A Short History of Pops
under construction: Stay tuned for a more detailed history of Pops. Who was this "Eric Damast," anyway? Was Pops really started by aliens? Is Pops really part of a plot to take over the world? Can Pops really travel through time?
The Harvard Pops Orchestra was founded in 1996 by Eric Damast '97. Entirely student-run at its inception, the group disbanded when Damast graduated. In the fall of 1998, Thomas Lue '01 decided to reinstate the orchestra and hired a conductor, Allen Feinstein '86.
Since then, the Harvard Pops Orchestra has become renowned on campus for its unconventional, adventurous, and enjoyable programs. Today, the Harvard Pops continues to play a variety of classical repertoire, standard pops works, and arrangements and original compositions written by students. It continues to fulfill its mission to provide Harvard students with an orchestral experience unlike any other.