




THANK YOU TO OUR MEDIA SPONSORS
Dear Friends of the Pops,
And we are off! Another great season of Music Under the StarsTM is upon us! We’ve had a great year – 2023 saw our amazing orchestra take to the road – we brought the joy of live music to the folks in Saddlebrook, we saw the return of our Independence Day concert at the historic St Augustine Cathedral in July, and we will return to Saddlebrook on September 23rd.
In other news, after almost 29 years I announce my resignation as the President of Tucson Pops Orchestra. While I am grateful for the time I have had in this role, it is time for new leadership to take the helm and steer the organization towards its future. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the members of the orchestra, our sponsors, and supporters for their unwavering dedication and commitment to the arts in our community. I will always cherish the memories I have made during my tenure and will continue to support the Tucson Pops Orchestra in any way I can.
OF DIRECTORS
Tamara Chaffee President
Dr. Lynn Gerald Treasurer
Jen Garcia Secretary
László Veres Conductor Emeritus
Andy Bade
Michael Fan Concertmaster, Web Master
Caleb Fernandez
Jennifer Garcia
Norma Gentry
Lawrence Lee
Christina Luis
Gloria Roberts
Fran Veres
Frank Watson
JoAnna Westcott
CONDUCTOR, MUSIC DIRECTOR
Khris Dodge
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Taya Pocock
TayaPocock@tucsonpops.org
LIBRARIAN
Marilyn Chantrill
TUCSON PARKS & RECREATION STAFF
Director................................Lara Hamwey
Deputy Director.......................Mike Hayes
Deputy Director.....................Greg Jackson
Administrator.................Glenna Overstreet
Recreation Program Manager..........................Dawnee Moreno
Recreation Supervisor, Special Events and Sports...........Ruben Kirkendall
TECHNICAL AND EVENTS CREW
Michael T. Anderson............Stage Manager
Nehemiah Draper..............Audio Technician
Elizabeth Hardy.............Lighting Technician
Karima Walker..........................Stagehand
Michael Barnett........................Stagehand
Jorge Pimental.........................Stagehand
Conductor, composer, educator, and musician Khris Dodge is in his second season of leading the Tucson Pops Orchestra as its Maestro and Music Director. A valued member of the Tucson arts community for more than 30 years, Dodge has performed in or collaborated with all major local and regional arts organizations, including Arizona Opera, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Broadway in Tucson, Arizona Arts Live, Arizona Theatre Company, and Invisible Theatre, among others. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Tucson Jazz Festival and owns/operates Khris Dodge Entertainment, a full-scale music production company that presents shows all around the nation.
An avid hiker, Dodge uses nature as his muse for many of his compositions. The Pops premiered Ventana Canyon as part of the Catalina Mountains Suite in the Fall of 2022, and he plans to debut new pieces in coming seasons.
Dodge earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Percussion Performance from the University of Arizona, where he studied under Gary Cook and received jazz piano instruction from Jeff Haskell.
September 10, 2023 – 7:00 p.m.
DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center, Reid Park
Khris Dodge, Music Director/Conductor and
THE TUCSON POPS ORCHESTRA
Guest Artist: Tommy Gearhart
“Funiculì, Funiculà” …………………..............……………….……. L. Denza
“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head”……….........…….……. B. Bacharach
“Dance of the Rose Maidens from from Gayane” ….......…… A. Khachaturian
“Norwegian Dance No. 2” …………....................………….………. E. Grieg
“Night and Day”...........…......……………… C. Porter, arr. S. Rosenhaus
“It’s About Time” ……………..……………….…… D. Brubeck, arr. C. Sayre
“Time After Time” ………........………..…. S. Cahn/J. Styne, arr. G Darrah
Tommy Gearhart, Vocals
“Our Love Is Here to Stay” …….… G. Gershwin/I. Gershwin, arr. G Darrah
“Skylark” …………………....……….. H. Carmichael/J. Mercer, arr. G Darrah
“S’Wonderful” …………..……..……G. Gershwin/I. Gershwin, arr. G Darrah
“My Foolish Heart” …………….….. N. Washington/V. Young, arr. G Darrah
“Take the A Train” ………….……….……….. Billy Strayhorn, arr. G Darrah
“Goin’ to Chicago” ………………….. Count Basie, J. Rushing, arr. G Darrah
“But Not For Me” …………...………G. Gershwin/I. Gershwin, arr. G Darrah
Tommy Gearhart, Vocals
A Tribute to Tony Bennett: with a little bit of Neil Sedaka thrown in for good measure, crooner Tommy Gearhart will perform his Autumn Serenade show featuring songs from the Great American Songbook. For this opening concert he will perform some nostalgic hits like Time After Time, Our Love is Here to Stay, Skylark, S’Wonderful and much more. The orchestra will perform a medley of tunes by Bert Bacharach, Night and Day by Cole Porter and more.
A sensitive yet powerful jazz vocalist who loves to sing ballads, Tommy Gearhart has developed his own sound as he explores the Great American Songbook and jazz standards. “I grew up hearing those songs. My grandmother and her sisters used to sing on the radio as the Thomas Sisters. My grandfather was a crooner who had worked with big bands in the Midwest, knew a lot of tunes, and could also play ragtime piano. The music is in my blood.”
Born in Toledo, Ohio, Tommy Gearhart spent much of his childhood there and in Detroit. Blessed with a warm baritone voice and influenced by his early jazz drumming background, he developed quickly as a vocalist.
His mentor was Jon Hendricks, who was also from Toledo and with whom he worked on multiple occasions. The young vocalist was also inspired by the swing of Tony Bennett & Frank Sinatra, the joy of Joe Willians, the musicianship and artistry of Jon Hendricks & Mel Tormé, and the many jazz instrumentalists he had heard growing up. He listened to everyone, did a great deal of study, and emerged with his own highly appealing voice.
Tommy Gearhart has since performed at many jazz venues and festivals around the U.S. and Canada. In addition to Jon Hendricks, he has also worked with Detroit tenor-saxophonist Donald Walden (whom dubbed Tommy a “true balladeer”), trumpeter-educators Bobby Shew & Marcus Belgrave, guitarist Peter Bernstein, and many more.
September 17, 2023 – 7:00 p.m.
DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center, Reid Park
Khris Dodge, Music Director/Conductor and
Guest Artists: Samantha Sierra-Feldman, Marie Sierra
“Procession of the Nobles”…………..............………….. N. Rimsky-Korsakov
“Irish Tune from County Derry” …............……….… traditional, arr. P. Grainger
“Hungarian Dance No. 5” ……................…………………….…… J. Brahms
“Autumn Leaves“ …………………...........……….….… J. Kosma, arr. A Reed
“Theme from Love Story” .…….......................…………………………F. Lai
“Marche Slave”…….......………..….………..................…… P.I. Tchaikovsky
“Amparito Roca”.………………..………………………….………. J. Texidor
“Danse macabre”….…….............................……….………. C. Saint-Saëns
Michael Fan, violin
“Lord of the Dance”……….......…….……….…. R. Hardiman, arr. L. Moore
“Selections from Les Misérables” ..….……. C-M. Schönberg, arr. B. Lowden
“On My Own” …………….............…………. C-M. Schönberg, arr. B. Lowden
Samantha Sierra-Feldman, vocals
Marie Sierra, piano
“America the Beautiful” ………………..........………… S. Ward, arr. C. Dragon
Samantha Sierra-Feldman, vocals
This concert is a tribute to a beloved figure of the Tucson music community and close Friend of the Tucson Pops.
Enrique “Hank” Feldman, a Tucson native and University of Arizona graduate, was a versatile artist, educator, and speaker with a global impact. He directed UA’s Pride of Arizona Marching Band and was a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Hank conducted orchestral ensembles, composed music for various mediums, and collaborated with Acerekó and CHICAGO. He founded the Global Learning Foundation, impacting 135,000+ since 2001, authored “Sam the Ant,” and created iBG®. Hank’s speaking engagements spanned the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. He cherished family, co-running Cuban Twist with son, and shared a musical journey with wife Marie Sierra and children, Sam and Nick.
The concert will be performed by the esteemed musicians of the Tucson Pops Orchestra along with guest artists vocalist Samantha Sierra-Feldman and his wife pianist Marie Sierra. “My father was my best friend in the whole world. Continuing to follow his example and learn from the time I had with him is the most important thing I can do.” Sam Sierra-Feldman
Sam is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree in vocal studies and a minor in creative writing. She teaches 5th Grade as well as Middle School Film & Media Arts at the Tucson Hebrew Academy and frequently works as a director and instructor for Christian Youth Theater. Most recently, she has worked on CYT’s production of “The Wizard of Oz,” Disney’s “My Son Pinocchio Jr,” Disney’s “Descendants: The Musical,” and is currently working on “Annie!” Sam also continues to work on her published series of children’s books, “Sam the Ant,” which she co-authored together with her beloved father.
September 24, 2023 – 7:00 p.m.
DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center, Reid Park
Khris Dodge, Music Director/Conductor and
THE TUCSON POPS ORCHESTRA
Guest Artist: Ballet Tucson, Saguaro City Music Theatre, and Mindy Ronstadt
PROGRAM
“The Tucson March”….......................................................... M. Wolfram
“Dance Medley” ….……………………………...........………..…… J. Haskell
“Suite de danzas criollas”……………........……………….……. A. Ginastera
Ballet Tucson
“The Catalinas Suite” ……………………......…………….…………… K. Dodge
1. Ventana Canyon
2. Mountain Water
“La muerte del ángel”…………….…. A. Piazzolla, arr. J. DiBartolo, K. Dodge
Ballet Tucson
“Suddenly Seymour”……………..………..........…… H. Ashman/A. Menken
Saguaro City Music Theatre
INTERMISSION
“Pas de deux from The Nutcracker” ……………......……..… P.I.Tchaikovsky
Ballet Tucson
“Long, Long Time” ……………..……….....…….…. G.B. White, arr. K. Dodge
“Desperado” ……………………..…........… D. Henley/G. Frey, arr. K. Dodge
“You’re No Good”……..........…….........………… C. Ballad, Jr., arr. K. Dodge
“Blue Bayou” ………………….....……….………… R. Orbison, arr. K. Dodge
Mindy Ronstadt, vocals
Mindy Ronstadt was born and raised in Tucson, back in the days when we still had a 602 area code. She grew up singing, surrounded by an extended family of singers, songwriters, and musicians. Most folks are familiar with her aunt, singer Linda Ronstadt, but Mindy learned to sing harmonies from her dad, Peter. After high school, she traveled for a year with the international, Tucson-based, performance group Up With People, and then settled back here in the Old Pueblo, to go to school and raise a family of her own.
Over the years, she’s had the great fortune to join and sing with many musicians, bands, and projects around town, and is thrilled to add the Tucson Pops Orchestra to the list.
Ballet Tucson is Tucson’s only professional ballet company, bringing five inspiring concerts to the stage each year, in addition to numerous special events and unique community collaborations. Their performances feature beloved classics and innovative new works created by acclaimed choreographers, performed by professional dancers from around the world. The School of Ballet Tucson provides a rich training ground for students, offering the opportunity to work with accomplished teachers and professional dancers, while instilling a love for the art form and providing a means for greater self-expression.
About the performance:
Ballet Tucson is proud to perform three dynamic ballets in collaboration with the Tucson Pops Orchestra. Selections include the Grand Pas de Deux from the timeless classic The Nutcracker, an intimate solo from celebrated American choreographer Paul Gibson’s The Piano Dance (a sneak peek of the Ballet’s 2024 Spring Concert) and the world premiere of a passionate pas de deux choreographed by Ballet Tucson’s Artistic Director Margaret Mullin set to Astor Piazzolla’s La Muerte Del Angel.
Madeleine Kuebler and Edward Oyarce-Solomon.Saguaro City Music Theatre presents “Little Shop of Horrors”
October 13th – October 29th
the Berger Performing Arts Center
Come see the cult comedy classic live onstage. Tickets are on sale now at saguarocity.org.
Long Realty Companies in association with The
and Tucson Parks & Recreation present the Tucson Pops Orchestra
Music Under the StarsTM
Long Realty Companies
Tucson Parks & Recreation Department
Friends of the Pops Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
Patty Krivel
Jan Thalberg Legacy Fund held at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
JoAnna Westcott
Joe & Frances Bettinger, The Bettinger Family Trust
Bruce Des Champs
Michael & Karen Fisher
Edith Hund
Steven & Marta Ketchel
Anonymous
L.E.S. is More Charitable Fund held at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
Michael & Karen Fisher
Barbara Lamb
Carl and Paula Olson
Paola and Chris Werstler
Joseph Barkenbush
Kenneth & Jennifer Bosma
David J. Cohen
Phillip & Phyllis Davis
Jennifer Garcia
Lawrence Lee
Richard and Judy Rolland
Rotary Club of Tucson Foundation
KHRIS DODGE, CONDUCTOR
Jean Cary
Terri and Tom Drielick
Ellen Frazer
Vern and Deborah Hartz
Doug Holland
Brian & Charlene Jackson
Steven & Teresa Jarrett
Tom Jensen and Amanda Jensen Doss
Carla & Mike Livak
Roberta Miller
Dennis & Margery Nemura
Diane Hultquist and Richard Rohrdanz
Jeffrey S.Ronstadt
Joe Seger
Elsie J. Smith
Marilyn Stimpson
Harold & Becky Strain
John & Gail Swarbrick
Patty Trujillo
Adrienne Utley
Patricia Reed Watrous
Edith Bailey
Madeleine Irell
Lawrence Lee
Gary & Carolyn Lerch
Carl and Paula Olson
Mary Wisely
Gloria Roberts
Sally Lanyon
Judy Dare
Phillip & Phyllis Davis
Brenda Kreitzberg
Lawrence Lee
Vance & Sandra Riggins
Kenneth & Jennifer Bosma
David J. Cohen
City of Tucson
Bruce Des Champs
Jennifer Garcia
Rick and Judy Rolland Rotary Club of Tucson Foundation
Joe & Fran Bettinger Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
Steven & Marta Ketchel
Mercedes Smith
Michael & Karen Fisher
Barbara Lamb
Carl and Paula Olson
Fran Veres
Paola and Chris Werstler
Desert Diamond Casino
Michael & Karen Fisher
Edith Hund
The Denver Foundation
Jacqueline Smith
Joe & Fran Bettinger
Rio Nuevo District
JoAnna Westcott
Jan Thalberg
Patty Krivel
Long Realty Companies
Michael Fan, Concertmaster
John & Gail Swarbrick
Albert Andrews, In Memory of Lois Rosenberg
Ann R. Gendler
Aileen Hanson
Joseph Rousos-Hammond
Charles Aurand
Carlie Rigg
Doug & Cyndy Atterbur y
Patricia Bena
Melanie Fan
Ken & Muriel Bergsma
Laura Tagawa
David Carter
Christensen, In Memory of War ren Christensen
Jennifer Goff
Sonia Cowen
Allen R. Tollin
Roy Dellago
David Rife
Del & Jane Dickey
Morgan Forrest
Jose Moore
Robert & Geraldine Harding
Donald & Donna Hess
Rosemarie Todaro
Thomas DiMaggio
Emily Chao
Murray Helmstrom
Willis & Virginia Horak
Emily Nolan
Bob Howard & Patti Burger
Linda Koesterl
Rollin Medcalf
Gary & Carol Lerch
Debbie & Wayne McGraw
Mimi Papp
Donald & Ruth Myers
Roy & Dolores Morey
Jason Sah
John Neubeck
Larissa Brown (Sah)
Robert Olsen
Cayse Miners
Patricia Eck & Michael Leingang
In Memory of Richard Eck
Holly Schurr
Earlene Ridge
Moira Hagerlin
Darlene Rowe
Callie Hutchison
Tony & Tina Saccani
Patricia Cole
Charlotte Scott
VIOLA
Rebecca McKee
Tom & Sandy Simester
Marlene S. Smith
Raphael Lizama
Bob & Morgan Sogn
John Sohikian
Tom Ginsberg
Serry & Stephen Weiss
Harold & Becky Strain
Mary Frances DiBartolo
Diane Hultquist & Richard Rohrdanz
Andrea & John Wise
Colin Lambert
Mike & Katie Cooper
Donald & Shirley Younker
Bella Schwerin
Dennis Anderson
Kathy Larason
Alice Close
Melanie Yarger
Koreen Johannssen
Madeleine Rose
Brenda Koedyker
Jeffrey G. Holsen
Lawrence Lee
Charlie Luepke
Jason Roederer
Alan & Janet Stein
Paula Redinger
Patricia Samuels
Kenneth Thomas
Sandy Schwoebel
Carolla Hoag
Randall Wagner
Chris Harper
Stanley & Jodi Stachowiak
Carter & Mary Becker
Christian Hill
Drew & Gloria Newton
Larry & Carol Bahill
Marquise Demaree
Marlene S. Smith
Norma Gentry
Mary Simon
Ralph Hurd
Devin Gardner
Robert Larson
Dario Brignoli
Jamie Towne
Marth Fankhauser
Daniel Becker
Vera Schlichter
Ray & Elaine Spindler
Lucy Huestis
RL & CS Cramer
Jon & Jody Hawbaker
Jessica Campbell
Greg & Wendy Nelson
Tucson Metro Chamber
Tammy Smith
Marlene Nikolai
Les & Carol Welborn
Ben Yingst
Alberto Ranjel
Kathleen Demlow
Jo Riester, In honor of Chad Riester
DIck Wadsworth
Lisa A. Gollenberg
Jim & Beth Ruboyianes
Edith Bailey
Mike Mesner
Nan Schubel
Tommy & Leslie Gearhart
Brianna Reed
Charlie Luepke
Caitlynn Sandberg
Robert Selby
Jason Carder
Sylvia Flagg
Debbie & Wayne McGraw
Glen Gross
Ellen Ristow
Morgana Ortiz
Ivan English, Jr.
Richard Candelaria
Terri & Tom Drielick
Rob Boone
David & Jo-Anna Kikel
Jordan Robison
Brian & Susan Boylan
Chris Lopez
Dale & Desiree Christensen
Ben Constantinides
Jessie Curley
Matt Tropman
Lynn Davis
HARP
Rebecca Foreman
Julien & Sandal Caillet
Harry and Dottie Adams
Abid Alhilal
Alyaa Alhilal
Dennis Anderson
Doug & Cyndi Atterbury
Charles Aurand
Michael Boxer
Sherry Campbell
June Chamberlin
Virginia I. Coen
Roy Dallago
Judge Terry A. & Sharon R. Douglas
Dan & Jennifer Forman
Franklin Fountain
Mia Bulgarin Gay
Norma Gentry
Keith Gustafson
Emma H. Hanshaw
Vern & Deborah Hartz
Mark & LIsa Heltemes
Phillis Herbster
Murry Holmstrom
Dale & August Johnson
Dave Walton
Richard McGinty
Trevor Barroero
Linda Koester
Jackie Jones
Barbara Kiernan
Jane & Paul Kriegshauser
Winnie Kruper
Ed & Nancy Landes
Oscar & Renie Lenning
Sue & George Lockridge
Robert & Pamela Maple
Robert & Marie McClure
Nancy McDonald
Ron & Kay McNutt
Helen Montgomery
Roy & Delores Morey
Tarek Moses
A.C. “Chuck” Moyer II and Elaine A. Gokey
Mike & Bea Mueller
Drew & Gloria Newton
Marlene Nickolai
Lynn Mooney & Paula Noel
Carl & Paula Olson
Carol J. Owens
George & Maria Pappas
Michelle Perrin
TIMPANI
Homero O. Ceron
Bob & Michele Kane
Kathy Peters
Vern and Rita Petterson
Beverly Polito
Sharyn Rafieyan
Angela Roll
Gerald Rucks
Toni and Tino Saccani
Tommy & Sheila Sanford
Ann Schlumberger & Robert Young
Nancy Schneider
Robert & Vicki Semple
Jack & Gayla Stewart
Jerrold & Lois Swain
Texas Instruments
David Vasquez
Sherry & Stephen Weiss
Will & Brenda Whitaker
James Wood
Teresa Ferriero Wood
Sharon Woodworth
Carrie Zamora
The Tucson Pops Orchestra has been providing outdoor concerts to the Tucson and southern Arizona community since 1955. Founded by Georges DeMeester and Ernest Hoffman with 22 musicians, the orchestra has grown to 50 professional musicians and performs to audiences of up to 8,500. The orchestra performed in various locations around Tucson before settling in Reid Park’s DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center. In 1973, Charles “Bucky” Steele took over as conductor, followed by László Veres in 1997. In spring of 2022, László Veres retired and passed the baton to Khris Dodge, who began his tenure in the fall of 2022. The Tucson Pops Orchestra continues to fulfill its mission of providing Music Under the Stars™ to the Tucson and southern Arizona communities with support from Tucson Parks and Recreation Department, corporate partners, and Friends of the Pops.
Your generous donations can truly make a difference to our mission to bring high-quality concert series to the public.
We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the joy and inspiration of live music, regardless of their financial circumstances. By contributing what you can, you’ll be paying it forward for those who may not have the means to do the same. Your support will ensure that no one is turned away from our community-driven events. Every dollar counts, and your contribution will directly support our mission to make the magic of music accessible to everyone.
Give what you can and help us continue to create memorable concert experiences for our community. We are dependent on individual patrons like yourself, as support from sponsors only covers about 30% of the actual cost to provide these concerts. Your generosity and support are greatly appreciated. Thank you!
At each concert those who give $25 or more receive one entry in the weekly raffle for each $25 contributed. Raffle prizes include gift cards to local restaurants and entertainment venues.
Visit the booths at concerts, go to our website at tucsonpops.org, or donate using one of the following options:
Please take the time to contact your council member and Mayor Romero and let them know how much you appreciate their support of the Tucson Pops Orchestra.
City of Tucson Government
The Honorable Regina Romero, Mayor of Tucson
City Hall, 255 W. Alameda St.
Tucson, AZ 85701
Phone: (520) 791-4201
Fax: (520) 791-5348
Email: Mayor.Romero@tucsonaz.gov
Lane Santa Cruz Council Member, Westside Ward One
940 W. Alameda
Tucson, AZ 85745
Phone: (520) 791-4040
Fax: (520) 791-5393
Email: ward1@tucsonaz.gov
Paul Cunningham
Northeast Ward Two
7575 E. Speedway
Tucson, AZ 85710
Phone: (520) 791-4687
Fax: (520) 791-5380
Email: ward2@tucsonaz.gov
Kevin Dahl Council Member
Northside Ward Three 1510 E. Grant Road
Tucson, AZ 85719
Phone: (520) 791-4711
Fax: (520) 791-5391
Email: ward3@tucsonaz.gov
Nikki Lee Council Member
Southeast Ward Four 8123 E. Poinciana
Tucson, AZ 85730
Phone: (520) 791-3199
Fax: (520) 791-4717
Email: ward4@tucsonaz.gov
Richard Fimbres Council Member
Southside Ward Five 4300 S. Park Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85714
Phone: (520) 791-4231
Fax: (520) 791-3188
Email: Richard.Fimbres@tucsonaz.gov
Steve Kozachik Council Member
Midtown Ward Six 3202 E. 1st Street
Tucson, AZ 85716
Phone: (520) 791-4601
Fax: (520) 791-3211
Email: ward6@tucsonaz.gov
Michael Ortega City Manager
City Hall, 10th Floor 255 W. Alameda
Tucson, AZ 85701
Phone: (520) 791-4204
Email: citymanager@tucsonaz.gov