Meet Gabe
Gabe Ponichter is an NYC-based actor, singer, tap dancer and pianist, a 2026 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts Semifinalist, and a 2026 National YoungArts Winner. Known for creating the role of Young Giorgio in Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie’s The Garden of the Finzi-Continis with the New York City Opera, Gabe is an avid classical vocalist and musical theater artist. Throughout High School, he honed his skills as a tenor under the tutelage of Lorraine Nubar at Juilliard Pre-College (2023-2026) and an array of distinguished mentors at ShufflesNYC (2017-2026). Gabe now attends Yale College and is pursuing a double major in Theater, Dance, & Performance Studies and Political Science while privately studying voice with Bill Burden of The Juilliard School.
Since the age of seven, Gabe has had the privilege of performing in some of New York’s greatest venues, including Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Shed at Hudson Yards, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), The Juilliard School, The Manhattan School of Music, and Hunter College’s Danny Kaye Playhouse. Some of Gabe’s most recent theater and opera credits include Cinderella’s Prince (Into the Woods), Emcee (Cabaret), Flarembel (Le roi l’a dit), and Jupiter (Orphée aux enfers) in scenes performances at The Juilliard School Pre-College.
From 2021-2026, Gabe was a lead performer in ShufflesNYC’s biannual main stage musicals. In the spring of 2026, he conceived of and starred in the show Road Trip!, working personally with directors Buddy & Gail Crutchfield to bring it to life. With respect to his other dance and musical theater experience, Gabe was a 3-year member of The Studio, ShufflesNYC’s premiere pre-professional musical theatre company, and 2-year member of The Company, their premiere pre-professional tap dance ensemble. At Shuffles, Gabe studied for 9 years with teachers including Kat Ponza, Shelby Kaufman, Cyndi Steele-Harrod, Katie Hardin, and many others.
In addition to studying at The Juilliard School Pre-College, MSM Pre-College, and ShufflesNYC, Gabe attended high school summer programs including the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Interlochen Arts Camp, l’Académie Internationale d’été de Nice, and Boston Conservatory’s MTAI. In 2024, 2025, and 2026, Gabe was a finalist at Schmidt Vocal Arts (SVA) competitions in Philadelphia, Missouri, and New Jersey. In May of 2026, Gabe qualified for and competed at SVA Nationals in Sarasota, FL, where he finished in the top 16 out of over 700 singers in the initial field.
Outside of performing and his arts training, Gabe enjoys spending time with his family and friends and feels most alive on a long run in Central Park. He is an avid long distance runner and was a three-season captain of The Dalton School’s Varsity cross-country, indoor track and outdoor track teams. You can contact Gabe via his representation at Stewart Talent Agency.