On Monday, April 28th, New York Pops celebrated iconic songwriter Diane Warren at their 42nd Birthday GALA show.
This concert was held at the Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Steven Reineke served as the Musical Director and Conductor of the orchestra, which had a distinct arrangement for each song. Diane Warren was the “Music Honoree” while Nadine Wong was the “Corporate Honoree.”
Ms. Warren was recognized for her illustrious career and achievements in the music and entertainment business. She has 16 competitive Academy Award nominations for “Best Original Song” to her credit, and she is the first-ever songwriter to receive an Honorary Oscar “for her genius, generosity and passionate commitment to the power of song in film.”
Reineke was joined with many award-winning vocalists who paid homage to Warren as they took the audience on a journey through all of her musical eras (from the 1980s all the way through to the 2020s).
These distinguished artists that honored Warren included Shoshana Bean, Sofia Carson, Taylor Dayne, Ariana DeBose, Micaela Diamond, Angélique Kidjo, Hailey Kilgore, Mykal Kilgore, Storm Large, and LeAnn Rimes.
Storm Large was a powerhouse as she belted out “How Can We Be Lovers,” which Warren co-wrote with Michael Bolton and Desmond Child.
Shoshana Bean channeled her inner Celine Dion in “Because You Loved Me,” and she nailed it.
LeAnn Rimes was fabulous as well with her atmospheric rendition of “How Do I Live.”
Sofia Carson did an impressive job performing the Oscar-nominated ballad “Applause,” and she appeared comfortable on stage. The love and respect that Carson has for Warren was apparent.
A neat moment was when The New York Pops’ innovative PopsEd music education program brought students on the Perelman Stage and they sang DeBarge’s “Rhythm of the Night” with Mykal Kilgore, which was sheer bliss and received an enormous respect from the Big Apple audience.
The Verdict
Overall, it was a warm and pleasant evening of music at Carnegie Hall as the aforementioned artists paid tribute to a true songwriting queen — Diane Warren. There was an element of nostalgia in the historic New York venue.
Most importantly, this show illustrated the significance and the power of songwriting and how it transcends genres, age groups, and forms a connection with all.
It is evident that all of her songs will stand the test of time, and she will go down in music history as one of the greatest songwriters and music storytellers that music has ever known.
To learn more about Diane Warren, follow her on Instagram.
