It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Erich Kunzel, the founder of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, who died of Cancer in September last year.  His presence on the concert stage, before that celebrated ensemble became one of the most enduring orchestra/conductor unions in recent memory.  Kunzel was nothing short of a film music champion, as he lead the CPO through many hours of film music recording, presenting the great classics on countless compilation albums over the years, not to mention live in the concert halls of the United States and beyond.

The music of John Williams has always figured highly on Kunzel’s roster of recordings and with that in mind it’s surprising perhaps that Williams himself has never conducted the Cincinnati Pops before.  Well that is about to change as the eminent composer will conduct the orchestra in a tribute concert, dedicated to Erich Kunzel, on August 7^th.

It’s a wonderful opportunity for Williams to tip his hat to the late conductor and lead Kunzel’s band through an evening of his own music. 

The concert marks the beginning of the CPO’s 2010/11 season, titled ‘The Erich Kunzel Legacy Season’ and tickets will go on sale in May, while season ticket holders will receive a free ticket to the event.  It ought to be a very special evening indeed.

While John Williams seemingly takes a break from the scoring stage – though he is currently still working on Steven Spielberg’s The Adventure of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn – he continues to conduct his music across the US.  Next month sees a sold out date in Fort Worth, Texas, followed by a multi date run in Boston in mid-May.  August sees him conducting his annual Film Night at Tanglewood, MA (Aug 14^th) while those of you on the West Coast can once again catch the maestro over two nights at the Hollywood Bowl (Aug 27^th/28^th).

Full details of the composer’s engagements and recent releases can be found at the always-interesting JWFan.com.  Check it out if you haven’t already.

Michael Beek