Interview: The Orchestra of St. Luke’s Is on a Mission to Bring Accessible Music to NYC

Last month, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s kicked off Carnegie Hall’s United in Sound: American Music at 250 series with a truly stunning sold-out concert performance of Oklahoma! featuring a star-studded cast including David Hyde Pierce and Ana Gasteyer. The OSL's mission is to bring music to life "with world-class performances, city-wide community and education programs, and through the broad array of musicians and ensembles who rehearse, record, and perform at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music." They perform a wide swathe of music, from Sondheim to Bach, as well as spreading the joy of music to the next generation with their youth orchestra program. I chatted with James Roe, the President & Executive Director of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, about highlights of their 2026 season, how to support OSL, and how parents can get their kids involved in the Youth Orchestra of St. Luke's (YOSL).

[This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity]

How do you normally work to plan the season out for the Orchestra of St. Luke’s?

The Orchestra of St. Luke's really stands out for the variety and diversity of its programing throughout the year. We touch on almost every genre that can possibly be played by an orchestra. That includes everything from large scale symphonic works to chamber music to playing with dance, to playing with pop stars.

The centerpiece of our season are the three series that we perform at Carnegie Hall each year. We perform at Carnegie Hall more than any other orchestra in the world, and we're the only orchestra to have a subscription series in each of Carnegie's three halls: Stern Auditorium, Zankel Hall, and Weill Recital Hall. So, when we are planning a season, we want to provide our audiences with not only the highest aspirations of what the art form can bring to them, but also, we're trying to make concerts and performances that fit into these different spaces and that appeal to different audience groups with different interest areas.

Chamber music is one area of interest. We have a Bach festival in Zankel Hall. And, as part of the work that we do in the big hall in Stern Auditorium, these are things that are meant to reach almost 3000 people, so these are going to be big name spectacles. These are going to be really exciting shows that touch a lot of people.

Now, one of the things that is special about being associated with Carnegie Hall, as we are, is that we participate in their citywide festivals that they have each year. For all the right reasons, because the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is celebrated in 2026, their festival, United in Sound: America at 250, gives wonderful opportunities for us. And so, we are so pleased to participate in the festival with many performances [and] to be the opening concert of the whole festival. [Editor’s note: read my review of OSL’s opening show, the January 12th, 2026 concert performance of Roger and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, here.]

But it's not only through this wonderful American musical theater masterpiece that we're a part of the festival. On March 26th, 2026, we return to Carnegie Hall with an all-American program that includes music of Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein, conducted by the great French conductor Louis Langrée, who was the music director of the Mostly Mozart Festival for 21 years, is loved by U.S. audiences and New York audiences. And he's going to, among other things, play George Gershwin's An American in Paris, which is going to be conducted by a Frenchman in New York, and I think that's kind of great [laughs].

And so that concert is part of the festival. We also have a chamber music concert on the 25th of February that features all American music, including songs by Stephen Sondheim and a world premiere of the work for clarinet and strings by Jonathan Tunic, who is Stephen Sondheim's arranger and composer. Also, we’ll play the very famous Samuel Barber Adagio for Strings, among other works.

What is the one of the most rewarding parts of being part of the OSL been for you since your tenure there?

That's such a great question. I have just celebrated ten years as executive director of the Orchestra of St. Luke's, but I first went on the payroll 30 years ago as a substitute oboe player fresh out of Juilliard. I had heard the recordings of the Orchestra of St. Luke's. They called me up to see if I could substitute in one of their concerts... [we] were backing up James Taylor out in Montauk, and I couldn't believe it that I would be playing in a group that I had the recordings of. It just seemed too good to be true.

That one, engagement really changed the course of my career because I made what became really important and deep connections in the New York music world through Orchestra of St. Luke's. They kept using me, hiring me, hiring me, for decades. And then when this job came open, it just was an absolute dream job for me.

The thing I think I love about St. Luke's... one is the connection with Carnegie Hall; two are these musicians that I've admired for 30 years and known so well. And then the other thing is that the mission of the organization and these three important parts: performance, education, and The DiMenna Center for Classical Music, which is our building. We're the second largest orchestra in the city by budget size, and we are the only orchestra in New York to have its own youth orchestra, and we are the only orchestra in New York to own real estate. And so, it's a really dynamic company with a lot of heart and a really bright future.

If anyone wants to support your mission or get involved, is there a good way to do that?

There are a number of fun ways to do it. About half of our support every year comes from donations; honestly, mostly from individuals who love our concerts. If you go to OSLmusic.org/support, you can find ways to become a member. We have memberships that start at $100 for the year, [which gives] a lot of great benefits: access to box office early, special discounts. And then as you move up the membership levels, you can have more opportunity to be associated with the musicians, with the organization, get invited to open rehearsals, get invited to post-concert receptions. Also, we have a gala every year in the spring. It's a fun night for a great cause.

And the thing that’s so fun about supporting an organization of our size is that your contributions really make a difference. And you can see that difference in action, close up, and I think that's really fun for the donors.

What about parents who want to enroll their kids in The Youth Orchestra of St. Luke's (YOSL)?

The YOSL provides free afterschool instruction in violin, viola and cello at five sites in Hell's Kitchen and there also are a number of ensembles. There's a string quartet, there's sort of a beginner’s ensemble. Then there's the de La Bruyère. This is our top ensemble, and this ensemble will play in public concerts around the neighborhood. Members of YOSL have gone on to really study music beyond, but also just make music a part of their life.

You can contact us directly at info [at] OSLmusic.org, say you're interested in the youth orchestra, and we'd be happy to give anyone information about how to join.

Since there is so much excitement around the Oklahoma concert, is that something that you see yourself putting on again next year or in a future year?

Well, yes. Carnegie invited us to put this concert together. We were thrilled to do it, and I think that the success is going to lead to other projects of the same sort because this is what people love to hear, and it's what our musicians love to play. It's the music of our nation, and it's important for it to be played at Carnegie Hall at this level.

Is there anything else that you want to add that we haven't touched on yet that you want people to know about the upcoming season or the Orchestra of St. Luke's in general?

The New York Times calls us New York's hometown band, and we take that moniker to heart. I think the Orchestra of St. Luke's is easy to love, easy to follow, and easy to fall in love with.

Learn more about the OSL and how to get tickets to see them on their website at oslmusic.org