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. Led by Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke, the orchestra performs an annual subscription series at Carnegie Hall, and is among the venue’s most presented ensembles. Now in its 41st season, The New York Pops’ annual birthday gala is celebrated each spring, raising funds for the orchestra and its education programs. The New York Pops performs annually in Queens, New York, at Forest Hills Stadium, a 14,000-seat historic concert venue.

The New York Pops celebrates the diversity of popular music’s evolving songbook. Every concert is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, with influences that range from Broadway melodies to film scores, jazz, rock, pop, and everything in between. Under Mr. Reineke’s dynamic leadership, The New York Pops continues to reimagine orchestral pops music.

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. The New York Pops is committed to serving all members of the community. 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.

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 the presentation of concerts and education programs of the highest quality. The New York Pops is a nonprofit organization supported solely through the generosity of individual donations, institutional grants, corporate sponsorships, and concert income. Follow The New York Pops on Facebook (facebook.com/thenewyorkpops), Instagram (@thenewyorkpops), and X (@thenewyorkpops).

Steven 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. Additionally, he 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 Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He is a frequent guest conductor and can be seen on the podium with the Chicago, Dallas, and Detroit symphony orchestras; the San Francisco Symphony; and The Philadelphia Orchestra.

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, Nas, Ne-Yo, Barry Manilow, Cynthia Erivo, Ben Rector, Cody Fry, Sutton Foster, Amos Lee, Dispatch, Jason Mraz, and Ben Folds, among others. In 2017, he was featured on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, leading the National Symphony Orchestra in a performance of live music excerpts in 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 hundreds of orchestral arrangements, Mr. Reineke’s work has been 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 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 (2020 Alumnus Distinguished Achievement Medal), 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.

Hailey Kilgore is an American singer, dancer, and actress. Best known for her Tony- and Grammy-nominated turn as Ti Moune in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island, Ms. Kilgore has since gone on to star in multiple films, including the critically acclaimed Respect opposite Jennifer Hudson and the lead role in Cinnamon, which made its debut at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. On television, she currently stars as Jukebox in Starz’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and she has had multiple memorable arcs on Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories on Apple and on NBC’s The Village. Ms. Kilgore’s first EP, Desire and Devotion, was released earlier this year. She is represented by A3 and Circle of Confusion.

Derek Klena starred on Broadway in Alanis Morissette’s critically acclaimed musical Jagged Little Pill, for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He recently concluded his run as Christian in the Tony Award–winning musical Moulin Rouge! The Musical, directed by Alex Timbers. His performance earned him a Broadway.com Audience Choice Award for Favorite Replacement. Earlier this year, Mr. Klena also starred as Joe Gillis opposite Stephanie J. Block in the Kennedy Center’s limited run of Sunset Boulevard, part of its Broadway Center Stage program.

Mr. Klena first broke into New York’s theater scene in the 2012 Off-Broadway revival of Carrie, and he quickly garnered attention from Oscar, Grammy, and Tony winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. He originated the lead role of Eddie Birdlace in Dogfight, receiving a Clive Barnes Award nomination for his performance, and made his Broadway debut as Fiyero in the 10th-anniversary company of Wicked. On Broadway, he also originated the roles of Michael Johnson in Jason Robert Brown’s The Bridges of Madison County and Dmitry in Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, and Terrence McNally’s Anastasia. Other notable theater credits include Williamstown Theatre Festival’s Unknown Soldier, directed by Trip Cullman; Signature Theatre’s Diner, written by Sheryl Crow and Barry Levinson; and the Hollywood Bowl’s star-studded production of Hairspray, directed by Jerry Mitchell.

On television, Mr. Klena can be seen in the pivotal role of Wes in the MAX series Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, and he will reprise his role in season 2. He is also known for his memorable arc as DJ Fingablast on Tina Fey and Robert Carlock’s Netflix hit Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Other television credits include City on a Hill, The Code, and A Holiday Spectacular.

Javier Muñoz is best known for starring as and co-creating the role of Alexander Hamilton in the hit musical Hamilton on Broadway for two years after Lin-Manuel Miranda departed the show (and for serving as his alternate prior to that). He got his break starring as Usnavi in In the Heights on Broadway, also created by Mr. Miranda.

Mr. Muñoz recently starred as Nigel Owens (a role originated by Stanley Tucci in the feature film) in the pre-Broadway run of the new musical The Devil Wears Prada, with music by Elton John. He also starred in the dark comedy indie feature Monuments, opposite David Sullivan and Marguerite Moreau; recently wrapped the indie feature Love … Reconsidered; and stars in Three Months on Paramount+ opposite Troye Sivan and Judy Greer. He voices a lead character in the Disney Jr. animated series Eureka! as well. Other television credits include recurring roles on Shadowhunters, Blindspot, and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Mr. Muñoz is an outspoken activist for LGBTQ+ rights.

Ali Stroker is a Tony Award winner for her role as Ado Annie in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!. She made history as the first actor in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway in Deaf West Theatre’s acclaimed 2015 revival of Spring Awakening. She is a series regular in the Netflix series Echoes, and starred in the Lifetime holiday film Christmas Ever After. Ms. Stroker had a recurring role on the final season of Netflix’s Ozark and also appears in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. She co-wrote the 2021 novel The Chance to Fly and wrote the 2022 children’s book Ali and the Sea Stars, and she portrayed Lady Anne in the Shakespeare in the Park production of Richard III. She’s performed her one-woman show all over the country, at venues that include the Kennedy Center, Town Hall, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. Her mission to improve the lives of others through the arts is captured in her motto: “Turning Your Limitations into Your Opportunities.”