The NYYS Orchestra and Music Director Michael Repper were featured as the finale number in a 4 hour Fourth of July special on CNN.
For the second year in a row, Michael was featured on CNN’s Fourth in America broadcast, this year during the 8PM Primetime Hour, alongside the New York Youth Symphony and Billy Ray Cyrus! Repper, Cyrus, and NYYS performed Neil Diamond’s Coming to America, Billy Ray Cyrus’ Some Gave All, and a special bonus cut of Cyrus’ Achy Breaky Heart.
Originally, the group was only supposed to record Coming to America and Some Gave All. After the group finished, however, Billy Ray suggested we record Achy Breaky, so Michael taught NYYS how to play the song in about 10 minutes, with no printed music and verbal instructions! CNN loved it and put it on the air!
This is the second year in a row that Michael and the New York Youth Symphony were featured on CNN’s Fourth in America. In 2020, the group was the Grand Finale, playing Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance.
While the original performance aired during the 8PM hour, CNN re-aired it at the conclusion of the broadcast as well, so that makes two years in a row that Repper and NYYS were the Grand Finale!
