Gershwin: A Century of Rhapsody in Blue
Gershwin: A Century of Rhapsody in Blue
Friday, February 9, 2024
8:00 PM
Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
Steven Reineke, Music Director and Conductor
Montego Glover, Guest Artist
Lee Musiker, Piano
The New York Pops celebrates the centennial of Gershwin’s masterpiece Rhapsody in Blue, featuring long-time New York Pops pianist Lee Musiker. The program will also include selections from Porgy and Bess, Cuban Overture, and some of George and Ira Gershwin’s best loved songs, sung by Tony Award nominee Montego Glover.
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
Montego Glover is a Tony Award Nominee, Two-time Drama Desk Award Winner, Outer Critics’ Circle Award Winner, Outer Critics’ Circle Award Honoree, and Drama League Award Nominee. Her Broadway credits include Into The Woods, Hamilton, Memphis (Tony Nominee, Drama Desk, OCC winner), Les Miserables, It Shoulda Been You, and the original Broadway production of The Color Purple. Off Broadway: The Royale (Lincoln Center Theater, Drama Desk Award), All The Natalie Portmans (MCC, OCC Honor). Ms. Glover has been a Guest Artist with numerous prestigious theater companies around the country earning an IRNE Award, a Helen Hayes Nomination and a Craig Noel Nomination.
Ms. Glover has been a Guest Vocalist with The New York Pops, Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York City Center, The National Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Caramoor Music Festival, Calgary Philharmonic, Sun Valley Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Smith Center in Las Vegas, and most recently the Chicago Symphony at Ravinia.
Television & Film projects include: Inventing Anna, The Blacklist, Evil, BULL, Black Box, The Following, Hostages, Smash, The Good Wife, White Collar, Golden Boy, Law & Order, Made In Jersey, and the independent feature film Broken Soldier. Ms. Glover has enjoyed numerous commercial campaigns, voiceovers, narration and animated characters for television, gaming, film and new media.
Notably, narration for Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Real Life Tales of Black Girl Magic, an audio & hardcover book celebrating the power and changemaking influence of Black Women throughout generations from around the globe.
Currently, Ms. Glover can be heard on the highly anticipated animated feature film Entergalactic for Netflix.
The “Montego Glover Exhibition” is currently enjoying its first years of residency at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center & African American Museum in Montego’s hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Ms. Glover has served as a member of the Artists’ Committee for the Kennedy Center Honors and Lincoln Center Theater. She is a New York PopsEd Ambassador and a member of the Broadway Green Alliance. @MontegoGlover www.MontegoGlover.com
Grammy, Emmy and Platinum Award winning Pianist, Conductor, Music Director, Arranger/Orchestrator Lee Musiker has established a distinguished and multifaceted career as both soloist and collaborator in the Classical, Operatic, Broadway, Jazz and Pop music genres.
"The brilliant pianist and arranger LEE MUSIKER…a remarkably empathetic and inventive virtuoso...exceptionally rich harmonies and propulsive rhythms" (Stephen Holden- The New York Times)
A Steinway Artist, Lee Musiker has performed with the New York Philharmonic and Principal Brass Quintet, Metropolitan Opera, Mostly Mozart, American Symphony Orchestra, Orpheus, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, the Atlanta, Cleveland, Philadelphia, San Francisco and London Symphony Orchestras, the New York, Boston, Cincinnati and Philly Pops and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
Mr. Musiker has guest conducted The New York Philharmonic, the Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, National and St. Louis Symphony Orchestras, Jazz @ Lincoln Center, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Henry Mancini Institute Orchestras and was Music Director/Principal Conductor of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon and the Palm Beach Pops.
From 2001-2013 Lee was Music Director/Pianist for the legendary Tony Bennett. Recordings include the award-winning albums "Duets- An American Classic", "Duets 2", Tony Bennett/Lady Gaga "Cheek to Cheek" and their triumphant 2021 Radio City Music Hall concerts and CBS-TV special.
A native New Yorker and fourth-generation musician, Lee received degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and Eastman School of Music, further studies at the Juilliard School and Bard College, and has given Masterclasses at the Metropolitan Opera Young Artists Program, Indiana University and was a visiting Guest Artist-in-residence at the Tanglewood and Ravinia Institutes.
Lee Musiker has performed and/or recorded with this platinum roster of artists;
Classical: Joshua Bell, Kathleen Battle, Harolyn Blackwell, Stephanie Blythe, Andrea Bocelli, Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Denyce Graves, Josh Groban, Nathan Gunn, Marilyn Horne, Sylvia McNair, Julia Migenes, Dawn Upshaw, Deborah Voigt.
Jazz/Pop: Tony Bennett, Michael Bublé, Natalie Cole, Judy Collins, Michael Feinstein, Aretha Franklin, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Jewel, Billy Joel, Elton John, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, kd Lang, Seth MacFarlane, Manhattan Transfer, John Mayer, Paul McCartney, Sting, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Mel Tormé, George Benson, Chris Botti, Eddie Daniels, Wynton Marsalis, John Pizzarelli, Buddy Rich, Doc Severinson.
Broadway: Kristin Chenoweth, Barbara Cook, Sutton Foster, Joel Grey, Leslie Odom Jr., Kelli O'Hara, Audra McDonald, Maureen McGovern, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Rita Moreno, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters.
Photo of Montego Glover by Dundore Photo. Photo of Lee Musiker by Steve J Sherman.