<P> The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts that specializes in playing light classical and popular music . </P> <P> The Boston Pops was founded in 1885 as a second, popular identity of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), founded four years earlier . Consisting primarily of musicians from the BSO, although generally not all of the first - chair players, the orchestra performs a Spring season of popular music and a holiday program in December, the BSO schedule on break at those times . For the Pops, the seating on the floor of Symphony Hall is reconfigured from auditorium seating to banquet / cafe seating . In addition, the Pops also plays an annual concert at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade every Fourth of July . Their performance of Stars and Stripes Forever is famous for the dropping of the American Flag that occurs as the song enters its final moments . Identified with its long - time director Arthur Fiedler, in the past the orchestra has recorded extensively, made frequent tours, and appeared regularly on television . The Pops Spring and Holiday seasons allowed the BSO to become one of the first American orchestras to provide year - round employment for its musicians . </P> <P> The current Music Director of the Boston Pops Orchestra is Keith Lockhart . </P> <P> In 1881, Henry Lee Higginson, the founder of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, wrote of his wish to present in Boston "concerts of a lighter kind of music". The Boston Pops Orchestra was founded to present this kind of music to the public, with the first concert performed in 1885 . Called the "Promenade Concerts" until 1900, these performances combined light classical music, tunes from the current hits of the musical theater, and an occasional novelty number . Allowing for some changes of taste over the course of a century, the early programs were remarkably similar to the Boston Pops programs of today . </P>

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