With their season at Carnegie Hall behind them, the world-renowned orchestra, The New York Pops, launched into its next series of concerts, the Summermusic Concert series. Celebrate Brooklyn, featuring music by Gershwin, Bernstein, Berlin and more, will continue the series at Prospect Park (of course, in Brooklyn) Aug. 5 and at Staten Island’s Snug Harbor Cultural Center Aug. 6.

Celebrate Brooklyn will complete the Summermusic series, a program offers free concerts by the frequently sold-out symphony throughout the parks of New York. Joining the Pops will be special guest Peter Appleyard, one of the top five vibraphonists. Skitch Henderson will conduct, along with associate conductor Charles Prince, musical director of recently closed Broadway production of James Joyce's The Dead.

The Pops were founded in 1983 by music director Henderson. Some of his long list of credits include musical directing for Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby (who is responsible for his unique name), and for NBC’s Today as well as the Tonight Show. The Pops have a number of CDs including “From Berlin to Bernstein,” “The New York Pops Goes To The Movies,” and their most recent, “Magical Moments from Great Musicals.”

For more information on Celebrate Brooklyn, call The Pops at (212) 765-7677. To find out more about The New York Pops, visit them online at www.newyorkpops.org.

-- by Ernio Hernandez