The Philly Pops is an American orchestra that is based in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

History

Founded by presenter and producer, Moe Septee, and conducted from 1979 to 2013 by two-time

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

-winning pianist Peter Nero, the Philly Pops plays orchestral versions of popular

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, swing, Broadway songs and

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

. David Charles Abell took over the positions of principal conductor and music director in 2020. On October 4, 1999, the Philly Pops was designated as the official pops orchestra of the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Maryland to its south, West ...

. The Philly Pops will cease operations after the 2022-2023 season. In 2023, former financial controller for the Philly Pops, Cheryl Lutts, was convicted of embezzling more than $280,000 from the organization, starting when she was hired in 2019. The musicians of the Philly Pops have organized into the recently formed No Name Pops to continue the musical tradition of the Philly Pops.

Notable Members

* Peter Nero * David Charles Abell * John Thyhsen

References

External links

* {{authority control Jazz ensembles from Pennsylvania Pops orchestras Orchestras in Philadelphia Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania