Pasadena Symphony and Pops

The Pasadena Symphony and POPS is an American orchestra based in Pasadena, California. In 2010 it took up residence at the Ambassador Auditorium, where its Classics Series runs from October through April. Since 2012 it performs a summer series at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden from June through September.

Brief History

The Pasadena Symphony was founded in 1928 as the Pasadena Civic Orchestra by Reginald Bland. From 1936 to 1972, Dr. Richard Lert served as Music Director and Conductor. The symphony was recognized with Metropolitan Status by the American Symphony Orchestra League in 1968. The organization became known as the Pasadena Symphony Association.

Extraordinary progress was achieved under the direction of Daniel Lewis, who served as Music Director and Conductor between 1972 and 1984.

In 1984, Jorge Mester became Pasadena Symphony's fourth music director.^[1]

In Fall 2007 the Pasadena Symphony incorporated the Pasadena POPS into its Association under the new name Pasadena Symphony and POPS.^[2]

In 2007 Maestra Rachael Worby continued on from the previous Pasadena POPS Orchestra, assuming principal POPS conductor position of the Pasadena Symphony Association. In August 2010 Maestro Marvin Hamlisch was appointed principal POPS conductor. After Hamlisch's death in August 2012, a search found Great American Songbook star Michael Feinstein, who assumed the post beginning with the 2013 POPS season.

Venues

Ambassador Auditorium

In September 2010 the Pasadena Symphony became the resident professional symphony at Ambassador Auditorium.^[3]

Called by some concertgoers "The Carnegie Hall of the West", this relatively small yet beautiful concert hall hosted 20 seasons of the worlds' best musicians and performers from 1974 to 1995. It is estimated that 2.5 million attendees heard and saw over 2,500 concerts at Ambassador Auditorium by Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, Claudio Arrau, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Horacio Gutierrez, Alicia de Larrocha, Arthur Rubinstein, Andrés Segovia, Yo-Yo Ma, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Junior, Frank Sinatra, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan (including, on their last visit together to the U.S. in 1982, a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 9) and many others during this period. With regard to classical music, the intimate feel of the venue was especially well suited to small ensembles, and soloists such as guitarists Julian Bream and John Williams.^[4]

At the time of its construction, the building was furnished with Iranian onyx, African teak, wool carpet from India, and splendid gold overlay. It seats 1262. On January 26, 1996, National Public Radio staged a battle of the bands between the cities contending in Super Bowl XXX. Pittsburgh's River City Brass Band played Semper Fidelis by John Philip Sousa and the Battle Royal March by Fred Jewell in concert at Ambassador Auditorium, followed by a performance from Dallas at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center.

The Worldwide Church of God (WCG), which operated the college and auditorium, ceased operation of both in the 1990s and sold the property.^[5] The WCG later relocated its operations to nearby Glendora.

On May 14, 2004, the church announced the sale of approximately 13 acres (53,000 m²) of its former 31-acre (125,000 m²) campus to Harvest Rock Church and Maranatha High School. The sale included the Ambassador Auditorium, now under the sole ownership of the church. In addition to hosting its own services and high school functions, it hosts public performances by many regional ensembles including the Colburn Orchestra, California Philharmonic and the Pasadena Symphony and POPS.

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden

Starting in summer 2012, the Pasadena POPS will perform at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, a 127-acre (51.4 ha) arboretum, botanical garden, and historical site in Arcadia.^[6][7]

All Saints Church

Beginning in 2011, the Pasadena Symphony has performed an annual Holiday Candlelight concert in Pasadena's All Saints Episcopal Church.

Musical Leadership

Reginald Bland

The Pasadena Symphony was founded in 1928 as the Pasadena Civic Orchestra by Conductor Reginald Bland. The original orchestra members were all volunteer musicians, most of whom were students of Maestro Bland. The annual operating budget was $3,500, all of which was funded by the City of Pasadena. The symphony presented its first concert on April 29, 1929.

Dr. Richard Lert

Dr. Richard Lert was appointed Music Director and Conductor in 1936. He was one of several important German conductors who came to the United States to conduct when the political environment in Europe became untenable. During his 36-year directorship, Dr. Lert distinguished himself as one of the most important conducting teachers in America and in 1964 he received the Golden Baton Award from the American Symphony Orchestra League for his work with young conductors. Under Lert, the Symphony became a founding member of the Los Angeles Symphony League in 1955, and was recognized with Metropolitan Status by the American Symphony Orchestra League in 1968. During his tenure, the organization became known as The Pasadena Symphony Association.

Daniel Lewis

During this period, the organization's reputation for excellence was firmly established. Under his leadership, several national awards were won, including five American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) awards for adventuresome programming. In addition, the Symphony caught the attention of prominent local music critic, Martin Bernheimer, who began touting the Symphony's artistic and programming excellence. Lewis' tenure also marks the founding of the Symphony's longest-running education program, the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Jorge Mester

In 1984, Jorge Mester, one of America's most respected and talented conductors was selected as The Pasadena Symphony's fourth music director. Prior to joining the Symphony, Mester served as music director for the Louisville Symphony for twelve years and as music director of the Aspen Music Festival for twenty-one years. Under Mester's leadership, the Symphony recorded its first CD in 1994, consisting of works by Strauss and Saint-Saëns. It was deemed "world-class" by the national music press. The orchestra's second CD features Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps and the "Symphonic Dances" of Rachmaninoff.

Marvin Hamlisch

In August 2010, American composer Marvin Hamlisch was appointed Principal POPS Conductor for the organization.^[8] Hamlisch was one of only thirteen people to have been awarded Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and a Tony (those four together are known as an EGOT). He was also one of only two people to have EGOT and also win a Pulitzer Prize (the other is Richard Rodgers). Hamlisch also won two Golden Globes.

Michael Feinstein

After Hamlisch's death in August 2012, a search found Great American Songbook star Michael Feinstein, who assumed the post beginning with the 2013 POPS season.

James DePreist

In June 2010, American conductor James DePreist was named Artistic Advisor to the Pasadena Symphony and POPS.^[9] One of the few African-American conductors on the world stage, until his passing in 2013, DePreist was director of conducting and orchestral studies at the Juilliard School and laureate music director of the Oregon Symphony.

David Lockington

Maestro Lockington began his tenure as Music Director during the 2013-14 season with full duties which commenced in 2014-15 with multiple performances. In his 14th season as Music Director of the Grand Rapids Symphony, David Lockington has created a lasting legacy of artistic achievements and genuine community enrichment. 2005 marked Lockington’s conducting debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall. The New York Timescommended the Grand Rapids Symphony, under his artistic leadership for being a model in the Classical music world. Lockington also earned a 2007 Grammy Award nomination and has led five recordings with Grand Rapids. The recordings have received high praise including the CD of Adolphus Hailstork’s Second and Third symphonies, released internationally on the Naxos label in 2007. Additionally, 2008 saw the successful start of the Grand Rapids Symphony Youth Choruses. At his initiative, the Symphony has also reached out to new and diverse audiences through its annual community concert "Symphony with Soul," now in its 12th season.

Lockington’s guest conducting engagements include appearances with the Saint Louis, Houston, Detroit, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, Colorado, Oregon, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Pacific, Nashville, San Diego, Kansas City and Columbus Symphonies; the Louisville Orchestra and National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa; the Buffalo, Rochester, Calgary and Louisiana Philharmonics; and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall. Internationally, he has conducted the China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra in Beijing and Taiwan, led the English Chamber Orchestra on a tour in Asia and appeared with the Orquesta Sinfonica del Principado de Asturias in Spain and the Northern Sinfonia in Great Britain.

Since September 2007 Mr. Lockington has served as music director of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra in California. In May 2012, he was named principal conductor of Spain’s Orquesta Sinfonica del Principado de Asturias. Prior to leading the Grand Rapids Symphony, Mr. Lockington held the music directorships of the Long Island Philharmonic, New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Cheyenne Symphony and Ohio Chamber Orchestra. For three years he held the post of assistant conductor with the Denver Symphony Orchestra and Opera Colorado. Mr. Lockington was also associate conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Lockington began his career as principal cellist with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. After completing his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Cambridge, he came to the U.S. on a scholarship to Yale University, where he received his master's degree in cello performance and studied conducting with Otto Werner Mueller. He was a member of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and served as assistant principal cellist for three years with the Denver Symphony Orchestra before turning to conducting.

Mr. Lockington arrived in this country in 1978 and is a U.S. citizen. He is married to violinist Dylana Jenson. They live in Grand Rapids and have four children.

Nicholas McGegan

Principal Guest Conductor of the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra since 2013 and long hailed as “one of the finest baroque conductors of his generation” (The Independent) and “an expert in 18th-century style” (The New Yorker) – is recognized for his probing and revelatory explorations of music of all periods. In 2015 he began his 30th year as music director of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra as he embarks on his fourth decade on the podium.

McGegan is best known as a baroque and classical specialist whose approach – intelligent, infused with joy and never dogmatic – has led to appearances with many of the world’s major orchestras. At home in opera houses, McGegan shone new light on close to 20 Handel operas as the Artistic Director and conductor at the Göttingen Handel Festival for 20 years (1991-2001) and on the Mozart canon as Principal Guest Conductor at Scottish Opera in the 1990s.

His 2015/16 season features appearances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (with which he has appeared annually for 20 years); the St. Louis, BBC Scottish, RTÉ National, and New Zealand Symphonies; the Cleveland Orchestra/Blossom Music Festival; the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Caramoor and Carnegie Hall; and the Juilliard School. Under McGegan this season, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra performs Scarlatti’s La gloria di primavera at Carnegie Hall and throughout California’s Orange County as well as 4 performances with the Pasadena Symphony.

McGegan’s extensive discography features eight releases on Philharmonia Baroque’s label, Philharmonia Baroque Productions (PBP), including the 2011 Grammy-nominated recording of Haydn Symphonies Nos. 88, 101, and 104.

English-born Nicholas McGegan was educated at Cambridge and Oxford. He was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) “for services to music overseas.” Most recently, McGegan was invited to join the board of Early Music America. Other awards include the Halle Handel Prize; the Order of Merit of the State of Lower Saxony (Germany); the Medal of Honour of the City of Göttingen; and a declaration of Nicholas McGegan Day, by the Mayor of San Francisco in recognition of his work with Philharmonia Baroque. In 2013, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music awarded him an honorary degree of Doctor of Music.

Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra

The Pasadena Symphony Association also operates the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra (PYSO). It consists of four separate ensembles: a Wind Ensemble, String Ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonic. The ensembles operate under the direction of Pasadena Symphony staff and conductor Jack Taylor, who conducts the Symphony Orchestra. While the Philharmonic is conducted by Bruce Kiesling, the Wind Ensemble is conducted by Gary Yearick, and the String Orchestra is conducted by Pin Chen.

External links

• Pasadena Symphony and POPS Official Website

References