Alan Menken Will Be Honored at New York Pops' 35th Birthday Gala

The New York Pops will present its 35th Birthday Gala honoring legendary and prolific composer Alan Menken on Monday, April 30, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall.

The celebratory concert features some of Menken's most beloved compositions performed by The New York Pops under the music direction of Steven Reineke, together with a starry line-up of guest artists to be announced.

Menken is well-known for his musical contributions to stage and screen including Disney's The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Newsies, and more.

Proceeds from the Gala support the organization's PopsEd music education programs. The concert is followed by a black tie dinner and dance at the Mandarin Oriental New York.

The New York Pops 35th anniversary season additionally includes Women of Notes: In Dedication to Female Composers and Lyricists on Friday, November 17 at 8:00 p.m. with Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe; The Most Wonderful Time of the Year on Friday, December 15 and Saturday, December 16 at 8:00 p.m. with Megan Hilty; Heart and Soul featuring James Monroe Iglehart and Capathia Jenkins on Friday, February 2 at 8:00 p.m.; and The Best of Hollywood: Blockbuster Film Scores on Friday, March 9 at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets for the concert will be available to the public in January 2018. Tickets to the black tie Dinner Dance will be available by calling The New York Pops office at 212-765-7677.

The New York Pops is the largest independent pops orchestra in the United States, and the only professional symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular music. Under the leadership of dynamic Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke, The New York Pops continues to re-imagine orchestral pops music. The orchestra performs an annual subscription series and birthday gala at Carnegie Hall and a summer series at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY. The New York Pops is dedicated to lifelong learning, and collaborates with public schools, community organizations, children's hospitals 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.

Steven Reineke is the Music Director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, 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. Mr. Reineke is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra and has been on the podium with the Boston Pops, The Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia. His extensive North American conducting appearances include Seattle, Edmonton and Pittsburgh. As the creator of more than one hundred orchestral arrangements for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and the composer of symphonic and wind ensemble compositions, Mr. Reineke's work has been performed worldwide.

The New York Pops is dedicated to lifelong learning, and collaborates with public schools, community organizations, children's hospitals, 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. PopsEd makes music open to all, and use tools like composition, lyric writing, performance and mentorship to foster learning and unbridled creativity. In doing so, PopsEd excites students and gives them skills that they can apply to all areas of their lives.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride