Lompoc Visitors Guide

Lompoc Valley Visitors Guide 27 by Connie Barlow A golden gem on California's Central Coast, the Lompoc Pops Orchestra is a 50-piece professional orchestra offering everything from Broadway favorites, TV and movie theme hits, Big Band and well- known jazz pieces, patriotic medleys and beloved American musicals. There's even an occasional Opera aria, short familiar classical selection, or even a contemporary piece or two. The orchestra was founded 23 years ago under the inspiration of local violinist Diane Siminski and Gen- eral Paul Maye (USAF, retired) who wanted a local orchestra available for playing dinner and patriotic music at Vandenberg Air Force Base functions. But in a very short period of time that idea expanded to creating a much larger orchestra with the goal of emulating the Boston Pops Orchestra. The mission was to keep alive a wide variety of outstanding music that has successfully survived the test of time. Still true to those goals, the Pops has continued to grow and develop. It has expanded from its early days of approximately 25 home-grown musicians to approximately 50 of the brightest and best on the entire Cali- fornia Central Coast. In fact, some musicians come from Santa Barbara, Ventura, Cambria, Santa Maria and even the Los Angeles area just to play with the Pops! And "Pops music" offers a rich variety that may include the works of George Gershwin, Leroy Anderson, Rogers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cole Porter, John Williams, Irving Berlin, Henry Mancini, Glen Miller and of course, the King of marches, John Philip Sousa. Patron requests are often honored, too so it's not unusual to hear some Beach Boys or Elvis medleys. Behind the baton stands the creative and brilliant Dr. Brian Asher Alhadeff who brings to the Pops a delightful wit, impeccable conducting skills and a thorough knowledge of the music he conducts. He is well known in the San Luis Obispo area as the conductor for the SLO Opera orchestra as well as the principal conductor for "Civic Ballet" and "State Street Ballet" in Santa Barbara. Alhadeff also conducts special per - formances in Paso Robles featuring Pops music. Further, he's regularly involved in bringing live orchestra performances to elementary school students in San Luis Obispo County. Dr. Alhadeff's background includes having studied conducting at the Peabody Conservatory of Music (John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland) and the Janacek Academy in the Czech Republic. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles), a Master's of Music from California State University (Los Angeles) and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from UCLA. Performances take place four times a year at Lompoc's First United Methodist Church located at 925 North F Street. Ticket prices are $20 for general admission and $5 for all full-time students over the age of 12. Children 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets may be purchased by calling 805-735-6463 and for additional information, please go to www.LompocpopsOrchestra.org. Playing "Your Kind Of Music"