Violinist Jenny Topilow has a special connection to our upcoming Stars, Stripes and Sousa concert on Nov. 15 & 16: her father is the guest conductor! Find out in our interview below what it's like for Jenny to see her dad on the podium, and how Carl Topilow creates his patriotic clarinet for this concert.

The Cleveland Pops yearly celebration—cleverly known as the G-Clef Gala—is considered one of the most anticipated fundraisers held annually in Cleveland—this year, however, the event is even more noteworthy.

Not only will the gala uphold its traditional agenda of a distinctive and prestigious silent auction along with its grand dance music provided by maestro Carl Topilow and the world-renowned Cleveland Pops Orchestra, but they will also welcome two acclaimed guests as honorees—Joseph and Anthony Russo.

Celebrating their tenth anniversary as a trio, The Texas Tenors starred in the captivating and wholesome opening concert of the Cleveland POPS Orchestra’s 24th season, led by music director Carl Topilow on Friday, October 4 at Severance Hall.

The world-class Cleveland Pops Orchestra, under conductor Carl Topilow, will once again bring its moving melodies to downtown Elyria on August 31 at 7 p. m.

Carl Topilow, the music director and conductor of the Firelands Symphony Orchestra, said he enjoys the freedom he’s allowed when he puts together the program for the orchestra’s annual seasons.

Amidst a backdrop of lions and tigers and bears, The Cleveland Pops Orchestra held its first “Stompin’ at the Zoo” fundraising event on July 28 at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

“Everyone’s Italian tonight,” host and conductor Carl Topilow exclaimed, greeting the capacity Cleveland POPS audience at Severance Hall on Saturday, April 13. With the engaging assistance of soprano Alyson Cambridge, tenor John Cudia, and the POPS Chorus — not to mention a special green, white, and red clarinet, assembled from Topilow’s multichromatic collection of instruments — the Orchestra lined up and checked off 21 of everyone’s favorite selections from Italian opera, leaving few corners of the repertoire unexplored.

A golden age in American popular music began about a century ago. Lasting four decades and pervading musical theater, sound recordings, film, radio, and jazz stylings, it left a body of music that has never gone out of circulation and is regularly trumpeted as one of America’s best collective creations. We now call it “The Great American Songbook.”