About the California Pops

“Your kind of music. Your kind of orchestra”

No where else can people in our communities come year-round to experience the drama, romance and thrills of movie, Broadway, jazz, pop and rock played by a big live orchestra. “It’s the Boston Pops meets Prairie Home Companion!”.

The California Pops Orchestra has one goal - to bring the best, most entertaining pops shows to the Bay Area. This single-minded focus is unique in California with the CPO being the only exclusively pops orchestra. To further this mission the 60-piece California Pops Orchestra joined forces with Miss Channing last year to help bring Music and the Arts back to California’s public schools. This show is the Northern California kick-off to that effort and show proceeds benefit the Carol Channing and Harry Kullijian Foundation for the Arts and the California Pops Orchestra.

This entertainment focus has been a boon to both our audiences and musicians – musicians who had become tired of playing only the “classical” repertoire, the same music they had played hundreds of times before. The opportunity to explore popular music from the movies, Broadway, big band and more is irresistible to these performers and today this volunteer group includes many of the Bay Area's leading musicians.

The Pops includes musicians with training from very distinguished conservatories including Oberlin, Julliard and the Eastman School of Music. The Pops also draws from those in business and teaching with a diverse amalgamation of scientists, educators, engineers, marketing, technology leaders and other highly creative individuals. This diversity in background plus a single-minded purpose makes the Pops a delight to play with and a never-ending source of ideas, inspiration and humor.

On a serious note, the Pops is building a musical library that includes light classics, jazz, latin, movie, Broadway, TV, cartoon, circus, vaudeville and big band music. Many of these orchestrations are long out of print and represent a uniquely American musical heritage that is quickly slipping away.

It is a vital part of the California Pops Orchestra's charter to preserve this heritage through the purchase, restoration and live performances of this music in our communities. Ask any of our players how you can help with this vital effort.

Kim Venaas: The Conductor

Maestro Venaas has conducted, arranged and performed in all areas of popular, classical and commercial music, from recordings to radio/TV to the concert and musical stage, from Davies Symphony Hall to the St. Francis' Grand Ballroom. He was brought up on big band music and, in addition to the California Pops Orchestra, Kim is Carol Channing’s Music Director, he leads the Black Tie Jazz Orchestra, a 19-piece professional '30s & '40s era society big band here on the West Coast which is featured in the movie "Swing", winner of the New York Latin Film Festival for best soundtrack. Herb Caen called BTJO, "that great swinging band"!

He has written and produced several Golden Age of Radio musical variety shows and works tirelessly to preserve popular music around the country, assisting orchestras and music libraries including the Paramount Theatre Library of Popular Music with a collection now exceeding 170,000 pieces of irreplaceable American musical history.

All Kim's musical experience in composing, arranging, conducting and recording has lead him back to the show stage where he brings a relaxed, interactive style in the Pops' shows; a style free of the usual formal separation between conductor and audience, a style where fun is the point.

California Pops Orchestra (formerly the Peninsula Pops Orchestra) is a 501c3 non-profit corporation with musicians from throughout the Bay Area who have a passion for making the audience smile!

See you at the shows!

Visit the Press Room for Hi-Res photos at www.californiapopsorchestra.com

Media Contact: Vic Befera, manager@californiapopsorchestra.com (650) 328-3936