Golden State Pops Orchestra

Causes: Arts & Culture, Symphony Orchestras

Mission: The Golden State Pops Orchestra (GSPO) was formed in January of 2002 by founder, conductor and artistic director Steven Allen Fox. Together with Victor Pesavento, music director, GSPO has gained regional and international recognition. Under Fox’s leadership, the orchestra honed its focus on “media” music and maintains its status as a preeminent interpreter of symphonic music by contemporary composers written for film, TV and video games. This ever-expanding repertoire is received enthusiastically by audiences as every person is regularly exposed to media music and can instantly relate. Composers of film music are appreciative that their music is performed live in concerts, where their compositions experience the focus of a main role - rather than supportive role as it does in movies - and support the orchestra’s efforts by conducting their own compositions on stage. The Golden State Pops Orchestra is proud to have performed the concert premieres over 100 compositions, and often audiences can hear newly composed film music in the concerts before the release of the movie to the public. The long-term investment in artistic excellence has paid tremendous dividends. Collaborating with the finest composers of the film music industry, attracting talented soloists, retaining high-caliber orchestra musicians, and increasing production values has proven to be a successful route to inspiring and growing audiences. The orchestra has evolved over the years into its present form, a mixture of the best Los Angeles area professional musicians and non-professionals of exceptional quality, performing under a contract with the local musicians union. The orchestra has been lauded for its unique ability to deliver brilliant concerts, to engage the community at large, and to deliver powerful music education programs. World Premiers have included Urban Legend (Oct. 29, 2005), World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (May 126, 2009), Avatar (Feb. 6, 2010) and Star Trek: Into Darkness (May 11, 2013) among many others. The Golden State Pops performed the first ever Video Games Soundtrack Concert with special guests Tommy Tallarico, Bob and Barn, Christopher Lennertz, and Gerard Marino on February 3, 2007; played the North American premiere of “Battle of the Heroes” from Star Wars Episode III; performed the West Coast Premiere of “Disney in Concert: Tale as Old as Time”; concertized with the rock band Dishwalla, and has played tribute concerts to composers such as Stu Phillips (at the occasion of his 80th birthday), Jerry Goldsmith, the Sherman brothers, Alan Silvestri, and Elmer Bernstein just to name a few. GSPO was the orchestra for “Video Games Live” at the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles and in San Diego. The orchestra has performed under the batan of Michael Giacchino, John Debney, Alan Silvestri, Christopher Lennertz, Jeffrey Schindler, Stu Phillips, Peter Bernstein, Joel McNeely, Austin Wintory, and Gerard Marino.