The No Name Pops to Begin Second Season in November With Jessica Vosk

After a successful first year, the No Name Pops will continue its second season with a performance on Saturday, November 16 at 3 p.m. at the Kimmel Center. Executive Director Matt Koveal is pleased to welcome Broadway’s Jessica Vosk and conductor Chris Dragon for a concert entitled California Dreamin’: Jessica Vosk Sings the Songs of Laurel Canyon. 

The show spotlights California songwriters of the 1960s and ‘70s, whose music formed the soundtrack to the West Coast pop sound that defined an era. It features the music of such iconic songwriters as Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, David Crosby, Linda Ronstadt, The Mamas & the Papas, and the Eagles’ Don Henley and Glenn Frey.

California Dreamin’: Jessica Vosk Sings the Songwriters of Laurel Canyon was conceived by Mary-Mitchell Campbell and Jessica Vosk and first produced for orchestra by Colorado Symphony, based on the original production at 92nd Street Y, New York as part of Tisch Music’s Lyrics & Lyricists series.

Singer Jessica Vosk is a celebrated musical theater and concert artist. She is best known for her role as Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked, and playing the role of The Narrator in the 50th anniversary of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Lincoln Center. Her career highlights include playing Anita in a Grammy-nominated concert with the San Francisco Symphony presenting the music of West Side Story, performing a sold-out solo show at Carnegie Hall and headline performance in a Judy Garland celebration, and releasing successful solo albums. She has appeared at prestigious venues like London's Cadogan Hall and Symphony Hall in Boston, and starred in productions like Chess at The Muny and the 92nd Street Y's Lyrics & Lyricists series. Vosk's unique journey from Wall Street to Broadway has been featured on major TV networks.

Australian conductor Christopher Dragon is the Music Director of the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra and Resident Conductor of the Colorado Symphony. For three years, Dragon held the inaugural position of Assistant Conductor with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra where he was mentored by Asher Fisch.

Dragon is a highly sought after guest conductor. His versatile portfolio ranges from live-to-picture performances including Nightmare Before Christmas, Toy Story and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, a wide variety of collaborations with artists such as Cynthia Erivo and Joshua Bell, to standard and contemporary orchestral repertoire such as Danny Elfman’s Violin Concerto, Eleven Eleven. Recent highlights include his successful debut with the San Francisco Symphony and performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall, David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center and Sydney Opera House. He has conducted such orchestras as the San Francisco Symphony, Utah Symphony, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Chicago Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony Orchestra and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. 

NNP’s Executive Director Matt Koveal said: “We are excited to welcome Jessica Vosk and Chris Dragon to our opening concert of our 24-25 season. It’s been a long road to solidify our organization on the Avenue of the Arts and in the greater Philadelphia area, but this past year it’s been clear that the community wants and needs these amazing musicians to keep performing.” 

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Tickets for California Dreamin’ can be purchased at nonamepops.org.

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