Michael Fennelly, Pianist

03/07/2026

03/07/2026

❤️🤍💙 Thank you to The New York Times for this article about Arcadia Symphony and Chorus debut at Carnegie Hall "AMERICA CELEBRATES 250" GALA

📸 Jillian Nelson

"Hillary Clinton Makes a Surprise Appearance at Carnegie Hall

Clinton narrated “Lincoln Portrait,” a work by the American composer Aaron Copland, in her debut with a symphony orchestra.

Hillary Clinton — former first lady, former United States senator, former secretary of state, co-producer of a Broadway musical — added a new entry to her résumé last night: narrator with a symphony orchestra.

She appeared with Arcadia Symphony New York, which rented Carnegie Hall for a 250th-anniversary-themed program. Clinton read the narration for “Lincoln Portrait,” a 15-or-so-minute work by Aaron Copland that has become one of the go-to performance pieces as orchestras celebrate the nation’s big birthday. The actor F. Murray Abraham is to read the same text with the New York Philharmonic next week.

Clinton rehearsed with the orchestra and its conductor, Michael Fennelly, who cued her when to come in. The narrator’s job is to read brief excerpts from speeches by Abraham Lincoln, along with snippets of biographical material about him apparently written by Copland himself. "

🇺🇸AMERICA CELEBRATES 250 GALA with Arcadia Symphony and Chorus...celebrating America's Semiquincentennial with an evening of spectacular music performed by a cast of internationally acclaimed soloists, and our greatest musicians from the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, and the The Philadelphia Orchestra.



FULL NY TIMES ARTICLE:

Clinton narrated “Lincoln Portrait,” a work by the American composer Aaron Copland, in her debut with a symphony orchestra.

03/07/2026

A family affair...it was wonderful having Jason Tramm AND Mason Tramm both on stage at Carnegie Hall for 🇺🇸AMERICA CELEBRATES 250 GALA with Arcadia Symphony and Chorus...celebrating America's Semiquincentennial with an evening of spectacular music performed by a cast of internationally acclaimed soloists, and our greatest musicians from the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, and the The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Music Matters 2020 with Jason Tramm

The Tramm boys working at Carnegie Hall today! Me and Mason on the stage (who makes his Carnegie debut on timpani). Quinton is behind the camera! Can’t wait for tonight’s sold out concert!

03/07/2026

❤️🤍💙 Thank you USA TODAY
By Greta Cross
Hillary Clinton surprises sold out Carnegie Hall with debut appearance

" Hillary Clinton made a surprise appearance at Carnegie Hall on June 30 to celebrate 250 years of American music.

The former secretary of state and first lady performed Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait" alongside the Arcadia Symphony during the America Celebrates 250 gala at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, June 30. A tribute to Abraham Lincoln, "Lincoln Portrait," is read in tandem with live music.

Clinton's debut at Carnegie Hall may have come as a surprise to the sold-out crowd, as her performance was not advertised. Organizer and conductor Michael Fennelly told USA TODAY that Clinton's team asked for her involvement to be unpromoted due to security concerns.

"We sold this concert out not on Hillary's name but on America's music's name for the 250th anniversary," Fennelly said.

The gala's program included performances of classical American tunes, such as "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Stars and Stripes Forever," all from the Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra. Fennelly also debuted his version of George Gershwin’s "Rhapsody in Blue."

A few hours before showtime, Clinton arrived to rehearse with the symphony, and her guest appearance on stage resulted in a standing ovation of nearly 3,000 attendees, Fennelly said.

"It was just one of those things that you dream about your whole life and you think, 'Oh, I'll never do that,' but then you try it and it works out way better than you expected," Fennelly said. "That was one of the greatest nights of my life for my career." "

Hillary Clinton's participation in the America 250 gala was not advertised due to security concerns.

02/07/2026

❤️🤍💙 Thank you Operawire

Hillary Clinton Made Surprise Appearance at Arcadia Symphony’s America 250 Celebration
By Francisco Salazar

AMERICA CELEBRATES 250 GALA
Arcadia Symphony and Chorus
Michael Fennelly, Conductor at Carnegie Hall

📸 Jillian Nelson

"At the Arcadia Symphony’s America 250 celebration on June 30, Hillary Clinton made a surprise appearance at Carnegie Hall.

The former Secretary of State read Lincoln’s address during the concert, which featured music by Bernstein, Copland, and Sousa, among others.

The evening featured Michael Fennelly conducting America’s greatest music and its roots in European, Jewish, and African American traditions. It also include French and Italian music. The Arcadia Symphony featured musicians from the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and the Philadelphia Orchestra and soloists included Samarie Alicea, Jeremy Brauner, Denis Sedov, Kevin Thompson, Jennivee Fiorese, Cody Austin, and Federica di Rocco."

At the Arcadia Symphony's America 250 celebration on June 30, Hillary Clinton made a surprise appearance at Carnegie Hall.

02/07/2026

Great memories with Arcadia Symphony and Chorus! Tuesday was night will never forget!

01/07/2026

🇺🇸America Celebrates 250
Arcadia Symphony and Chorus New York
Michael Fennelly, Conductor
Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, Narrator
Carnegie Hall June 30, 2026

We welcomed our distinguished guest Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton as Narrator for Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait (1942).

📸 Jillian Nelson (thank you!)

Hillary Rodham Clinton has spent over five decades in public service as an advocate, attorney, First Lady, US Senator, US Secretary of State, and Presidential candidate. As 67th US Secretary of State, her “smart power” approach to foreign policy repositioned American diplomacy and development for the 21st century. Clinton played a central role in restoring America’s standing in the world, reasserting the US as a Pacific power, imposing crippling sanctions on Iran and North Korea, responding to the Arab Awakening, and negotiating a ceasefire in the Middle East. Earlier, as First Lady and Senator for New York, she
traveled to more than 80 countries as a champion of human rights, democracy, and opportunities
for women and girls; she also worked to provide health care to millions of children, create jobs, and
support first responders who risked their lives at Ground Zero. In her historic 2016 campaign for
President of the US, Clinton won 66 million votes.

She is the author of 10 best-selling books, host of the podcast You and Me Both, founder of the global production studio HiddenLight Productions, a producer of the Broadway musical Suffs, Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, and a Professor of Practice at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University where she co-founded the Institute of Global Politics. She and former US President Bill Clinton have one daughter, Chelsea, three grandchildren: Charlotte, Aidan, and Jasper, and reside in New York.