The Boston Pops And Keith Lockhart Present A Star-Studded Lineup For The Final Three Spring Pops Programs, June 7-11

Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Orchestra wrap up the final days of the 2022 spring season with exciting debuts, a couple of audience favorites, and a popular Pops tradition.

An Evening with Christopher Jackson on June 7 and 8, at 8 p.m.

Making his Pops debut, Tony nominee Christopher Jackson-best known for originating the role of George Washington in Hamilton and starring in the CBS drama Bull-joins with the Pops in music drawing from Jackson's favorite songs in pop, R&B, and Broadway, including hits by Donny Hathaway and Frank Wildhorn, as well as his own Emmy Award-winning songs. His performance on June 7 features winners of the Fidelity Investments Young Artists Competition: Andrew Kim (cello; Weston High School), Fei Yang-Sady (violin; Concord-Carlisle High School), Leah Steinman (vocalist; Natick High School), and Adalia Wen (guzheng; The Rivers School of Weston). These talented young musicians, chosen from entrants across Massachusetts, will receive mentoring from Lockhart and Jackson, culminating in their first performances at Symphony Hall. The June 7 concert will be available as a BSO NOW video on demand from June 23 - July 23 (more details below).

Duke Ellington Reimagined with Lara Downes and Brian Stokes Mitchell on June 9 and 10, at 8 p.m.

Two-time Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell (Kiss Me, Kate, Ragtime, Shuffle Along, Man of La Mancha) and trailblazing American pianist Lara Downes explore with the Pops the extraordinary musical legacies of Duke Ellington and pianist/composer Billy Strayhorn, whose nearly 30 years of creative collaboration helped to shape the sound and spirit of American music as we know it. Lara Downes, who made her Pops debut in 2019 with the program "Rediscovering the Incredible Black Composer," will perform the world premiere of A Lovesome Thing: Billy Strayhorn Suite, based on three of Strayhorn's most expressive songs-"A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing," "Strange Feeling," and "Something to Live For"-arranged by composer Chris Walden. (A Lovesome Thing: Billy Strayhorn Suite is a Boston Pops co-commission with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Brevard Music Center, and South Carolina Philharmonic.)

Gospel Night with Smokie Norful, Charles Floyd, and the Boston Pops Gospel Choir on June 11, at 8 p.m.

To close the season, returning conductor Charles Floyd leads the 28th annual Gospel Night performance, featuring the Boston Pops Gospel Choir and special guest Smokie Norful. Best known for his 2002 album I Need You Now and the 2004 release Nothing Without You for which he won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album, Norful has released five #1 Billboard Albums and been named Billboard's "Gospel Artist of the Year" several times. He is the founding senior pastor of Victory Cathedral Worship Center in Illinois.

Tickets for the Boston Pops season at Symphony Hall, starting at $33, are available at bostonpops.org or 617-266-1200. Performances start at 8 p.m., except for the 7 p.m. film night performances of May 26 and 28 and June 2 and 3, as well as a 1 p.m. matinee performances of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on Saturday, June 4. The June 4 matinee concert includes a 50% ticket discount for children ages 17 and younger. Groups of 20 persons or more may receive up to 10% off regular ticket prices and waived handling fees. Please call the Group Sales Office at 800-933-4255 for more details.

The Boston Symphony has a dedicated line for disabled patrons who would like to purchase tickets to BSO, Boston Pops, or Tanglewood concerts, or who need information about disability services at Symphony Hall or Tanglewood. This line can be reached by dialing 617-638-9431. For access via TDD/TTY, please call 617-638-9289. Patrons with disabilities can access Symphony Hall through the Cohen Wing on Huntington Avenue or through the Massachusetts Avenue entrance.

BSO NOW Pops Concert Streams Available at bso.org/now

The June 7 "An Evening with Christopher Jackson" concert, featuring winners of the Fidelity Investments Young Artist Competition, will be available as a BSO NOW video on demand from June 23 - July 23. In addition, two archival Pops concerts will be available to viewers: from June 30 - July 30, the Boston Pops with conductor Arthur Fiedler and pianist Eubie Blake (filmed May 27, 1973) and from July 7 - August 6, the Boston Pops with conductor John Williams and entertainer Gregory Hines (filmed May 5, 1983). Details about all BSO NOW VOD content through September, including how to access the content, will be announced in the coming weeks at bso.org/bso-now.

New this year: The Spring Pops program book will be offered in a digital format available through bostonpops.org. In addition, patrons sitting on the floor of the hall will be able to order food through their mobile phones by using a QR code visibly displayed on each table throughout the hall. A paper menu will be available for those who need it.

Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart at the helm of the orchestra since 1995. He has led the orchestra in more than 2,000 concerts, 81 television shows, 45 national and four overseas tours, and several high-profile sports events, including with the Red Sox and New England Patriots. Together Lockhart and the Pops have collaborated with nearly 300 guest artists from the worlds of classical and popular music, rock, jazz, sports, politics, Broadway, and Hollywood.

The Boston Pops and Keith Lockhart have brought the orchestra's music and spirit into the Boston community with special appearances at the holiday tree lighting in Boston's Public Garden, Children's Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital for annual holiday performances, and the Boston Common and Franklin Park, where they have played free concerts for the public. Mr. Lockhart and the Pops have also provided music for such significant civic events as gubernatorial and mayoral inauguration ceremonies, as well as the memorial service for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Under Mr. Lockhart's direction, the Boston Pops received its first Grammy nominations, presented its first major national network broadcast of the July 4 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, performed its first live concert stream for for BSO NOW (bso.org/now), and released its first self-produced and self-distributed recordings.a??For more information about the Boston Pops, click here.

Now celebrating his 28th year with the Boston Pops, Keith Lockhart is the Julian and Eunice Cohen Boston Pops Conductor.

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