Leave it to The New York Pops to turn Valentine’s Day into something far more memorable than roses and prix-fixe menus. Celebrating love one day early, the orchestra delivered a lush, joy-filled evening devoted to the greatest R&B love songs ever written—music that doesn’t just flirt with romance, but luxuriates in it.
Steven Reineke Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
The night opened with the unmistakable sweep of Love’s Theme, instantly the The New York Pops led by
Steven Reineke transported the audience back to the late ’60s and 70s, when romance came wrapped in velvet strings and slow-burning grooves. ,From there, the concert unfolded like a perfectly sequenced mixtape—one that knew exactly when to smolder, soar, and celebrate.
Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Vocal powerhouses Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson brought undeniable chemistry to Ashford & Simpson’s “You’re All I Need to Get By” and “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” their voices blending with warmth, soul, and just the right amount of drama. It was classic love-song storytelling, elevated by full symphonic backing that made every lyric feel larger than life.
Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Avery Wilson had the Motown magic flowed freely through “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” “If I Were Your Woman.”
Aisha Jackson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Aisha Jackson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Aisha Jackson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
While Aisha Jackson added the evergreen “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” while the orchestra shimmered behind a moving symphonic tribute to Diana Ross that felt both nostalgic and freshly reimagined.
Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Wilson was back with Let’s Stay Together and What’s Going On, songs that remind us love can be tender, political, and profoundly human all at once. The duo had spirits lifted sky-high with “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” before the room shifted seamlessly into celebration mode.
Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
What was so wonderful to see was on either side of the stage audience members gathered together to dance the night away.
Steven Reineke Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Steven Reineke Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
The second half danced boldly across generations: from the joyful pulse of “September” by the New York Pops.
Aisha Jackson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Aisha Jackson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Gave way to the timeless optimism of Jackson bring in “For Once in My Life.”
Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
The silky groove of Wilson’s “Rock With You,” and a crowd-pleasing double dose of Prince with “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and “Kiss”—each met with knowing smiles and serious applause as Jackson brought the house down.
Aisha Jackson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Modern classics gender bended powerfully with John Legend’s “Ordinary People” sung brilliantly by Jackson and Alicia Keys’s “If I Ain’t Got You” felt intimate even in a grand concert hall.
Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” sung by Wilson was vocally powerful it felt more like a coming out moment. Jackson on Mariah Carey’s “Hero” brought the house to an emotional high.
Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
The evening closed, fittingly, with Endless Love—a final slow dance of a song that sent audiences floating out into the night, hearts full and spirits lifted.
Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Avery, Steven Reineke, Aisha Jackson Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Avery, Steven Reineke, Aisha Jackson Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Chic, soulful, and irresistibly romantic, this Valentine’s celebration proved once again that when it comes to love songs, The New York Pops know exactly how to make the classics feel brand new—and make you believe in love all over again.
Avery Wilson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Aisha Jackson Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
The New York Pops is one of the best things New York has to offer. You can catch them in March in The Music of US: From Then to Now. Explore a retrospective of America’s rich and unique musical heritage 250 years in the making, from Indigenous music to spirituals, hymns, ragtime, jazz, blues, Appalachian folk, rock ‘n’ roll, R&B, rap, and more. An extraordinary lineup of guest. Starring The New York Pops, Steven Reineke, Max Clayton, Nova Payton, Ephraim Sykes, Tchin, Indigenous American Courting Flute, Hilary Hawke, Banjo, Essential Voices USA and Judith Clurman.
Avery Wilson , Steven Reineke and Aisha Jackson with the supporting vocalists that includes Ramona Dunlap, Stephanie Fisher and Melodie Ray
the supporting vocalists that includes Ramona Dunlap, Stephanie Fisher and Melodie Ray
Kyle Ramar Freeman, Judith Franklin, Avery Wilson and Maya Bowles
On April 27, The New York Pops 43rd Birthday Gala.Steven Reineke leads The New York Pops in a celebration of its 43rd Birthday Gala with Music Honoree Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell, Pippin, The Queen of Versailles, and more). Proceeds from the gala support the orchestra and its PopsEd music.