Contact:
Norma Gentry
ProVentures, Inc.
520-237-4670
norma@pvincaz.com
TUCSON POPS SWINGS INTO FALL
Under Maestro Dodge’s leadership, this year the Pops took to the road, bringing their music to new audiences with a show in Saddlebrook in May, and more recently on July 1st with an Independence Day concert at St. Augustine Cathedral in downtown Tucson. Both events were sold out. The orchestra will return to Saddlebrook on September 23rd. Additional outreach performances are planned throughout the year. “The reception we received from these audiences tells us that the joy of music belongs to everyone. We are so grateful to have this amazingly talented group of musicians who knock it out of the park at every performance,” said Dodge.
Reid Park concerts begin at 7pm at the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center. Concerts are open to the public. Donations are greatly appreciated. Photos of all guest artists listed below are available upon request.
The Tucson Pops Orchestra • Sharing the joy of live music since 1955
Tucson Pops Fall 2023 Music Under the Stars™
September 10 – A Tribute to Tony Bennett: with a little bit of Neil Sedaka thrown in for good measure, crooner Tommy Gearhart will perform his Autumn Serenade show featuring songs from the Great American Songbook. For this opening concert he will perform some nostalgic hits like Time After Time, Our Love is Here to Stay, Skylark, S’Wonderful and much more. The orchestra will perform a medley of tunes by Bert Bacharach, Autumn Leaves, Lord of the Dance by Edvard Grieg and more.
September 17 – Special guest artists Samantha Feldman and Marie Sierra, daughter and wife of the late Enrique “Hank” Feldman who was a huge supporter of the Tucson Pops. will perform On My Own, and America the Beautiful in tribute to an amazing man.
Tucson Pops Concertmaster Michael Fan will perform a solo of Dance Macabre by Saint-Saens with the orchestra. Marche Slave by Tchaikovsky, Autumn Leaves, Brahms Hungarian Dance No.5 and more will round out the orchestra program for the evening.
September 23 (Saddlebrook) and 24 (Reid Park): Welcoming performances from Ballet Tucson, Mindy Ronstadt and Saguaro Music Theatre. Ballet Tucson will perform three dynamic ballets in collaboration with the Tucson Pops Orchestra: The Grand Pas de Deux from the The Nutcracker, an intimate solo from celebrated American choreographer Paul Gibson's The Piano Dance (a sneak peek of the Ballet's 2024 Spring Concert) and the world premiere of a passionate pas de deux choreographed by Ballet Tucson's Artistic Director Margaret Mullin set to Astor Piazzolla's La Muerte Del Angel. For additional information visit https://ballettucson.org/
Mindy Ronstadt (niece of Linda with a voice to match) will perform a few of her aunt’s greatest hits including Long Long Time, Desperado, You’re No Good and Blue Bayou.
The Saguaro City Music Theatre will perform Suddenly Seymour from their upcoming performance of A Little Shop of Horrors. For additional information visit https://www.saguarocity.org/
2023 Season Sponsors
The fall 2023 concert series is sponsored by Long Realty Companies, Tucson Parks & Recreation and Friends of the Pops with additional support from the Arizona Commission on the Arts. The DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center is located off Country Club just north of 22nd Street. Parking is available at the Randolph Park Golf Course parking lot, Alvernon Way just north of 22nd Street. For more information on the Tucson Pops Orchestra visit us on facebook.com or at tucsonpops.org. Detailed bios and photos of guest artists are available upon request.
Look for the weekly “Food Truck Rally” at each Pops Concerts featuring a variety of Tucson’s best food trucks providing attendees with outstanding picnic fare. Participating vendors and the complete musical program will be posted on the website at tucsonpops.org.
About the Tucson Pops Orchestra
The Tucson Pops Orchestra has provided outdoor concerts to Tucson and southern Arizona audiences since 1955. Founded by Georges DeMeester and Ernest Hoffman with just 22 musicians, the orchestra has since grown to 50 professional members that perform for audiences of up to 8,500. Before settling in their seasonal location at the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center at Reid Park, the orchestra used to perform in various locations around the community. In 1973, Charles ‘Bucky” Steele took over as conductor, followed by Laszlo Veres who retired and passed the baton to Khris Dodge in the fall of 2022. Now in its 69th year, with support from Tucson Parks and Recreation, corporate partners and Friends of the Pops, the Tucson Pops Orchestra aims to continue to fulfill its mission of providing Music Under the Stars™ to the community for many more years to come.
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