| Golden State Pops Orchestra (GSPO) | |
| Location: | Los Angeles, California |
| Founded: | 2002 |
| Concert Hall: | Warner Grand Theatre |
| Principal Conductor: | Steven Allen Fox |
The Golden State Pops Orchestra (GSPO) is an American symphony pops orchestra located in the San Pedro district of Los Angeles, California, in the United States of America. The GSPO is the resident orchestra of the Warner Grand Theatre, an Art Deco movie palace built by Warner Brothers Studios in 1931. The orchestra performs a wide variety of musical repertoire, including classical, Broadway, pop music and even video game soundtracks. However, the primary focus of the GSPO remains film music, a specialty of the orchestra since its founding in 2002. The Golden State Pops Orchestra is composed of professional freelance musicians from around the Los Angeles area.
The Golden State Pops Orchestra (GSPO) was founded in 2002 by conductor and composer Steven Allen Fox, a graduate of the University of Southern California's Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television (SMPTV) program. Joshua Godoy, also a USC film scoring graduate, served as the assistant conductor. Initially functioning as the instrumental division of the Southeast Civic Light Opera in Los Alamitos, California, the orchestra's original home venue was the Liberty Theatre on the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Military Base.
The first public performance of the Golden State Pops Orchestra took place on April 6, 2002, at the Riviera United Methodist Church in Redondo Beach, California. The concert featured film music, and was titled Hooked on Film Scores. The Orchestra then performed four additional concerts in 2002, mostly at the Liberty Theatre.
Following its début season, the GSPO separated from the Southeast Civic Light Opera and moved its performances to the Long Beach Events Center (Scottish Rite Cathedral) in Long Beach, California, for a portion of the 2003-2004 season, beginning with a St. Patrick's Day themed concert titled St. Pat Goes Pops! on March 15, 2003, and continuing with four additional concerts in Long Beach. In 2004, the orchestra moved to its current home venue, the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, California, premiering with a Valentine's Day themed concert titled Music for Lovers and Other Strangers on February 7, 2004.
Since 2004, the GSPO has become the resident orchestra of the Warner Grand Theatre,[1] and has grown into a professional ensemble of around 60 musicians. It continues to specialize in live performances of film scores, and frequently introduces new film music repertoire to its audiences; music that has not been performed since it was first recorded at the original scoring sessions. In 2005, the orchestra gave the North American concert premiere of film composer John Williams' Battle of the Heroes from as part of its all Star Wars concert. Since 2005, the orchestra has presented over seventy world premieres to its audiences, both from recent films such as Drag Me to Hell, Avatar, Astro Boy, Superman Returns, and Scream as well as older films such as Three Amigos, Mysterious Island, and The Fall of the Roman Empire.
In addition to its regular full orchestra concerts, the Golden State Pops Orchestra presents a series of chamber music concerts at the Grand Annex, Alvas Showroom, the First Presbyterian Church and other venues located near the orchestra's home venue of the Warner Grand Theatre. The GSPO Ensemble Series concerts consist of regular orchestra members who perform chamber music in a wide variety of styles from film and television music to classical repertoire.
The Golden State Pops Orchestra has focused on live concert performances of film music from its inception. Due to the orchestra's connections with the film and music industry in Los Angeles, it has been able to perform many pieces of music for the first time outside the original films, often with the original composer in attendance or even conducting the orchestra. Some of the world premieres that have been performed by the GSPO include:
2014Comedy Suite, featuring music from the films Animal House, Airplane!, Stripes, Trading Places, Three Amigos and Spies Like Us. Arranged and conducted by the composer's son, Peter Bernstein. (February 15, 2014)
Rarely Performed Works, a suite featuring Silver from the 1956 LP, Frank Sinatra Conducts Tone Poems of Color as well as Bernstein's scores to the films Desire Under the Elms and Stripes. Also featuring music from the composer's rejected scores to the films The Journey of Natty Gann and A River Runs Through It. Arranged and conducted by the composer's son, Peter Bernstein. (February 15, 2014)
2013A Charlie Brown Christmas Suite, arranged and conducted by William Ross. (December 21, 2013)
A Christmas Carol, with script and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson. (December 21, 2013)
Suite from Ghostbusters, as arranged and orchestrated by Randy Edelman, with the arranger conducting and Sara Andon as flute soloist. (October 19, 2013)
Suite from The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, conducted by John Debney. (October 19, 2013)
Suite from Ghost Rider, featuring Dave Lombardo as drum soloist and the band Philm. (October 19, 2013)
Here They Come, Luke and Leia, The Asteroid Field, The Forest Battle, and Cantina Band from Hal Leonard's newly published orchestral suite The Star Wars Saga. (June 15, 2013)
The Southern Underground from . (June 15, 2013)
Theme from The Ant Bully, with the composer conducting. (May 11, 2013)
Suite from Star Trek Into Darkness, with the composer conducting. (May 11, 2013)
Music from Shrek. (May 11, 2013)
Music from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, with the composer in attendance. (May 11, 2013)
To Kill a Mockingbird as arranged by Austin Wintory, with the arranger conducting and Sara Andon as flute soloist. (May 11, 2013)
A Little Romance, with Sara Andon as flute soloist. (American premiere, May 11, 2013)
Spartacus Love Theme as arranged by Lee Holdridge, with Diego Navarro conducting and Sara Andon as flute soloist. (American premiere, May 11, 2013)
Music from Iron Will, with the composer conducting. (American premiere, May 11, 2013)
Family Theme from The Croods, with the composer in attendance. Premiered before the film's release. (February 16, 2013)
2011Music from Elf, as arranged by Victor Pesavento (December 17, 2011)
Phantasia, based on The Phantom of the Opera, as arranged and orchestrated by Geoffrey Alexander. Featuring Alyssa Park, violin and Timothy Loo, cello. (North American premiere: October 29, 2011)
Boxes of Earth, with the composer conducting. Featuring Lisbeth Scott, vocalist (October 29, 2011)
Collection of Cues from the HBO series True Blood, with the composer in attendance. Featuring Lisbeth Scott, vocalist (October 29, 2011)
The Eyes of Love, a song deleted from film Mary Poppins, as arranged by Jonathan Hughes (September 24, 2011)
Mary Poppins Medley, consisting of songs from the film Mary Poppins, as arranged and adapted by Victor Pesavento and Jonathan Hughes (September 24, 2011)
Animation Medley, consisting of songs from the films The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Aristocats, Charlotte's Web and The Jungle Book, as arranged and adapted by Victor Pesavento and Jonathan Hughes (September 24, 2011)
Four Forgotten Dreams, orchestral setting by Stu Phillips (September 24, 2011)
Overture from the film Tom Sawyer, as arranged and orchestrated by John Williams (September 24, 2011)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a medley consisting of Hushabye Mountain and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, as arranged by Jonathan Hughes (September 24, 2011)
Fortuosity, from The Happiest Millionaire, as arranged by Victor Pesavento and Jonathan Hughes (September 24, 2011)
Enchanted Journeys, a medley of music from Disney Theme parks, including The Wonderful World of Color, Magic Journeys, The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room, and There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, as arranged by Jonathan Hughes (September 24, 2011)
The Slipper and the Rose Waltz, a tone poem based on themes from the film The Slipper and the Rose, as arranged by Stu Phillips (September 24, 2011)
Ten Feet Off The Ground, from the film The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band as arranged by Stu Phillips (September 24, 2011)
Five Rockin' Oldies, a medley of The Monkey's Uncle, Tall Paul, Pineapple Princess, Let's Get Together, and You're Sixteen, as arranged by Stu Phillips (September 24, 2011)
The Gold Standard, a medley of thirty of Goldsmith's film score themes, as arranged by Austin Wintory (June 11, 2011)
Deviant from the video game,, with the composer and the orchestrator in attendance (April 9, 2011)
Journey - Suite I, with the composer conducting. Featuring Tina Guo, cello soloist (April 9, 2011)
City of Darkness/City of Light from the video game DC Universe Online, with the composer conducting (April 9, 2011)
The Shattering from the video game with the composer in attendance (April 9, 2011)
| Date | Concert | Guest Artists | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 19, 2013 | Varèse Sarabande 35th Anniversary Halloween Gala | Marco Beltrami, composer & guest conductor John Debney, guest conductor Christopher Young, composer Brian Tyler, composer & guest conductor Joseph LoDuca, composer & guest conductor Randy Edelman, composer & guest conductor Lee Holdridge, composer & guest conductor Charles Bernstein, composer Nathan Barr, composer Cliff Eidelman, guest conductor Dave Lombardo, drummer Sara Andon, flute soloist Robert Townson, host The Golden State Pops Chorale | Fourth concert celebrating the 35th anniversary of Varèse Sarabande | |
| December 21, 2013 | Varèse Sarabande 35th Anniversary Holiday Gala | John Debney, composer & guest conductor William Ross, arranger & guest conductor Sara Andon, flute soloist Robert Townson, host The Golden State Pops Holiday Chorale | Fifth concert celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Varèse Sarabande | |
| February 15, 2014 | Great Composer Tribute: Elmer Bernstein | Peter Bernstein, arranger & guest conductor Bear McCreary, accordionist & guest speaker John Landis, guest speaker Richard Kraft, guest speaker | The late composer's family was in attendance. | |
| May 10, 2014 | Sweeney Todd In Concert |
| Date | Concert | Guest Artists | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 15, 2012 | Holiday Pops Spectacular | The Golden State Pops Holiday Chorale | ||
| February 16, 2013 | Great Composer Tribute: The Music of Alan Silvestri | Alan Silvestri, guest composer and guest conductor Robert Townson, host | First concert in a series celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Varèse Sarabande record label. Composer Alan Silvestri was in attendance and conducted his concert suite from Forrest Gump. | |
| May 11, 2013 | Varèse Sarabande's 35th Anniversary Gala | Hans Zimmer, composer and pianist Danny Elfman, composer Mark Isham, composer Brian Tyler, composer & guest conductor Christopher Lennertz, composer & guest conductor Michael Giacchino, composer & guest conductor John Debney, composer & guest conductor John Powell, composer & guest conductor Diego Navarro, guest conductor Cliff Eidelman, guest conductor Joel McNeely, composer & guest conductor Sara Andon, flute soloist Ann Marie Calhoun, violin soloist Robert Townson, host | Second concert celebrating the 35th anniversary of Varèse Sarabande. | |
| June 15, 2013 | Music From The Star Wars Universe | Gordy Haab, composer Kyle Newmaster, composer | Third concert celebrating the 35th anniversary of Varèse Sarabande. |
Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-oct-18-ca-disneyside18-story.html