Pops Orchestra showcases Bradenton-area youth

It's not the kind of concert you expect from a pops orchestra.

This weekend's concert from the Bradenton/Sarasota-based Pops Orchestra features a professional hula hooper, a graphic artist and a 13-year-old pianist who has been writing and performing since he was 4.

The concert's called "It Takes a Village," and it's scheduled for Sunday and Monday. Bradenton-area residents will probably prefer Monday's concert at the Neel Performing Arts Center at the State College of Florida. Sunday's concert is at the Riverview Performing Arts Center in Sarasota.

The idea of the concert is to showcase the talents of some of the most talented young people in the area.

Among the featured artists are Taylor Gilchrist, a hula hooper and violist who attends State College of Florida; 13-year-old pianist Marco Jimenez; Emily Champagne, the Pops Orchestra's 20-year-old concertmaster; 18-year-old cellist Isaac Mingus; trombonist Jaclyn Evans of the Sarasota Youth Philharmonic; percussionist Andre DeGrenier from Booker High School; and two clarinettists, 15-year-old Daniel Solowey and 16-year-old Kofi Kwapong.

It's a Pops Orchestra concert, but the program includes a healthy amount a serious classical music, including pieces by Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Copland, Krommer and Britten.

The concert is free for students. Just bring a valid student ID to either show.

Details: 3 p.m. April 10, Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota, and 7:30 p.m. April 11, Neel Center for the Performing Arts at the State College of Florida, 5840 26th St. W. Bradenton. Tickets: $21.69 general, $26.87 premium (including service charge). Information: 941-926-7677, thepopsorchestra.org.

-- Marty Clear

This story was originally published April 6, 2016 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Pops Orchestra showcases Bradenton-area youth ."