Season 11

I Will Always Love You: A Tribute to the Iconic Dolly Parton

From “Jolene” and “9 to 5” to “Coat of Many Colors,” “Islands in the Stream,” and, of course, “I Will Always Love You,” we’ll revisit the songs that made us laugh, broke our hearts, and had us singing along for decades. Along the way, we’ll also explore a few lesser-known gems that showcase the remarkable range of Dolly’s songwriting and the stories behind the music.

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  • Sarah Cassidy (Indiana University)
  • Jayna Glynn (Missouri State)
  • Mya Hunter (Howard University)
  • Hannah Kulawiak (Indiana University)
  • David Mejia (Texas Christian University)
  • Chris Richie (Oklahoma City University)
  • TJ Staten (Webster University)
  • Yumeko Stern (New York University)
  • Anthony Voiers (University of Louisiana at Lafayette)
  • Sam Yousuf (University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music)
  • Christian Clausnitzer - Alternate (West Virginia University)
  • Jordyn Taylor - Alternate (Howard University)

Golden Age of Hollywood

This Valentine’s Day, step back in time to the glamour and romance of Hollywood’s Golden Age with Broadway stars Nic Rouleau (The Book of Mormon, Operation Mincemeat), Michael Maliakel (Disney’s Aladdin) and The American Pops Orchestra. The Golden Age of Hollywood is an intimate, one-night-only celebration of the unforgettable music, legendary films, and iconic performers that defined Hollywood from the 1940s through the 1960s. From sweeping love songs and beloved movie musicals to the timeless melodies that became part of American culture, Rouleau and Maliakel, joined by a few surprise Broadway guests, bring the magic of classic Hollywood to life. Filled with music, stories, and a whole lot of old-fashioned Hollywood charm, this concert is the perfect Valentine’s date night and a rare opportunity to experience Broadway talent up close at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

Tickets available soon, check the button below.

  • Sarah Cassidy (Indiana University)
  • Jayna Glynn (Missouri State)
  • Mya Hunter (Howard University)
  • Hannah Kulawiak (Indiana University)
  • David Mejia (Texas Christian University)
  • Chris Richie (Oklahoma City University)
  • TJ Staten (Webster University)
  • Yumeko Stern (New York University)
  • Anthony Voiers (University of Louisiana at Lafayette)
  • Sam Yousuf (University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music)
  • Christian Clausnitzer - Alternate (West Virginia University)
  • Jordyn Taylor - Alternate (Howard University)

Don't Rain on my Parade: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand

After two highly acclaimed, sold-out performances, Don’t Rain On My Parade: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand is back by popular demand, this time as the grand finale of The American Pops Orchestra’s 11th Season!

Four powerhouse vocalists join APO to celebrate the incomparable Barbra Streisand: Cassadee Pope (The Voice Season 3 winner, Titanique), Monique Abbadie (The Voice Season 4, Latin Grammy nominee), DC powerhouse Bayla Whitten (Les Misérables, Merrily We Roll Along), and APO's 8th NextGen winner, Mandy McGovern. Featuring lush, original orchestrations of Streisand’s biggest hits alongside hidden gems from her extraordinary catalog, this feel-good season closer celebrates the music and unmistakable spirit of one of the most iconic performers of all time. After sold-out performances, we knew this celebration deserved an encore with our DC Family, and there’s no better way to close out APO’s season.

Tickets available soon, check the button below.

Children's Outreach

This year, our Children’s Outreach Tour reached thousands of students across the country through live and virtual performances, and we couldn’t have done it without your support. We're grateful you chose to make the arts a part of your students’ education!

Mark your calendar for the 2025-2026 Children's Outreach season and stay up-to-date with our email newsletter!

10th Annual NextGen

Auditions for our 10th Annual NextGen are open from September 1st through October 2nd. NextGen continues to give tomorrow’s rising artists the opportunity to take center stage. Click the link to learn more.

3rd Annual Composition Competition

We want to hear your music! Submit your free application for the chance to have your work brought to life by The American Pops Orchestra and join our 3rd Annual Class of Composition Competition Finalists.

Interested in learning more about The American Pops Orchestra? Check out the links below to follow on social media and stay up to date!

A Message from The APO

The American Pops Orchestra has made it a priority to not only maintain Pre-COVID content in a virtual form, but also create new content to keep our audience engaged and our musicians employed.  As an organization that strives to break the mold of concerts, we are using COVID-19 to reimagine our normal operations.  Since March we have streamed two full original concerts, created solo performances by instrumentalist and vocalists, rethought our Music and Mindfulness series as a more often and virtual event, and partnered with organizations across the country in our virtual trivia series.  
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In addition, APO has held multiple in-person socially distanced outdoor Porch Concerts that provide our audience with the opportunity to safely see live art despite the current situation around us.  Throughout the pandemic, APO has employed hundreds of musicians and artists and in a time when many other organizations couldn’t. In the words of Maestro Luke Frazier, “we never stopped.”
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Moving forward, APO is proud to present our NextGen National vocal competition which will include students from across the country competing virtually for the chance to win a monetary prize and the opportunity to perform in a future APO MainStage Show. This will include a virtual audition and semi-finals with a live (COVID permitting) finals in Spring of 2021.  APO has also filmed multiple productions that will be broadcast nationally on PBS.  APO has been grateful to keep creating and making music despite the limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and will keep working to bring you, our valued audience, original and unique content.
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To support APO as we keep moving forward you can click here, so that we can continue to employ more artists and musicians.  If you have any questions about what APO has been doing during the pandemic, please email hannah@theamericanpops.org. Thank you and stay safe.