The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and Conductor John Morris Russell are delighted to announce the Pops’ 2015-2016 season at Cincinnati Music Hall, the fifth under the direction of Mr. Russell. The season, presented by PNC along with the Pops Artist Series Sponsor, The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation, features exciting guest artist debuts, alongside the return of the best genres and artists that have built the Pops into an American icon.
Highlights of the season include the return of the enormously popular Holiday Pops concerts, this time with vocal ensemble New York Voices, the debut of comedian and Broadway star Jason Alexander, a tribute to Rosemary Clooney by the multi-talented Megan Hilty and performances of full orchestral scores live with classic films Back to the Future and Home Alone.
“This will be the 20th anniversary of my relationship with the Cincinnati Pops,” said Mr. Russell. “I am thrilled to continue our tradition of bringing programs to Cincinnati that you just can’t hear anyplace else. We celebrate great American music in all varieties and bring new classics to life. It’s a joy to share the Music Hall stage with extraordinary guest artists—some old friends and many new ones—and to create magic with the finest Pops orchestra on the planet.”
An opening concert weekend features Back to the Future, along with a second program dedicated to the most iconic Hollywood scores ever written. Capathia Jenkins, whose debut impressed Pops audiences with her soulful performance during a James Bond-themed program in 2012, returns for a program full of hits from R&B queens Whitney Houston, Diana Ross and more. Another program pays tribute to the greatest hits of Simon & Garfunkel, and “Disney Princess” Lea Salonga makes her Pops debut singing a program of Broadway hits. Other notable debuts include dynamic and witty ensemble Pink Martini performing alongside The von Trapps. The season closes with the one-night-only Pops debut of singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter.
The upcoming season also includes Pops debut of the biggest chart-topper in Christian music, Michael W. Smith, who performs a one-night-only concert of Christmas favorites. The popular Lollipops Family Concert series returns with three concerts, and the Orchestra rings in the new year with a Frank Sinatra-inspired New Year’s Eve concert.
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