Event
Patriotic Pops
Naples Philharmonic Special Performance
Naples Philharmonic
Naples Philharmonic Chorus
Radu Paponiu, conductor
Jeff Faux, interim chorus director
Programming to be announced.
Join Associate Conductor Radu Paponiu and the Naples Philharmonic as they perform some of your favorite American music. Show your patriotism and join us for our annual Patriotic Pops tradition — a rousing star-spangled salute to our troops and the grand music of America.
A professionally administered negative COVID-19 rapid antigen or PCR test, along with a valid matching photo ID, is required for all visitors 12 and older. In lieu of a negative COVID-19 test, voluntary proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, along with a valid matching photo ID, may be presented. Masks are encouraged, and they are required for children between the ages of 2 and 11 unless a negative COVID-19 test or voluntary proof of being fully vaccinated (for children ages 5-11 eligible for vaccination) is presented on their behalf. Certain artists and ensembles may require masks. For more information, please visit our COVID-19 Protocols.
Naples Philharmonic
Naples Philharmonic
Founded in 1982, the Naples Philharmonic performs over 140 orchestral and chamber concerts, as well as opera and ballet, education, community and special event concerts from September through June each year.
Meet the Musicians
Andrey Boreyko
Sharon and Timothy Ubben Music Director Meet Andrey
Jack Everly
Principal Pops Conductor Meet Jack
Radu Paponiu
Associate Conductor Meet Radu
Radu Paponiu
Radu Paponiu
Radu Paponiu is the associate conductor of the Naples Philharmonic and director of the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Since 2017, Radu has conducted the Naples Philharmonic in more than 70 different classical, education and pops programs. As a guest conductor, Radu has appeared with the Transylvania State Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania, Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony and National Repertory Orchestra. Radu has collaborated with notable soloists such as Yefim Bronfman, Vladimir Feltsman, Robert Levin, Nancy Zhou, and the Ébène Quartet. Radu regularly serves as cover conductor with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Konzerthausorchester Berlin, and he has assisted conductors including Andrey Boreyko, Iván Fischer, Fabio Luisi, Stéphane Denève, Hans Graf, Donald Runnicles, Cristian Măcelaru, Bernard Labadie and Ludovic Morlot. Radu has served on the conducting faculty of the Juilliard Pre-College, as well as conductor for the Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard in Shanghai, China, and the Southeast Asia Music Festival in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Radu completed his Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Hugh Wolff. While in Boston, Radu was also conductor apprentice with the Handel and Haydn Society. In the summer of 2017, Radu was appointed assistant conductor of the National Repertory Orchestra in Colorado, as well as conducting fellow for the Cabrillo Festival Workshop in California. Radu participated in the prestigious American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and School as the recipient of both the Albert Tipton Aspen Fellowship and the David A. Karetsky Memorial Fellowship. In Aspen, Radu furthered his studies under the guidance of Robert Spano, Larry Rachleff, Leonard Slatkin, Patrick Summers and Federico Cortese.
Radu began his musical studies on the violin at age 7, studying privately with Carmen Runceanu and Ștefan Gheorghiu. After coming to the United States at the invitation of the Perlman Music Program, Radu completed two degrees in violin performance under the guidance of Robert Lipsett at the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles. As a soloist and chamber musician, Radu has appeared in festivals throughout Europe and North America, collaborating with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Clive Greensmith, Martin Beaver, Merry Peckham and Vivian Hornik Weilerstein.
Radu currently resides in Naples, Florida, with his wife, flutist Blair Francis Paponiu. In his spare time, he enjoys chamber music reading parties, fishing, biking and playing tennis.
Jeff Faux
Jeff Faux
Jeff Faux currently serves as the director of sacred arts at the First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs, where he has worked since 2007, overseeing a large program that includes 10 vocal and instrumental ensembles, the First Academy of Music and over 20 concerts per year. He served as artistic director of the Fort Myers Mastersingers for nine years, and his choirs have performed in Italy and Spain. Most recently, he conducted a performance of the Fauré Requiem at La Madeleine, Fauré’s church in Paris, where the work was written.
Jeff is a graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. He has also served as an adjunct instructor of music education at Westminster Choir College. He graduated from Michigan State University with a master’s degree in choral conducting.
