The North Charleston POPS! is more than a professional orchestra and concert series; it is a vital part of the community. Guided by a mission to inspire, engage, and connect with all audiences, the POPS! brings people together through the shared joy of music and through youth music education. The North Charleston Pops is making a lasting impact in the lives of concertgoers and students. This incredible non-profit organization is supported by corporate, business, and individual donations, grants, as well as ticket sales.
Join us for the 2025–2026 season at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center, performances include salutes the Oscars, Elton John, country music, hits of the 80’s & 90s, and a special holiday concert. Season tickets go on sale Monday, July 14, at 10 AM.
We have a unique style of combining an orchestra with other genres of music and vocalists, as well as video delights. It is always a surprise to first-time concertgoers, but they love it. We are innovative, unique, and totally entertaining.
Nick Palmer has been widely recognized for his compelling performances, visionary leadership and emotional connection to audiences and is regarded as one of the most talented symphonic and Pops conductors on the scene today. Maestro Palmer is in his fourth season as Music Director of North Charleston POPS! and is also Music Director of the Lafayette Symphony in Indiana and the Evening Under the Stars Music Festival in Massachusetts.
A Quote from Maestro...
"I am so excited for the 2024-2025 season of our hometown Orchestra, the North Charleston POPS! This season, we are featuring some terrific local talent with programs that will certainly create excitement and continue our tradition of fun, artistically excellent, innovative, and accessible shows for our great community. I guarantee you're going to have a great time attending our performances!
We are expanding to six concerts this season, starting with Bewitched with featuring Elena Flores. This show will feature popular songs associated with Halloween, along with familiar selections from movies and well known classical orchestra repertory, like the Sorcerer's Apprentice from Disney's original Fantasia, and Hocus Pocus. We continue with Funk at the Philharmonic with Robbie Madison. This show has everything from Stevie Wonder to Earth, Wind and Fire. Then, we have the return of the Lowcountry's premiere Holiday POPS in December, and, in January, the stage heats up with Latin Fusion with local stars Gino Castillo and Duda Lucena. Quiana Parler is a Lowcountry Legend and our March performance, where she will be showcased. We finish off the season in April with Star Wars where you get an opportunity to hear the great orchestral music of this groundbreaking and timeless film series along with the classical music that inspired those themes.
Can't wait to share it with you!"
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Nick has had an ongoing relationship with the renowned London Philharmonic Orchestra and will make his third recording with the LPO later this season featuring the orchestral music of American composer Arnold Rosner at the famed Abbey Road Studios.
Nick Palmer has won rave reviews with the Detroit Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Boulder Philharmonic, Virginia Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, Louisville Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Salt Lake Symphony, Huntsville Symphony, Springfield (MA) Symphony , Greenville Symphony and other orchestras across the nation. He has also conducted over a dozen performances with the Jacksonville Symphony during the last several seasons, including regional concerts in St. Augustine, Orange Park and Daytona Beach. Nick is a frequent Pops conductor for the Springfield (MA) Symphony and was recently named Principal Pops Conductor of the Altoona (PA) Symphony
Nick has also worked with many top Pops performers including Smokey Robinson, Neil Sedaka, Art Garfunkel, Clay Aiken, Al Hirt, Shirley Jones, Jeans and Classics, Ballroom with a Twist, Tony Desare, Mary Wilson, Cirque de la Symphonie and many others.
A favorite guest conductor in Europe, Mexico and South America, Palmer recently conducted the Europa Philharmonie at the Hardinsburg Castle near Berlin, toured with the Orchestra di San Remo for two weeks in Italy and led concerts with the Czech Radio Orchestra at the Prague and Nelahozeves Castles celebrating the music of George Gershwin.
The German press hailed Palmer’s conducting as “a musical high point with world class flair” and Radio Suisse Romande in Switzerland noted Palmer’s: “great professionalism with unity and verve”. Palmer has also led the West Bohemia Symphony, National Orchestra of Bolivia, Sophia Symphony, Sinaloa (OSSLA) and Monterrey (UANL) Symphony in Mexico, Milano Classico Orchestra, Medellin (EAFIT) Symphony and Lausanne Symphony.
A native of Hingham, Massachusetts, Palmer graduated cum laude from Harvard University and received his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Orchestral Conducting from the New England Conservatory of Music and the University of Iowa, respectively. He also has studied at the Juilliard School, Pierre Monteux Domaine School, Aspen Music School, the Festival at Sandpoint, and the Academia Chigiana in Italy, where he was a student of Franco Ferrara and Carlo Maria Giulini. Dr. Palmer is also Distinguished Conductor in Residence at Kentucky Wesleyan College.
Gerome Stewart, Concertmaster of the North Charleston POPS!, has been playing the violin for over 26 years and has performed with orchestras throughout Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Indiana, South Carolina, and Florida. Mr. Stewart holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from Columbus State University and a Master of Music degree in Violin Performance from the University of Louisville. In the summer of 2017, he was appointed Dean of Mens’ Studies at the prestigious Brevard Music Center.
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His principal teachers include Patricio Cobos, Manuel Diaz, J. Patrick Rafferty, and Jay Christy. Mr. Stewart has participated in master classes with artists such as Cecylia Arzewski, Robert McDuffie, Midori, György Kurtág, Eroica Trio, Diaz Trio, Turtle Island String Quartet, Miami String Quartet, and Takács Quartet. He has toured professionally as a violinist with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, New Sigmund Romberg Orchestra, Hollywood Concert Orchestra, and The New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players. In addition to his leadership role with the POPS!, Mr. Stewart is currently an active member with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra.
Tacy Edwards is a co-founder of the North Charleston POPS! and served as its Executive Director for its first ten years. She has brought decades of experience in the arts field to the purpose of creating and nurturing this vibrant orchestra to become the heart of the North Charleston arts experience. Tacy is Principal Flute with the POPS!, holds the position of Second Flute in the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and has been the Piccoloist with the CSO from 1992 to the present.
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“It has been rewarding to work with the POPS! team in this welcoming city of North Charleston, which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary! The vision of the various mayors of the City of North Charleston have made the arts central to the community in building the Coliseum and, later, the Performing Arts Center. We are proud to call the Performing Arts Center our home and are impressed with the dynamic economic, cultural and domestic growth of the city as it continues to attract new businesses and has become the heart of the Lowcountry with its shopping choices, hotel accommodations, International airport, Boeing facilities, business opportunities and innovative new educational and recreational programs for the children of the community. North Charleston is definitely a great place to live, work and play.”
Violist Samantha Clark is a member of the North Charleston POPS! and is Principal Viola in the Summerville Orchestra. She is the director of the strings division of the POPS!KidZ program, based at Malcomb C. Hursey & Pepperhill Elementary Schools, and is the teacher of strings in the North Charleton area for the CCSD. She also teaches privately and shares her love of music with as many children as possible.
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Playing viola for over 24 years, Mrs. Clark holds a Bachelor of Viola Performance Degree from Converse College in Spartanburg, SC and a Master of Viola Performance Degree from CCM in Cincinnati, OH. Her primary teachers have included Miles Hoffman, founder of The American Chamber Players and commentator for NPR, as well as Dr. Catharine Carroll and Masao Kawasaki at CCM. After spending time in graduate school working with the after-school music program Whiz Kids, she realized she also had a passion for teaching and enrolled in the PACE program in South Carolina. She received her teaching certificate through this program and has been teaching for the Charleston County School district for five years, four of these in North Charleston Schools.
The North Charleston POPS! is made up of 56 professional musicians. Here is a list of our Principal (first chair) players:
