Boston Pops Orchestra

The History of the Boston Pops

BSO founder Henry Lee Higginson had proposed this new series in the hope of re-creating the ambiance of summer evenings in Viennese concert gardens, while also providing summer employment for the members of the Boston Symphony, who at that point, had to search for other work six months out of the year. In 1900, these performances officially became Pops (short for "Popular") concerts.