Pop Goes the Maestro

The Cincinnati Pops under Maestro Erich Kunzel will be the first professional American Pops orchestra to tour China when they perform two concerts in Beijing's Great Hall of the People in October. The tour also includes a concert in Shanghai and two concerts in Singapore.

The Cincinnati Pops is firmly established as one of the world's most active classical pops ensembles, maintaining a year-round performing and recording schedule and reaching music lovers worldwide through tour performances, television specials and best-selling Telarc recordings.

In a remarkable 40-year association in Cincinnati, Erich Kunzel's accomplishments include his invitation by Max Rudolf in 1965 to conduct the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and being named Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops in 1977.

Maestro Kunzel's credits include: 

     an unprecedented catalogue of 79 Pops recordings on the Telarc label

     Of the 79 Cincinnati Pops Telarc releases, 54 have appeared on either the Classical Crossover or Classical Billboard charts

    four consecutive years as Billboard Magazine's Classical Crossover Artist of the Year

     seven nationally televised Pops specials on the Public Broadcast Service (PBS)of America

His national and international appearances with the Pops include 10 Carnegie Hall concerts, two tours to Taiwan and three tours to Japan.

The 28th season of the Cincinnati Pops led by Erich Kunzel begins with the September 2005 release of the orchestra's 80th Telarc recording, Symphonic Music of Howard Hanson.

Kunzel's 2005-06 season also is marked by an artistic milestone - his 40th anniversary with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. In honour of this special anniversary, Kunzel will lead three consecutive concerts October 7, 8 and 9 - two CSO subscription concerts with renowned mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade and the May Festival Chorus - and a Pops concert with legendary pianist and composer Dave Brubeck.