Introduction
Symphonic Pops is a production house with an
impressive track record of excellence in the South African and
International music and entertainment industries. From corporate
functions, charity fundraisers, symphonic shows through to spectacular
concerts - shows are characterized by a commitment to uncompromising
quality with respect to all aspects of production: from score-writing
through to the meticulously finished spectacular live performances...
"Symphonic pop at its brightest and
brassiest warmed the chill of a late summer evening under the stars..."
Cape Times
"Symphonic pops under the stars can be
heady stuff." Argus
A Brief History
In 1996 John Walton, Mike Campbell and Steve
Robinson created Symphonic Pops cc. Professor (Dr.) Mike Campbell (Head
of Jazz Studies at the University of Cape Town's College of Music) is
recognized as one of South Africa's leading composers, arrangers and
MD's; Steve Robinson is an internationally acclaimed composer,
arranger, guitarist and MD; and John Walton is an educator, composer,
arranger, keyboard player who was Managing Director of the Cape Town
Symphony Orchestra and is currently Head of Music at the South African
College High School.
More recently John has teamed up with
Maestro Bernhard Gueller and René Hermans of Catapult
Advertising Studios to create Multimedia Symphonic Spectacular shows.
Productions include Symphonic Pops Shows at
the SPIER Amphitheatre
and the Bellville Velodrome (the KFM SYMPHONIC
POPS); concerts for the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra as part of
their Education Outreach Programme, the African première of the
Ellington Sacred Concerts under the direction of Dr. Mike Rossi for the
Grand Finale of the Spier Festival's Summer Season, Philharmonic Rock
Concerts at the Natal Playhouse with the KZNPO, and The Planets
Symphonic Spectacular at Ratanga Junction Theme Park and in Halifax,
Canada.
MD's for the symphonic shows have included
Maestro's George Michie and latterly Bernhard
Gueller (former principal conductor of the CTPO and now of the Symphony Nova Scotia in
Hallifax, Canada and the Nuremberg
Symphony Orchestra in Germany). All the concerts have been
received with great enthusiasm by the public, orchestra and management
alike as well as drawing critical acclaim from the press. The Spier
concerts were mostly sold out a in advance and the performances at the
Velodrome reached capacity of 6000+ three performances in a row) and
then some! South Africa's top entertainment artists featured in the
shows and include Kim Kallie, Judith Sephuma, Leslie Kleinsmith, Ian
Smith, Hylton Mowday and Willie van Zyl at Spier; and Judith Sephuma,
Cliff Benton, Sue Pienaar, Willie van Zyl, T J Simon, Denay Willie,
Neville Diedericks, Abigail Petersen and Andrew Young at the Velodrome.
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