Thousands Of NYC Schoolchildren Visit Carnegie Hall In May For LINK UP: THE ORCHESTRA ROCKS

For 40 seasons, Carnegie Hall's Link Up music education program for students in grades 3–5 has facilitated deeper connections between the concert hall and the classroom through an instrument-focused curriculum that culminates with students performing with a professional orchestra from their seats, often marking the first time many students will have set foot in a concert hall.

More than 11,000 New York City-area students have participated in this program in their classroom over the last school year and will travel to Carnegie Hall for one of six concerts in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage from Tuesday, May 20–Thursday, May 22. Local press are invited to cover performances at 10:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, May 22.

The theme of this year's concerts is Link Up: The Orchestra Rocks—an interactive program developed by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute (WMI) that explores rhythm, pulse, groove, and how it feels when the orchestra rocks. Throughout the school year, children study these musical tenets, learn about the orchestra, and create music together in their classrooms. At the end of the year, they put their knowledge into practice by playing from their seats during the culminating performances of The Orchestra Rocks at Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by teen Broadway actress Emiko Dunn, the concert program features Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser conducting the Link Up Orchestra—which includes current fellows and alums of Ensemble Connect and Carnegie Hall's National Youth Orchestra of the USA and NYO2—as well as other dynamic performers and music educators, all of whom reflect the vibrant makeup of New York City. The program also welcomes elementary school students from PS 896K The School of Creativity and Innovation, PS 14 Q, and Success Academy Flatbush to perform onstage as part of the concert. The Orchestra Rocks features classic works by Vivaldi, Verdi, Orff, and Prokofiev, alongside newer music by Chuck Berry, Thomas Cabaniss, and Jessica Meyer.

The longest-running education program of Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute, Link Up provides an opportunity for its participants to join the orchestra by teaching them to sing and play an instrument in the classroom. The Link Up programs are comprised of four distinctive, year-long curricula: The Orchestra Moves (exploring musical movement and dance), The Orchestra Sings (exploring melody), The Orchestra Rocks (exploring rhythm, pulse, and groove), and The Orchestra Swings (exploring elements of swing and jazz). Link Up materials are designed for use in classrooms throughout the school year, helping students prepare to take part in a culminating concert by their local orchestra at which they sing, play the recorder, or play the violin with the orchestra from their seats.

Through nearly 120 partnerships, Link Up reaches more than 300,000 students and teachers across the country from Alaska to Florida, as well as internationally in Canada, China, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, Spain, and beyond. Partner orchestras can utilize any of the program materials created by Carnegie Hall—including teacher guides, student materials, concert scripts, and concert visuals—for free as they work with schools in their own communities. The program's materials have been translated into several languages, including Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Japanese.

For more information about Link Up, and to see a full list of national and international Link Up partners during the 2024–2025 season, please click here.  

Program Information

Tuesday, May 20 at 10:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.
Wednesday, May 21 at 10:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.
Thursday, May 22 at 10:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage

LINK UP

Link Up Orchestra

Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, Conductor
Emiko Dunn, Host
NYC All-City High School Chorus, Guest Chorus
Kristy Jung, Guest Chorus Conductor
BKSteppers Pro Line, Drumline
Tré Frazier, Vocals
Shanna Lesniak-Whitney, Vocals
Dillon Klena, Vocals
Tali Rubinstein, Recorder

Students from PS 896K, PS 14Q, and Success Academy Flatbush
Bruna Novais, Understudy

Melissa Rae Mahon, Stage Director
Dan Scully, Visuals Designer
Stacey Boggs, Lighting Designer