The Harvard Pops Orchestra is a
collegiate orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
composed of
Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
students and based in
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
,
. The orchestra has about 70 members and specializes in playing a variety of
classical repertoire, standard
pops works, and
arrangement
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...
s and
original compositions written by students. The Pops is known for its unconventional and creative programs which feature student-written scripts, original films, and a strong emphasis on new music by undergraduate composers. Each of its concerts is built around a creative theme (like cartoons, murder mysteries, and pirates) and employs theatrical and visual elements. The Pops Orchestra shows include singers and actors from the Hasty Pudding and a silent film that accompanies the orchestra.
History
Founded with the Office of the Dean of Students at Harvard College in January 1996, the orchestra is the nation's second oldest collegiate pops orchestra. Its official debut took place in April 1996. The orchestra was founded by Eric Damast '97, and was entirely student-run at its inception. In 1998, the orchestra hired music director Allen Feinstein '86, who continues to lead the Pops to this day.
External links
Official Website
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Harvard University musical groups
University orchestras
Orchestras based in Massachusetts