After a brief name change, the Philly Pops orchestra is back. In 2023, the death of longtime director Peter Nero led members of the ensemble to reestablish as the No Name Pops. The Nero family owned the rights to the original name, and an organization established by the late conductor called Finger Prince, Inc.
signed an agreement on Oct. 25 to allow the group to use the moniker again. Nero led the group from 1979 until 2013.
As part of the agreement, ownership of Nero's music library of scores, sheet music, memorabilia and recordings were transferred to the Philly Pops. “We are incredibly honored to carry on the tradition and legacy that Peter Nero created in Philadelphia," Matt Koveal, executive director of the group, said in a statement. " This is a story about our dedicated musicians who stood up for what they believed in and kept the music alive.
We look forward to a bright future of performing all styles of music for all communities in Philadelphia.” The name change follows a number of legal struggles for the original group. In January 2023, the Philly Pops were evicted from the Kimmel Center for failing to make a $520,000 payment, although its total debts were over $1 million.
The Pops then filed an antitrust lawsuit in April, claiming the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Kimmel Center (now called Ensemble Arts Philly) used unlawful tactics to create a monopoly and keep the group out of business. The Pops later amended the antitrust suit in order to reschedule shows..
