The New York Pops Announces 2026-27 Season at Carnegie Hall

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Katlyn Morahan | Morahan Arts and Media
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THE NEW YORK POPS,
LED BY MUSIC DIRECTOR STEVEN REINEKE,
ANNOUNCES 2026-27 SEASON AT CARNEGIE HALL

Season Kicks Off with 007: James Bond Forever with 
Lena Hall on Friday, October 23, 2026

The Debut Series Launches on Friday, February 5, 2027
Spotlighting Jimmie Herrod and Marisha Wallace

Annual Holiday Concerts Feature
Derek Klena and Lindsay Mendez on December 18 and 19, 2026

Additional Concerts in 2026-27 Season Include
One Night Only: An Evening with Denée Benton and Jordan Donica

on Friday, November 20, 2026;
and John Williams and Steven Spielberg: Movie Magic on Friday, March 5, 2027

February 5, 2026, New York, NY — The New York Pops, led by Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke, today announces its 2026-2027 season of performances in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall.

The 2026-2027 season begins on Friday, October 23, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. with 007: James Bond Forever, celebrating the debonair secret agent who has captivated audiences worldwide since 1962. Tony Award winning, Grammy nominated star Lena Hall joins The New York Pops for swanky Bond favorites spanning 60 years of the iconic film series, including favorites like Goldfinger, Skyfall, Diamonds Are Forever, and Live and Let Die.

Denée Benton and Jordan Donica, co-stars in HBO’s hit show The Gilded Age, join The New York Pops for a new program highlighting favorites from their careers and from the Great American Songbook on Friday, November 20, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.

The New York Pops continues its annual holiday celebration with Sleigh Bells Ring on Friday, December 18 and Saturday, December 19, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. with Derek Klena and Lindsay Mendez in a festive evening of classic carols and new holiday favorites.

On Friday, February 5, 2027 at 8:00 p.m., The New York Pops launches The Debut Series, hearkening back to the tradition of hosts like Ed Sullivan introducing new talent to a wider audience. The orchestra presents debut artists Jimmie Herrod (finalist on NBC’s America's Got Talent, earning a rare Golden Buzzer) and Marisha Wallace (Sally Bowles in Broadway’s Cabaret) singing a mix of Broadway and popular music with their own unique, inimitable style.

The New York Pops concludes its 2026-27 Carnegie Hall season with John Williams and Steven Spielberg: Movie Magic—a tribute to one of the great partnerships between film composer and film director including classic works like Jaws, Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler’s List, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and more—on Friday, March 5, 2027 at 8:00 p.m.

“All of us at The New York Pops are thrilled to return for our 44th season at Carnegie Hall!” said Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke. “This season, we’ll showcase the orchestra at its very best, performing epic movie music, Broadway and songbook favorites, and our annual holiday concerts. We’ll also share the stage with some truly terrific vocalists, many of whom will be making their first appearances with the orchestra. It’s going to be a wonderful season; we’ll see you there!"

2026-2027 Program Information

THE NEW YORK POPS
007: James Bond Forever
Steven Reineke, Music Director and Conductor
Lena Hall, Guest Artist

Friday, October 23, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
__________________________________

THE NEW YORK POPS
One Night Only: An Evening with Denée Benton and Jordan Donica
Steven Reineke, Music Director and Conductor
Denée Benton, Guest Artist
Jordan Donica, Guest Artist

Friday, November 20, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
__________________________________

THE NEW YORK POPS
Sleigh Bells Ring
Steven Reineke, Music Director and Conductor
Derek Klena, Guest Artist
Lindsay Mendez, Guest Artist
Essential Voices USA, Judith Clurman, Music Director and Conductor

Friday, December 18, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 19, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
__________________________________

THE NEW YORK POPS
Steven Reineke, Music Director and Conductor
The Debut Series: Introducing… Jimmie Herrod and Marisha Wallace
Jimmie Herrod, Guest Artist
Marisha Wallace, Guest Artist

Friday, February 5, 2027 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
__________________________________

THE NEW YORK POPS
John Williams and Steven Spielberg: Movie Magic
Steven Reineke, Music Director and Conductor

Friday, March 5, 2027 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
__________________________________

These programs are 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.

Ticket Information:
Carnegie Hall subscription packages for the 2026–2027 season are currently on sale. Single tickets for 2026–2027 performances go on sale to Carnegie Hall subscribers and members on Monday, August 3, 2026 at 11:00 a.m., and to the general public on Monday, August 10, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.

About the Artists
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.

Follow The New York Pops on Facebook (facebook.com/thenewyorkpops) and Instagram (@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. 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.
Photo of Lena Hall provided by Lena Hall; photo of Denée Benton by Tiffany Brodman; photo of Jordan Donica by Cory Vanderploeg; photo of Derek Klena by Jenny Anderson; photo of Lindsay Mendez by Matthew Murphy; photo of Jimmie Herrod by Philmore Ulinwa; photo of Marisha Wallace by Yellow Belly Photo

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