Music Under The Stars

The Tucson Pops Orchestra has brought professional quality outdoor concerts to the Tucson and southern Arizona community since 1955. Orchestra founder Georges DeMeester, with his collaborator, Ernest Hoffman, started the tradition with 22 musicians. Thanks to enthusiastic public support, the orchestra has now grown to 50 professional musicians who play to audiences of up to 8,500.

Before settling in Reid Park, the Tucson Pops Orchestra performed in the playground of a hotel on North Oracle, from the back of a flatbed truck at the Veterans Hospital, at the Temple of Music and Art and many other locations around Tucson. The orchestra’s first home was donated through the efforts of legendary Parks and Recreation Director Gene Reid. In a mutual agreement between the United States Air Force and the City of Tucson, a war-surplus corrugated bandshell was donated in exchange for palm trees for the base. In 1987 the city renovated the space into the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center.

In 1972, Georges DeMeester handed over the baton to U.S. Navy veteran Charles “Bucky” Steele, who entranced audiences along with his wife, Jeanne. Bucky’s conducting and Jeanne’s narrative interpretations spellbound listeners for 25 years.

In 1997 the baton was passed to acclaimed educator, conductor and musician László Veres. Maestro Veres built a dedicated audience and was widely respected for his innovative programs featuring popular national and local guest artists as well as many outstanding young performers.

In the spring of 2022 László Veres retired and passed the baton to Khris Dodge. Khris begins his tenure with the Tucson Pops Orchestra in the fall of 2022. He honors the history of the orchestra while also bringing it into the next phase of its history.

Through support from Tucson Parks and Recreation Department, generous support from corporate partners as well as the heartfelt support of the Friends of the Pops, we continue to fulfill our mission to provide music in the park for the Tucson and Southern Arizona.