Technically, it’s still summer in Tucson.
The calendar won’t flip until Sept. 23, but Tucson Pops Orchestra and Arizona Symphonic Winds are getting a jump on fall starting this weekend.
That’s when the two orchestras are kicking off their fall parks concert series, events that attract hundreds of people to Udall Park on Saturdays for the Winds and to Reid Park on Sundays to hear the Pops.
If you’ve never been, here’s what you can expect: Folks usually arrive an hour or so before the music starts around 7 p.m. They grab a piece of real estate on the grassy field, lay out blankets or set up chairs and settle in. Some veterans of parks concerts bring a picnic supper or you can grab a bite from the food truck or two set up nearby.
As the sun is taking its final lap, the musicians and conductors — László Veres leads the Winds, which he has led since he formed the group in 1990; Khris Dodge is at the podium for the Pops, comprised of moonlighting Tucson Symphony Orchestra and University of Arizona musicians — will take the stage. Then the fun begins, and for 90 minutes or so, the ensembles play music that straddles classical and Great American Songbook standards, hits from Broadway and heart-tugging patriotic odes.
The Winds, comprised of musicians of all experience levels, plays at Udall Park’s László Veres Amphitheatre, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road. The Pops set up at Reid Park’s DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center, 900 S. Randolph Way, off East 22nd Street and South Country Club Road. Admission to either is free, although both accept donations to defray costs.
Arizona Symphonic Winds ‘Music in the Park’
Veres founded the Winds in 1990, seven years before he took the lead as the Tucson Pops Orchestra music director. He led the Pops from 1997-2022, when he handed over the baton to Dodge. Winds park series runs on Saturdays through Sept. 30.
Sept. 9 — Vocalist Elena Galbraith joins the ensemble to sing selections by great American songwriters, including Sigmund Romberg, Richard Rodgers and Victor Herbert.
Sept. 16 — TSO principal trumpet Hayato Tanaka will take a solo turn with the Winds.
Sept. 23 — “Stars from the Winds” shines the spotlight on some of the ensemble’s stars, including clarinetist Rudy Rostash, trumpeter Ross Daniels and trombonist Cory Walavich, in a program that includes energetic marches, thundering overtures, classic band repertoire and show tunes.
Sept. 30 — Violinist Angelina Iskandar, 15, will perform Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto for the Winds “Stars of the Future” concert while Joseph Crandall plays the bagpipes for the traditional Scottish melody “Highland Cathedral.”
Tucson Pops Orchestra ‘Music Under the Stars’
Dodge, named last year to take over the Pops, has already had in impact, including taking the ensemble on the road for a show in SaddleBrooke last May and performing a Fourth of July concert July 1 at St. Augustine Cathedral downtown. Both concerts were sold out. The Pops performs Sundays through Sept. 24.
Sept. 10 — “A Tribute to Tony Bennett” includes vocalist Tommy Gearhart singing nostalgic hits “Time After Time,” “Our Love is Here to Stay,” “Skylark” and “S’Wonderful.” Grieg’s “Lord of the Dance” is also on the program.
Sept. 17 — The Pops will remember its longtime supporter Enrique “Hank” Feldman with his daughter Samantha Feldman and widow Marie Sierra. The program will include “On My Own” and “America the Beautiful,” as well as the violin solo of Saint-Saens’ Dance Macabre performed by Concertmaster Michael Fan and works by Tchaikovsky and Brahms.
Sept. 24 — Fall series finale includes a trio of works from Ballet Tucson, Mindy Ronstadt singing some of her famous aunt Linda Ronstadt’s hits, including “Desperado” and “Blue Bayou” and Saguaro Music Theatre performing “Suddenly Seymour” from its upcoming show “Little Shop of Horrors.” The Pops will also perform the concert on Sept. 23 at DesertView Performing Arts Center, 39900 S. Clubhouse Drive in SaddleBrooke. That show is a ticketed event through the venue, dvpac.net.
Michael T Anderson, sound technician, gives longtime Tucson Pops Orchestra Maestro László Veres a gift during Veres final performance with the Tucson Pops Orchestra on June 12, 2022. Veres retired from Tucson Pops Orchestra, which he led for the past 32 years. Video by Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star.
