NEWSLETTER
Concert Features Max Clayton, Nova Y. Payton, Ephraim Sykes, Indigenous American Courting Flutist Tchin, 5-String Banjo Player Hilary Hawke,
and Judith Clurman’s Essential Voices USA in a Retrospective of America’s Musical Heritage
New York, NY (Feb. 2, 2026) — The New York Pops explores a retrospective of America’s rich and unique musical heritage 250 years in the making on Friday, March 13, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall. The Music of US: From Then To Now features Max Clayton (Broadway’s Chicago, The Music Man, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Hello, Dolly!), Nova Y. Payton (two-time Helen Hayes Award recipient, appearances on PBS with The American Pops Orchestra), and Ephraim Sykes (Tony, Grammy, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League Award nominee for his performance in Broadway’s Ain’t Too Proud), plus Indigenous American courting flutist Tchin, Banjo player Hilary Hawke, and Judith Clurman’s Essential Voices USA in a celebration of American song from Indigenous music to spirituals, hymns, ragtime, jazz, blues, Appalachian folk, rock 'n' roll, R&B, rap, and more. Songs will include “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, “I Got Rhythm”, “A Change Is Gonna Come”, “Last Dance”, and others.
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.
"We are so excited to be a part of Carnegie Hall’s United in Sound festival with this program that spans 250 years of American music, from Native American songs and Revolutionary War anthems, to early popular music genres like jazz and blues, through to the music of the 21st century,” said The New York Pops Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke. “It’s an ambitious, eclectic program, and we can’t wait for you to see it!”
The New York Pops additionally presents If I Ain’t Got You: The Best of R&B on Friday, February 13, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. with Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson; and the orchestra’s 43rd Birthday Gala, Changed for Good: A Celebration of Stephen Schwartz on Monday, April 27, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall.
Program Information
THE NEW YORK POPS
From Then To Now: The Music Of Us
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
Friday, March 13, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
Tickets are available via carnegiehall.org, at 212-247-7800, or the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th and Seventh.
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
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 of 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.
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 nomination: Best Male Dancer), Something Rotten!, On The Town, and Gigi (starring Vanessa Hudgens). New York: A Chorus Line (Don, New York City Center Encores!) Regional: Signature Theatre (Helen Hayes Award nomination for Riff in West Side Story), Ogunquit Playhouse (Bobby Child in Crazy For You and Don Lockwood in Singin’ In The Rain), 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 New York City Center Encores!, co-starred in Black No More (The New Group, Antonyo Award nomination), 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 who invites listeners to experience tradition that actively resonates today. His artistry expands across multiple media, sharing ancestral knowledge with contemporary audiences, and sustaining the living tradition of Indigenous music and culture.
As a musician, Tchin centers the Indigenous courting flute to engage in a personal and cultural artistic expression that honors tradition in contemporary contexts. His work spans music, folklore, teaching, and two- and three-dimensional art, reflecting Indigenous values of creativity, connection, and integrated ways of knowing. Tchin has released four albums of Indigenous courting flute music and has performed at hundreds of institutions in the United States and abroad, such as the The Museum of Modern Art and the American Museum of Natural History. His recent collaborations include performances with The Public Orchestra in Rehearsing Philadelphia, The Berklee School of Music's Intersectional Soundbox Archive, and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society for the May 2026 premiere of Root Song.
Additionally, as a professional silversmith, Tchin has been featured in Vogue, collaborated with Cartier, and earned numerous awards at art shows such as SWAIA Indian Market, Schemitzun, and the Southwest Museum. He currently teaches metalsmithing at the School of Visual Arts and performs storytelling and flute music across the country.
Born in Norfolk, Virginia, and raised between rural Virginia and Rhode Island, Tchin received many cultural teachings through extended family and Elders like Princess Red Wing and Eleanor Dove. He also studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico and the Rhode Island School of Design, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Tchin and his wife WanWoo have four daughters and ten grandchildren.
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.
Judith Clurman’s Essential Voices USA (EVUSA) is recognized as one of New York’s most distinguished choral ensembles. Comprised of acclaimed professionals and select auditioned volunteers, the ensemble shapes its sound to reflect the unique spirit and character of each project it undertakes. EVUSA has appeared on many of the nation’s most celebrated stages, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting, and the Washington National Cathedral. The group has recorded more than twenty CDs. Through its Community Project, EVUSA presents free concerts and sing-alongs across New York City’s five boroughs, while its Composer Speaks series celebrates and champions new American works.
A Grammy nominee and two-time Emmy Award nominee, conductor Judith Clurman has collaborated with many of the world’s leading orchestras at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and beyond. A passionate advocate for new music, she has commissioned and premiered works by more than seventy composers. Judith has served as Director of Choral Activities at The Juilliard School, as vocal specialist for the National Endowment for the Arts/Columbia University Institute of Classical Music, and as co-creator and conductor of The Singing Tree for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. She currently teaches voice at the Manhattan School of Music, and her compositions and arrangements are performed by major orchestras and choruses nationwide.
Photo of Nova Y. Payton by Norman E. Jones; photo of Ephraim Sykes by David Needleman
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