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NEW YORK POPS INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 133240366 · Form 990 · FY2023 · NTEE A690 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M)
revenue
$3.3M
expenses
$3.0M
net assets
$1.6M
employees
13
volunteers
43
program ratio
78%
mission · from form 990

TO CREATE GREATER PUBLIC AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION OF AMERICA'S RICH MUSICAL HERITAGE.

profile · synthesized from sources

Orchestral music organization dedicated to increasing public appreciation of American musical heritage through performances and education. Delivers music programs to New York City public school students, including concert experiences, in-school residencies, and performance opportunities. Also provides outreach to individuals living with Alzheimer's and dementia through community partnerships.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $553K
    EDUCATION/COMMUNITYPOPSED MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS HAVE REACHED MORE THAN 100,000 NYC STUDENTS SINCE THEIR INCEPTION IN 1991. POPSED PROVIDES FREE AND CONTRACTED PROGRAMS TO PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS IN ALL FIVE BOROUGHS OF NYC, SEVERAL OF WHICH ARE TITLE 1 SCHOOLS. POPSED CONSISTS OF THREE CORE PROGRAMS: KIDS IN THE BALCONY (KIB) (CONCERT EXPERIENCE WITH PRE-CONCERT CURRICULUM); RESIDENCIES (CHORAL, INSTRUMENTAL, AND MUSICAL THEATER INSTRUCTION BY POPSED TEACHING ARTISTS); KIDS ON STAGE (KOS) (INSTRUMENTAL COACHING CULMINATING WITH STUDENTS PERFORMING ALONGSIDE THE ORCHESTRA AT CARNEGIE HALL). A CONDUCTING APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO LEARN THE ART OF CONDUCTING, IN TANDEM WITH THE KOS PROGRAM, CONTINUES TO GROW. ADDITIONALLY, THE NEW YORK POPS COLLABORATES WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS LIKE CARINGKIND TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER'S AND DEMENTIA AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH THEIR STRONGEST MEMORIES ASSOCIATED WITH ICONIC MUSIC.
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Conducting Apprenticeship Program
Program for high school students to learn conducting, offered in tandem with the Kids on Stage initiative.
Kids in the Balcony
Concert experience with pre-concert curriculum provided to NYC public school students, introducing them to orchestral music and live performance.
Kids on Stage
Instrumental coaching program culminating in students performing alongside The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall.
Music & Memory Performances
Collaborative performances with community partners like CaringKind and the Museum of the Moving Image for individuals with Alzheimer's and dementia.
Residencies
In-school choral, instrumental, and musical theater instruction delivered by teaching artists to students across all five boroughs of NYC.
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Music Education and Training Programs 4 activities
    • Administer a high school conducting apprenticeship program
      Offers an annual conducting apprenticeship for up to four high school juniors and seniors to study conducting, learn from master teachers, participate in rehearsals, and perform alongside the orchestra; integrated with the Kids on Stage program.
    • Deliver music education programs to K–12 students
      Provides in-school and virtual music education residencies in choral, instrumental, and musical theater instruction led by professional teaching artists, targeting NYC public school students with limited access to arts education; includes programs such as PopsEd that serve thousands of students annually and have reached over 100,000 since inception.
    • Offer student performance and mentorship opportunities
      Operates the Kids on Stage program, enabling middle and high school students to perform alongside New York Pops musicians at Carnegie Hall; includes instrumental coaching and culminating performances, with virtual adaptations produced during the pandemic.
    • Produce educational digital content for music learning
      Creates and distributes educational video series such as "Meet the Musicians" and downloadable student guides to teach instrument families, playing techniques, and orchestral concepts; expanded to 20 videos during the pandemic to support remote learning.
  • Classical and Chamber Music Performances 1 activity
    • Present pops concerts at Carnegie Hall and other venues
      Produces and presents a seasonal concert series at Carnegie Hall featuring guest artists and diverse repertoire including Broadway, film scores, jazz, rock, and pop music; also hosts annual events such as the Birthday Gala and holiday concerts, and offers free public concerts at parks, community organizations, senior centers, and outdoor venues like Forest Hills Stadium.
  • Performing Arts Ticket Access Programs 1 activity
    • Provide free concert access for students and families
      Offers free tickets to over 1,000 children and families through Kids in the Balcony and Kids in the Stadium programs at Carnegie Hall and Forest Hills Stadium, including pre-concert curriculum and educational materials to enhance learning.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$3.30M
Contributions & grants$2.30M70%
Program service revenue$977K30%
Investment income$23K1%
Other revenue$993
expenses
Total expenses$2.95M
Program expenses78%
Admin / overhead5%
Fundraising18%
Salaries & benefits$1.86M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.39M
Cash$823K
Investments$730K
Liabilities$745K
Net assets$1.65M
Liquid reserves6.3 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue +19.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
ANNE SWANSON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $200K
CAROLYN BOLT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT 40 $151K
board members · 23
  • ANDREA REISER — BOARD MEMBER
  • ANTHONY THOMPSON — BOARD MEMBER
  • CAPATHIA JENKINS — BOARD MEMBER
  • CATHERINE FRENCH — BOARD MEMBER
  • DAVID BLAKELOCK — BOARD MEMBER
  • DOROTHY SAMUELS — BOARD MEMBER
  • ELIZABETH RITZCOVAN — BOARD MEMBER
  • ERIC JOHNSON — BOARD MEMBER
  • JAMES A READ — BOARD MEMBER
  • JEFFREY P ENGLANDER — BOARD MEMBER
  • JOHN GARDNER — TREASURER
  • JOHN LITTZI — CHAIRMAN
  • JONATHAN SANDS — BOARD MEMBER
  • JUNE FREEMANZON — BOARD MEMBER
  • KAREN VAN BERGEN — GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR
  • KELLI O'HARA — BOARD MEMBER
  • KIMBERLY TILL — NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIR
  • MARK CORTALE THRU 624 — BOARD MEMBER
  • MARY CARR PATTON — SECRETARY
  • MEGAN HAYES — BOARD MEMBER
  • MICHAEL MAIZNER — BOARD MEMBER
  • MICHAEL ROSEN — ADVANCEMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR
  • NANCY RABSTEJNEK NICHOLS — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 25

Who they work with

  • CARINGKIND Partner — Collaborates to provide free performances enabling individuals with Alzheimer's and dementia to connect with memories through music.
  • Carnegie Hall Partner — Hosts The New York Pops' concert season.
  • Carnegie Hall Partner — Hosts The New York Pops' subscription series concerts at Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage.
  • Carnegie Hall Partner — Hosts the New York Pops Carnegie Hall Subscription Series.
  • Carnegie Hall Partner — Primary performance venue for The New York Pops' annual concert series.
  • Carnegie Hall Partner — Venue and presenting partner for the New York Pops subscription series concerts.
  • Essential Voices USA Partner — Collaborates as a choral ensemble under Music Director Judith Clurman in performances with The New York Pops.
  • Forest Hills Stadium Partner — Performance venue for The New York Pops concerts in Queens.
  • Jane Burgin Partner — Founding PopsLegacy Member who included The New York Pops in her estate plan.
  • June Freemanzon Partner — Founding PopsLegacy Member and donor who included The New York Pops in her estate plan.
  • Kersen De Jong Partner — Founding PopsLegacy Member who included The New York Pops in her estate plan.
  • Museum of the Moving Image Partner — Collaborates on free performances for individuals living with Alzheimer's and dementia to engage through iconic music.
  • New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Funds the Kids in the Balcony education program in partnership with the City Council.
  • New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Provides public funding for the concert program in partnership with the City Council.
  • New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Provides public funding support for the organization's programs in partnership with the City Council.
  • New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Public funder supporting the Kids on Stage program in partnership with the City Council.
  • New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Public funder supporting the program in partnership with the City Council.
  • New York State Council on the Arts Government — Funder supporting The New York Pops Carnegie Hall Subscription Series with support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
  • New York State Council on the Arts Government — Supports the Carnegie Hall Subscription Series through state arts funding with support from the Governor's office and State Legislature.
  • New York State Council on the Arts Government — Supports the Carnegie Hall Subscription Series with funding from the state arts council, backed by the Governor's office and State Legislature.
  • New York State Council on the Arts Government — Supports the New York Pops Carnegie Hall Subscription Series with funding from the state arts council.
  • New York State Council on the Arts Government — Supports the New York Pops Carnegie Hall Subscription Series with funding from the state.
  • Radio City Music Hall Partner — Venue where The New York Pops has performed.
  • Ruth Henderson Partner — Founding PopsLegacy Member and New York Pops founder who included the organization in her estate plan.
  • Virginia Havrilka Partner — Founding PopsLegacy Member who included The New York Pops in her estate plan.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Creative Engagement Through Music Education
    methodology: creative-engagement-through-music
    By integrating creative music-making activities such as composition, lyric writing, and performance with mentorship, the organization fosters deep student engagement and builds transferable life skills, because active creative participation enhances ownership and personal growth more than passive exposure.
  • Free Access to High-Quality Musical Experiences
    methodology: free-access_arts_education
    By offering free access to professional orchestral performances and full performance processes for students, the organization lowers socioeconomic barriers to arts participation, because removing cost and exclusivity enables broader, more equitable engagement with symphonic music.
  • Integrated Arts Education Model
    methodology: integrated arts_education
    By combining pre-concert classroom instruction with live performance experiences, the organization deepens student understanding and engagement with music, because contextual learning bridges abstract concepts and lived experience.
  • Music as a Bridge for Memory and Emotional Connection
    methodology: music-and-memory
    By using iconic American music in partnership with community organizations, the organization helps individuals with Alzheimer's and dementia access emotional memories and social connection, because familiar music activates neural pathways associated with personal history and identity.
  • Thematic and Cultural-Driven Audience Engagement
    methodology: thematic-programming
    By designing concert programs around popular cultural franchises, iconic composer collaborations, and holiday traditions, the organization makes orchestral music accessible and relevant to diverse audiences, because familiar themes and narratives reduce perceived barriers to classical music.