Carnegie Hall

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. Under the dynamic leadership of Music Director Steven Reineke, The New York Pops continues to re-imagine orchestral pops music. The orchestra performs annually at Carnegie Hall and at Forest Hills Stadium, a 14,000-seat historic concert venue in Queens. Through its PopsEd music education programs, The New York Pops fulfills its dedication to lifelong learning by collaborating with public schools, community organizations, 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. Follow The New York Pops on Facebook (facebook.com/thenewyorkpops), Instagram (@thenewyorkpops), and Twitter (@thenewyorkpops).

Steven Reineke has established himself as one of North America’s leading conductors of popular music. In addition to serving as music director and conductor of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Mr. Reineke is principal pops conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and principal pops conductor of the Houston Symphony and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Reineke is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and his extensive North American conducting appearances include performances with the orchestras of Atlanta, Cincinnati, Edmonton, San Francisco, and Sarasota. On stage, Mr. Reineke has created programs and collaborated with a range of leading artists from the worlds of hip-hop, R&B, Broadway, television, and rock, including Maxwell, Common, Kendrick Lamar, Cynthia Erivo, Sutton Foster, Megan Hilty, Cheyenne Jackson, Wayne Brady, Peter Frampton, and Ben Folds, among others. In 2017, he was featured on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, leading the National Symphony Orchestra performing live music excerpts between news segments—a first in the show’s 45-year history. In 2018, Mr. Reineke led the National Symphony Orchestra with hip-hop legend Nas, performing his seminal album Illmatic on PBS’s Great Performances.

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 across North America. His Sun Valley Festival Fanfare was used to commemorate the Sun Valley Summer Symphony’s pavilion, and his Festival Te Deum and Swans 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.

Called “one of the greatest singers on earth” by Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the musical sensation Hamilton, Mandy Gonzalez has thrilled audiences on Broadway, lit up the screen on television, and started a social movement. She currently stars as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton and as Lucy Knox on the CBS hit Madam Secretary. On stage, the dynamic range of her voice sets a new standard: One moment, she can be soft and sultry; the next moment, she can shake the rafters. Ms. Gonzalez is a Warner East West Records artist and recently released her debut album, Fearless, which entered the iTunes pop chart at No. 13.

Ms. Gonzalez is also known for originating the role of Nina Rosario in the Tony Award–winning show In the Heights. Previously, she starred as Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked, blowing the roof off of the Gershwin Theatre every night. She has performed with symphony orchestras across the country, and was the lead vocalist for the Philly Pops’ 11-show Christmas spectacular. She is also an author, and recently published a widely cited article in the Harvard Business Review on how to overcome a fear of public speaking and become more confident in one’s communication abilities and leadership.

Ms. Gonzalez is the proud founder of #FearlessSquad, a social media movement for inclusiveness and belonging. The movement connects millions of people around the world, encourages them to be their best selves, and helps them empower each other.

Carrie Manolakos is beyond thrilled to be making her Carnegie Hall debut with The New York Pops. Her Broadway credits include the lead role of Sophie in Mamma Mia!, Elphaba in the second national tour of Wicked, and, most recently, Natalie in the multimedia stage premiere of Love Actually Live at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles.

Ms. Manolakos can be heard on the soundtrack for the film The Greatest Showman and has been a guest artist with Hugh Jackman at the Metropolitan Opera House and across the country. She performed at the 2018 Oscars, singing “This Is Me,” and has sung with Phish at Madison Square Garden and with symphony orchestras around the globe. Her soundtrack, film, and television credits include Incredibles 2, Fosse/Verdon, Dear Evan Hansen, Rise on NBC, and the title role on the concept album for Lizzie, the rock opera based on the life of Lizzie Borden, which Ms. Manolakos originated at Theatre Under the Stars in Houston.

In addition to being an actress, Ms. Manolakos is also a songwriter. Her most recent full-length record—The 44th Chord, released last May—was featured on Z100 along with Madonna, Ariana Grande, Celine Dion, and Katy Perry. Her previous record, Echo, hit No. 44 on the iTunes pop chart; in addition, she became widely known for her interpretation of Radiohead’s “Creep,” which has 4 million views on YouTube and praised by Entertainment Weekly. She has been written up in The New York Times, The New Yorker, HuffPost, The Daily Beast, MTV, and Gawker, and was chosen as one of Elle magazine’s “30 Under 30: The Essential Names to Know” and voted No. 1 by readers. She was also listed on MSN’s “15 Covers that Transcend the Original Hits” and voted No. 2, just after Johnny Cash and in good company with Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Amy Winehouse, Jimmy Hendrix, and other greats.

Ms. Manolakos would like to thank Steven Reineke, The New York Pops, Eric Gabbard, and her entire family. Very special thanks to her parents. Visit carriemanolakos.com or follow @carriemanolakos.

Best known for his hit role in Fox’s Glee as transgender student Unique Adams, actor and singer Alex Newell is now taking Broadway by storm. He can currently be seen on the new NBC series Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist opposite Lauren Graham and Jane Levy. Previously, he made his Broadway debut as Asaka in the Tony Award–winning revival of Once on this Island, a musical that follows a group of storytellers in the midst of a storm. While Mr. Newell was heard singing on the big stage, he also signed with Big Beat Records in 2013, which led to a series of collaborations and the release of his EP Power.

Mr. Newell had a recurring role on the Hulu miniseries Resident Advisors in April 2015, and his work was heavily featured in the first season of the drama series Vinyl, created by Rich Cohen and Mick Jagger. Beginning in 2016, Mr. Newell starred in the NBC show Imaginary Friend as series regular Sam, in which he played the imaginary friend of co-star Megan Neuringer. His other film credits include the 2013 comedy Geography Club.