Guest Artists
A unique and inspiring aspect of POP programming is that we provide learning opportunities for our students to engage with renowned guest artists. POP has worked informally with varied and diverse guest artists from Philadelphia and beyond since our 2011 founding. These artists have joined our students on stage to perform with them and have led master classes and workshops.
Photo: Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Music Director of The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted the POP String Orchestra in Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachmusik” in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center in 2014.
Photo: Imani Winds joined POP wind students for POP’s Wind Festival in February 2019.
Guest Artists 2022 – 2023
ARKAI
String Duo
Cesar Avila
Percussionist
Noah Bendix-Balgley
1st Concertmaster, Berlin Philharmonic
Canadian Brass
Brass Ensemble
Paul Bryan
Director and Conductor, Bravo Brass
Castle of Our Skins
Black Arts Institution
Kevin Day
Composer
Rollo Dilworth
Choral Composer
Michael-Thomas Foumai
Composer
Dr. Joseph Higgins
Director of Bands, Rowan University
Katie Hyun
Violinist
Imani Winds
Wind Quintet
Brittany Lasch
Trombonist
Mitch Newman
Violinist, Los Angeles Philharmonic (retired)
Erika Oba
Composer
“The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band
Ensemble
Andy Sledge
Bassoonist
Ximena Violante
Violinist and Jarana Player
Jungyoon Wie
Composer
Shanshan Yao
Violinist
Guest Artists 2021 – 2022
Iman Habibi
Pianist and Composer
Haverford-Bryn Mawr College Orchestra
Orchestra
Eric Huckins
Horn Player
Katie Hyun
Violinist
Demarre McGill
Flutist
Philip O’Banion
Percussionist
Steven Palacio
Bassoon
Rafael Payare
Conductor, San Diego Symphony & Montreal Symphony
Rachel O’Brien
Harpist
Carlos Rubio
Violinist
Antonina Styczeń
Flutist
Thalea Quartet
String Quartet
Guest Artists 2020 – 2021
Adrian Anantawan
Violinist
Meghan Bennett
Assistant Professor of Flute from California State University, Fresno
Kevin Day
Composer
Andy Emerich
Percussionist
Adeliia Faizullina
Composer
Alex Gonzalez
Violinist
Iman Habibi
Composer
Arreon Harley-Emerson
Director of Music and Operations at the Choir School of Delaware
Carol Jantsch
Principal Tuba, Philadelphia Orchestra
Nicole Jordan
Librarian, Philadelphia Orchestra
Penn Med Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra
Brittany Lasch
Trombone
Thomas Mesa
Cellist
Rachel O’Brien
Harp
Aaron Olguin
Double Bassist
Erica Snowden-Rodriguez
Cellist
Hannah Tarley
Violinist
Ernie Tovar
French Horn player, Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra
William Underwood III
Flute
Chrystal Williams
Mezzo-Soprano
Annie Wu
Flute
Guest Artists 2019 – 2020
Dr. Suzanne Burton
Professor of Music Education at the University of Delaware
Project Fusion
Saxophone Quartet
Tommy Mesa
Cellist
Michael Lawrence
Organ
Hannibal Lokumbe
Composer
Ritz Chamber Players
Chamber ensemble
Juliet White-Smith
Viola professor from Ohio State University
Chrystal E. Williams
Mezzo-Soprano
Kerwin Young
Composer and Producer
Greg Zelek
Organ
Past Guest Artists
Adrian Anantawan
Violinist and Conductor
Andrew Lipke
Instrumentalist and Composer
Anthony McGill
Principal clarinet, NY Philharmonic
Arturo Stable
Percussionist and Educator, University of The Arts
Bernard Woma Ensemble
Ghanaian Traditional Ensemble
Black Violin
String Duo
Bobby McFerrin
Vocalist And Conductor
Borromeo String Quartet
String Quartet
CaribeNostrum
Cuban Quintet
Chestnut Brass
Brass Quintet
Chicago Harp Quartet
Harp Ensemble
Christine Lamprea
Cellist
Don Liuzzi
Percussionist, The Philadelphia Orchestra
DRUMLine Live!
Touring Ensemble
Duo Scorpio
Harp Duo
East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO)
Chamber Ensemble
Ensemble 7/4
Venezuelan Trumpet & Percussion Ensemble
Gary White
Conductor, Philadelphia Sinfonia
Hal Robinson
Principal Double Bass, The Philadelphia Orchestra
Hannibal Lokumbe
Trumpeter and Composer
Harlem Quartet
String Quartet
Imani Winds
Wind Quintet
Jon Batiste and Stay Human
House Band for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Joseph Conyers
Double Bass, The Philadelphia Orchestra
Joseph Lin
Violinist, Juilliard String Quartet
Julietta Curenton
Flautist, Philadelphia Chamber Music Artist
Jupiter Quartet
String Quartet
Kinan Abou-Afach
Cellist, Oud-ist and Composer
Kiran Ghandi
Electronic Music Artist
Marin Alsop
Conductor, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Mimi Stillman
Flautist
Nokothula Ngwenyama
Violist
Orchestra 2001
Orchestra
Paul Bryan
Conductor, Philadelphia Youth Orchestra
Philadelphia String Quartet
String Quartet
Ranaan Meyer
Double Bassist & Composer
Ray Chen
Violinist
Richard Hoenich
Bassoon
Rossen Milanov
Conductor, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Princeton Symphony Orchestra and the Slovenian RTV Orchestra in Ljubljana.
Sir Simon Rattle
Conductor, London Symphony Orchestra
Sixth Floor Trio
Chamber Group
Tai Murray
Violinist, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society
Takacs Quartet
String Quartet
The Parker Quartet
String Quartet
Time for Three
String Trio
Timothy Warfield, Jr.
Tenor Saxophone
Trio Cavatina
Chamber Ensemble
Troy Peters
Conductor, UT San Antonio Orchestra and Youth Orchestra of San Antonio
West Philly Orchestra
Ensemble
Weston Sprott
Trombone, Met Orchestra
Wynton Marsalis
Trumpeter
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Music Director, The Philadelphia Orchestra
