘David Ruffin’ in Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations. He recently starred in Broadway’s 2024 revival of Our Town directed by Kenny Leon. Other Broadway credits include Hamilton (also streaming on Disney+), Motown The Musical, Newsies, Memphis, and The Little Mermaid. Off-Broadway, Sykes starred in Pal Joey at City Center Encores, co-starred in Black No More (The New Group, Antonyo Award nom.), Rent (New World Stages) and Bye Bye Birdie at the Kennedy Center. On screen, Sykes was seen in Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit as well as the HBO series Vinyl, Luke Cage (Marvel/Netflix), Crisis in Six Scenes (Amazon) Russian Doll (Netflix) and in the NBC live broadcast of Hairspray Live! opposite Ariana Grande, earning an MTV Movie + TV Awards nomination for Best Musical Moment: “You Can’t Stop the Beat”.
Tchin is a flutist and interdisciplinary artist of Blackfeet and Narragansett heritage whose work centers the Indigenous courting flute, combining cultural traditions, personal expression, and contemporary mixed media. His work spans music, folklore, and two- and three-dimensional art, reflecting Indigenous values of creativity, connection, and integrated knowledge.
Raised in Virginia and Rhode Island, Tchin received many cultural teachings through family and Elders like Princess Red Wing and Eleanor Dove. He also studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico and earned his BFA at the Rhode Island School of Design. As a professional silversmith, Tchin was featured in Vogue, collaborated with Cartier, and earned numerous art show awards. He teaches metalsmithing at the School of Visual Arts and performs storytelling and flute music nationwide.
Tchin has released four albums of Indigenous courting flute music. His recent collaborations include Rehearsing Philadelphia (The Public Orchestra), Intersectional Soundbox Archive(Berklee School of Music), and Root Song (the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society). Tchinbrings Indigenous musicality into contemporary spaces, inviting audiences to experience tradition that resonates in the present.
Hilary Hawke is a banjoist, guitarist, and composer who creates new work rooted in bluegrass, old-time, and contemporary classical traditions. Based in New York City, she has released eight albums of original music. Her two most recent albums, Lift Up This Old World and Lilygild, reflect her love for the banjo and her ongoing exploration of its expressive possibilities.
Hilary arranged the banjo music for the Tony-nominated Broadway production The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window starring Oscar Isaac, and was the banjoist in the 2019 Tony Award–winning revival of Oklahoma!, along with many other New York City theatre productions. She serves on the Music Performance faculty at Columbia University where she teaches bluegrass guitar and banjo. She is currently performing at festivals and venues across the country, both with her band (Hilary Hawke Trio) and as a sought-after collaborator. Hilary is a member of The Brigideens, the Americana project led by Irish fiddle legend Eileen Ivers. Hilary is dedicated to outreach, teaching, and engaging audiences of all ages through her private studio and workshops nationwide. www.hilaryhawkemusic.com
Photo of Nova Y. Payton by Norman E. Jones. Photo of Ephraim Sykes by David Needleman. Photo of Tchin by Roberto A. Jackson.