Peter And His Pops

By Lindsay Warner
The Bulletin
02/08/2008

Nearly 30 years on the podium, and Peter Nero is still a stud. In fact, he claims he'll only leave his box of honor in front of the Philly Pops when they lay him out in a pine box and carry him out the back door.

With a wild mane of white hair and a constant twinkle in his eye, Mr. Nero has been conducting the enormously popular concert series for nearly three decades, charming audiences and musicians alike with a riotous sense of fun and the ability to transform any genre of music into something you want to listen to. This week, he moves to a Latin groove with "Viva Latino!", featuring flautist Nestor Torres; up next is a one-night-only performance on Valentine's Day.

"What are we calling that one again?" asks the busy musician. "Ah, yes, 'Love at the Pops.' Well, in the first half, we're going to do a combination of love songs, because it's Valentine's Day, and everybody wants to snuggle. But at the same time, we don't have to put everyone in a coma, so we'll be having some fun too."

The Philly Pops will be teaming up with former syndicated TV show host Jack Jones, with whom Mr. Nero has appeared many times over the years.

"You know, someone sent me a link to that IMDb site the other day, and I couldn't believe how many times Jack and I had appeared together - which explains why, as we were planning this, it felt like we'd known each other a long time," said Mr. Nero. "I suppose we have."

Typically featuring at least one guest performer in each Philly Pops program, Mr. Nero has filled concert halls with singers, musicians, actors and at least one athlete, in a daring performance starring the colorful Major League Baseball relief pitcher Tug McGraw narrating "Casey at the Bat" after the Phillies World Series win in 1980. The concert was an enormous hit with Pops subscribers and the series was off to a running start with the quirky conductor at its head.

Recognizing the wide spectrum of musical interests represented at a typical Pops concert, Mr. Nero has paid careful attention to programming over the years, while quietly continuing to feed classical to pop listeners and pop music to classical listeners. And audiences thrive on the recipe.

"Really, it's a question of balance when you're choosing your program," Mr. Nero says. "Let's face it - people are inundated with entertainment on all sides these days. There are 200 channels on the TV, and you can flick to the next if you don't like what you're watching. It's difficult to gauge, but I figure if the music is good - in terms of being around for a long time and getting good audience reactions - then it doesn't really matter exactly what you're playing."

The initial formation of the Pops orchestra owes a debt to this kind of unconventional thinking, as Mr. Nero succeeded where others - namely Henry Mancini during the '60s - had failed to create a successful Pops orchestra for Philadelphia. Although advised by Boston Pops legend Arthur Fiedler to divide the program into thirds - opening with a classical set, following that with a concerto and concluding with the popular segment of the program - Mr. Nero decided to ignore the advice and devise his own way.

"They told me if I did the program the other way around, then the audience would go home after the first third. Then I figured we just wouldn't let them know it was coming," he said. "Don't draw any lines on the ground, and don't start pigeonholing the program with a specific formula."

The daring programming, combined with the talented musicians who are employed as freelancers and (though he won't admit it) the magnetic charm of Mr. Nero at the piano and on the podium, have ensured the Philly Pops' success where other Pops orchestras around the country are flopping. Last fiscal year, Philly Pops contributed $600,000 to the Philadelphia Orchestra's budget, and this year added the popular extra Sunday matinee to each program run. Elsewhere, the trend is moving in the opposite direction. Mr. Nero cites the Buffalo Pops, who recently cut its two-show performance run down to one show as its subscription base dipped into the 700s.

"That's a big hole to fill," Mr. Nero said, "and how do you hope to get more people to attend by dropping concerts? The only way to attract people is to give them the option to attend a concert - and if they like what they see and hear, they're probably going to come back."

Many of the pieces on the eclectic programs are compositions either partly or wholly contributed by Mr. Nero, who is a self-confessed technological junkie, but who still pushes a pencil when it comes to writing scores. Nimble compositions and improv sessions on the piano are always welcomed by Mr. Nero's extensive fan base, and he often conducts one-handed while simultaneously whipping up a jazzy accompaniment on the Steinway.

Despite his rigorous Pops schedule, Mr. Nero still finds time to play piano and guest conduct, appearing in front of orchestras around the country. Later this month, he will conduct the Buffalo Philharmonic, and will play with the New Jersey symphony several times next season. In addition, he finds time to tour with bass player Michael Barnett. In June, he and Mr. Barnett will be play in the OK Mozart festival in Bartlesville, Okla., and he recently returned from four days in Hot Springs Ark., playing at a retirement village. He doesn't need the money or the travel time, but Mr. Nero says he plays because he enjoys it, and for no other reason.

"Michael and I have been playing together 18 straight years, and we've known each other for 30," he says. "I'd really like to do more shows with Michael, and I'd like to do more composing - if I had the time. I always think when I?have time away 'what a relief, I don't have to practice,' and I?do have other interests. But the Pops are still my love, and when I'm away, it doesn't take me long to miss it."

Lindsay Warner can be reached at calendar@thebulletin.us ŠThe Evening Bulletin 2008