Boston Pops

The Boston Pops is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart.

Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), the Boston Pops primarily consists of musicians from the BSO, although generally not all of the first-chair players. The orchestra performs a spring season of popular music and a holiday program in December. For the Pops, the seating on the floor of Symphony Hall is reconfigured from auditorium seating to banquet and cafe seating. The Pops also plays an annual concert at the Hatch Memorial Shell on the Esplanade every Fourth of July. Their performances of both Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" and Sousa's "The Stars and Stripes Forever" are famous for both Howitzer cannons firing and fireworks exploding (during the 1812 Overture) as well as the unfurling of the American flag that occurs as the song enters "The Stars and Stripes Forever"'s final moments. Identified with its long-time director Arthur Fiedler, the orchestra has recorded extensively, made frequent tours, and appeared often on television.