Classical/Pops Festival

The Classical Pops Festival is an annual outdoor festival on Barbados that takes place every December at the Apes Hill Club.[1] It is the first of its kind for Barbados and the Caribbean, heavily influenced by Tanglewood in Massachusetts and the BBC Proms in the UK.[2] It is also noted for comprising an orchestra made up of principal players and members of several well-known symphonies.[3][4]

In 2014, the festival orchestra was conducted by Thomas Wilkins,[5] Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra,[6] Music Director of the Omaha Symphony, and Germeshausen Family and Youth Concert Conductor chair with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO). The orchestra had four concertmasters performing together, something he had never known to happen before. Jonathon Crow, Concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra served as the official festival concertmaster.[7]

The orchestra was also recognized as uniquely diverse, with well-known African American players in classical music, including Ann Hobson Pilot, the principal harpist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra; Owen Young, also of the BSO; and Terrance Patterson, Artistic Director of the Ritz Chamber Players.

Besides classical music, the festival programs contemporary music, jazz, opera, film scores, and Broadway tunes performed by popular artists with orchestra. Guest ensembles complete the festival lineup. In 2014, Irvin Mayfield & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra opened the festival with special guest Alison Hinds,[8] followed by the orchestra performing Film Night, which showcased the music of John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Henry Mancini, Jerry Goldsmith, and Erich Wolfgang Korngold and featured acclaimed[9][10] violinist Tai Murray as a soloist. The second day of the festival began with the Piazzolla Trio with dancer Lil Buck, followed by the orchestra performing Holiday Pops! with soprano Alison Buchanan, the St. Leonard's Boy's Choir, and the Gospelfest Choir. CNN shot Ones to Watch at the festival, which was helpful for making Lil Buck better known.[11]

References
  1. Nation News author (15 December 2014). "Class acts at Apes Hill". www.nationnews.com. Retrieved 3 August 2015. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  2. "Connect Barbados marks 10 years". PAX News. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  3. Open for business Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Holiday cheer". Barbados Today. 6 December 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  5. Opening night of Classical Pops Barbados ‘terrific’ Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine
  6. What is the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra? Archived 2022-08-08 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "TSO's Jonathan Crow is Heading to The Classical Pops Festival in Barbados'". classical1029fm.com. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  8. Andrew Lovesey. "Alison Hinds, Irvin Mayfield & Lil Buck perform at Classical Pops". Travel About: Magazine, Travel Guides, News & Contests. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  9. Joe Riley. "Review: Don Quixote, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  10. Michael Huebner. "McElroy retiring, Scaglione challenges, Murray soars in final ASO Masterworks program of 2013-14". The Birmingham News. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  11. "Why did these dance moves catch Madonna's eye?". CNN. 13 February 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.


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