Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is a pops orchestra
based in Cincinnati, Ohio
, United States
, founded in 1977 out of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
. Its members are also the members of the Cincinnati Symphony, and the Pops is managed by the same administration. Erich Kunzel
, the Pops' founding conductor, continued to lead the Pops until his death in 2009.
In 1965, maestro
Max Rudolf invited Erich Kunzel
, a young conductor on the faculty of Brown University
, to join the Cincinnati Symphony. That October, Kunzel, a Dartmouth
graduate and assistant to French conductor Pierre Monteux
, conducted his first "8 O'Clock" Pops concert. Over the next six decades, the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra regularly performed for packed houses in Cincinnati's Music Hall
and established worldwide recognition through tours and critically acclaimed, best-selling recordings on the Telarc
label.
In May 2008, the Pops received an invitation to the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, the only American orchestra to play the opening weekend.
After Kunzel's death on September 1, 2009, John Morris Russell was named in December 2010 as the new director of the Pops, effective September 1, 2011.
Pops orchestra
A pops orchestra is an orchestra that plays popular music and show tunes as well as well-known classical works. Pops orchestras are generally organised in large cities and are distinct from the more "highbrow" symphony or philharmonic orchestras which also may exist in the same city...
based in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, founded in 1977 out of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
As the fifth oldest orchestra in the United States, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has a legacy of fine music making as reflected in its performances in historic Music Hall, recordings, and international tours...
. Its members are also the members of the Cincinnati Symphony, and the Pops is managed by the same administration. Erich Kunzel
Erich Kunzel
Erich Kunzel, Jr. was an American orchestra conductor. Called the "Prince of Pops" by the Chicago Tribune, he performed with a number of leading pops and symphony orchestras, especially the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra , which he led for over 44 years.-Early life and career:Kunzel was born to...
, the Pops' founding conductor, continued to lead the Pops until his death in 2009.
In 1965, maestro
Maestro
Maestro is a title of extreme respect given to a master musician. The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera. This is associated with the ubiquitous use of Italian vocabulary for classical music terms...
Max Rudolf invited Erich Kunzel
Erich Kunzel
Erich Kunzel, Jr. was an American orchestra conductor. Called the "Prince of Pops" by the Chicago Tribune, he performed with a number of leading pops and symphony orchestras, especially the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra , which he led for over 44 years.-Early life and career:Kunzel was born to...
, a young conductor on the faculty of Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, to join the Cincinnati Symphony. That October, Kunzel, a Dartmouth
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
graduate and assistant to French conductor Pierre Monteux
Pierre Monteux
Pierre Monteux was an orchestra conductor. Born in Paris, France, Monteux later became an American citizen.-Life and career:Monteux was born in Paris in 1875. His family was descended from Sephardi Jews who came to France in the wake of the Spanish Inquisition. He studied violin from an early age,...
, conducted his first "8 O'Clock" Pops concert. Over the next six decades, the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra regularly performed for packed houses in Cincinnati's Music Hall
Music Hall (Cincinnati)
Music Hall, completed in 1878, is Cincinnati's premier classical music performance hall. It serves as the home for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, May Festival Chorus, and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. In January, 1975, it was recognized as a National Historic Landmark by the...
and established worldwide recognition through tours and critically acclaimed, best-selling recordings on the Telarc
Telarc International Corporation
Telarc International Corporation is an independent record label, based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, and founded in 1977 by two classically trained musicians and former teachers, Jack Renner and Robert Woods...
label.
In May 2008, the Pops received an invitation to the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, the only American orchestra to play the opening weekend.
After Kunzel's death on September 1, 2009, John Morris Russell was named in December 2010 as the new director of the Pops, effective September 1, 2011.