About

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 StarsTM to the Tucson and southern Arizona communities with support from Tucson Parks and Recreation Department, corporate partners, and Friends of the Pops.