IN CELEBRATION OF KEITH LOCKHART’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY WITH THE BOSTON POPS, THE ORCHESTRA RELEASES THE BEST OF THE BOSTON POPS DOCUMENTARY ON PBS STATIONS NATIONWIDE; DOCUMENTARY TO AIR ON PBS STATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY FROM MAY 3-JUNE 21

The Best of the Boston Pops, produced by Susan Dangel and Dick Bartlett, will air May 3-June 21 on PBS stations nationwide. It will air on Boston’s WGBH on Sunday, May 3, at 3:30 p.m. A complete list of air dates and times is available here and at the end of this release.

Showcasing the extraordinary variety of artists and programming of the leadership eras of Arthur Fiedler (1930-79), John Williams (1980-1993) and Keith Lockhart (1995 to present), this special program will feature interviews and/or performances by Jason Alexander, Chris Botti, Kristin Chenoweth, Roberta Flack, Josh Groban, Patti LaBelle, Bernadette Peters, James Taylor, Vanessa Williams, Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, and Audra McDonald, plus rare footage of favorite artists past and present, including Ella Fitzgerald, Buddy Rich, Sarah Vaughan, Johnny Cash, Benny Goodman, Sammy Davis, Jr., John Raitt, k.d. lang, and the Carpenters.

Celebrating his 20th anniversary as Boston Pops Conductor in spring 2015, Keith Lockhart is the second longest-tenured conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra since the orchestra’s founding in 1885. He took over as conductor in 1995, following John Williams’s 13-year tenure from 1980 to 1993; Mr. Williams succeeded the legendary Arthur Fiedler, who was at the helm of the orchestra for nearly 50 years. Keith Lockhart’s 20th anniversary season with the Boston Pops takes place from May 6-June 13 at Symphony Hall in Boston, MA. Click here for more on Keith Lockhart.

The Boston Pops
The Boston Pops, affectionately known as “America’s Orchestra,” is the most recorded and arguably the most beloved orchestra in the country.

The Boston Pops was founded in 1885 by Civil War veteran Henry Lee Higginson whose vision was to present concerts of light classics and the popularmusic of the day.  It was Arthur Fiedler’s nearly 50-year tenure as Pops Conductor (1930-1979) that established the Boston Pops as a national icon by moving the Pops beyond its origins in light-classical music into the world of pop culture showcasing the popular artists of the day as well as the work of young American composers and arrangers.  When John Williams (1980-1993) succeeded Arthur Fiedler in 1980, he was the most highly acclaimed composerin Hollywood. Keith Lockhart (1995-present) is marking his 20thanniversary as Boston Pops Conductor. In response to the ever-diversifying trends in music, Keith Lockhart has taken the Pops in new directions, creating programs that reach out to a broader and younger audience by presenting artists—both established performers and rising stars—from virtually every corner of the entertainment world, all the while maintaining the Pops’ appeal to its core audience. Mr. Lockhart has also led the Boston Pops at several high profile sports events, including the pre-game show of Super Bowl XXXVI and the opening game of the 2007 World Series, at Fenway Park with the Boston Red Sox. Further information about the Boston Pops is available at www.bostonpops.org.

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THE BEST OF THE BOSTON POPS AIR SCHEDULE