Twenty Students From Across New York City To Perform With The New York Pops At Carnegie Hall, 4/29

The New York Pops 36th Birthday Gala concert, Hat Full of Stars: The Songs of Cyndi Lauper, on Monday, April 29 at 7:00 p.m. at Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall, will feature twenty participants from the orchestra's Kids on Stage program. The Kids on Stage program provides middle school students access to the professional performance process through an audition process, comprehensive rehearsal period, and performance with the orchestra on the Carnegie Hall stage.

This year's Kids On Stage participants include: Madeline Ajemian, percussion (8th grade, IS 318); Frances Bruschi, clarinet, (8th grade, IS 51); Adrian Budd, french horn (8th grade, IS 318); Eleanor Cohen, flute (7th grade, IS 75); Kenji Golden, viola (7th grade, IS 187); Mateo Gregorio, percussion (8th grade, Wagner Middle School); Laila Halpern, trombone (8th grade, IS 75); Ryan Hau, double bass (7th grade, OMP); Gabriel Hawkins, violin (7th grade, Arts and Letters); Christopher Le Doux, trumpet (7th grade, IS 75); Semaj McCoy, saxophone (8th grade, IS 318); Alejandro Meyer-Nilliasca, trombone (8th grade, IS 318); Leo Oiwa, violin (7th grade, NYC Lab Middle School); Joel Parker, oboe (8th grade, IS 318); Jordan Petan, french horn (8th grade, Leman Manhattan); Zoe Shack, trumpet (8th grade, IS 318); Maria Shestakov, flute (7th grade, Wagner Middle School); Tiffany Tsui, violin (7th grade, Special Music School 859); Hong Xi Wen, euphonium (8th grade, IS 318); and Katherine Zhao, saxophone (8th grade, IS 239).

This year, five Kids On Stage students will receive a full scholarship to attend French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts for three weeks in Hancock, New York.

This season, The New York Pops has honored IS 318 (Brooklyn) music teacher Will Hakim for his tireless dedication to music education, and for his work in building the IS 318 Band Program to an impeccably high standard of excellence. Six of Mr. Hakim's students were chosen as part of the 2019 Kids on Stage program through a competitive audition process. The New York Pops has partnered with IS 318 since the 2011-12 year. The residency, made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, has grown from a ten week program to a twenty-one week program in the 2018-2019 school year. Three New York Pops teaching artists work with Mr. Hakim's band students each week in sectional groups.

IS 318 band students will participate in a conducting clinic on Wednesday, March 27 at 11:40am with New York Pops Music Director Steven Reineke.

The New York Pops in partnership with Camp Broadway will also offer a student at each of its PopsEd Musical Theater NIA Community Services Network, Inc. partner schools-IS 98 in Sheepshead Bay and IS 281 in Gravesend, Brooklyn - a scholarship to perform with the Camp Broadway Kids Ensemble in the concert on April 29, 2019.

Hat Full of Stars: The Songs of Cyndi Lauper honors Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning music icon Cyndi Lauper in addition to corporate honoree media executive Ken Lowe, founder of Scripps Networks and Discovery Board Member. Guest artists from across the recording industry and the Broadway community will come together to pay tribute to their friend and inspiration Cyndi Lauper and include: Annaleigh Ashford, Boy George, Estelle, Bridget Everett, Nona Hendryx, Carly Rae Jepsen, Alex Newell, and Stark Sands. Additional guest artists to be announced.

Co-chairs for the event include Lisa Barbaris (So What Management), Tina Fey (writer, actress and producer), Billie Jean King (sports icon and social justice pioneer), Jeff Sagansky (Platinum Eagle), and David Zaslav (Discovery).

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