IMAGINE. PERFORM. INSPIRE.
Richard Zielinski, Conductor
Born in Milwaukee and raised in Fond du Lac, Dr. Richard Zielinski (or “Z” as his Fondy friends call him) has become known for his innovative programming and versatility as both an orchestral and choral conductor.
A passionate and compelling communicator, Richard Zielinski serves as the Artistic and Music Director of the Norman Philharmonic. Zielinski continues to serve as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the 51st Classical Music Festival and Orchestra located at the Esterhazy Palace in Eisenstadt, Austria. (The city of Josef Haydn.)
Richard is very grateful for the education (artistic, athletic and life training), he received from the following Fond du Lac teachers, counselors, coaches and neighbors: Hoffmaster, Carslon, Jacobe, Lemery, Horn, Froemke, Miller, Seidel, Wifler, Shirek, Vande Zande, Marshall, Manis, Thomas, Paulson, Bartolutti, Trtan, Schrum, Steinberg, Jewett, and Hackbarth.
Become A Founding Sponsor!
Put Your Name Behind Something New for Fond du Lac.
The Fondy Pops Orchestra is bringing professional musicians, guest artists and exciting live orchestral entertainment
to Fond du Lac.
We're inviting businesses and community organizations to become Founding Sponsors and help launch a new musical tradition for our community.
Your sponsorship helps put professional musicians on stage, supports exceptional live performances, and introduces young people to the excitement of live orchestral music.
Your organization won't simply sponsor a concert.
You'll help establish a new Fond du Lac tradition.
Choose a sponsorship opportunity below or contact us at thefondypops@gmail.com to discuss a customized partnership.
Become a Founding Patron!
At the Fondy Pops Orchestra, we believe that live music is the heartbeat of our thriving community of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
As a pending 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, our mission extends far beyond the concert stage. We exist to enrich the cultural life of Fond du Lac by bringing people together through exceptional live music while making orchestral performances welcoming, accessible, students, under privaledged families and inspiring for audiences of every generation. Fond du Lac has long celebrated the arts, and we are proud to continue that tradition by creating experiences that families can enjoy together.
Click "HELP US GROW" now! A cornerstone of our 2027 mission is investing in the next generation of musicians. We are dedicated to recruting talented student musicians with the opportunity to perform alongside experienced professional musicians. Through mentorship, collaboration, and live performance, we hope to ignite a lifelong profession and passion for music, nurture future artists, and ensure that the tradition of live orchestral performance continues to flourish for generations to come.
April 24th, 2027 Spring Concert
The Fondy Pops Orchestra proudly presents an unforgettable evening celebrating The Music of Mark Wilhelms. Joined by acclaimed guest artists, professional vocalists, and the powerful sound of a 40-piece orchestra, audiences will experience an inspiring concert filled with cinematic emotion, unforgettable melodies, and extraordinary live performances.
This concert embodies that spirit by bridging the timeless beauty of the orchestra with the music that has shaped our lives—from the silver screen and Broadway stage to jazz clubs, concert halls, and country roads. It is an evening designed to entertain, inspire, and remind us all of the power music has to connect generations.
Mark Wilhelms has spent more than forty years as an accomplished pianist, composer, film producer, and storyteller. His passion for composing has led him to create music filled with poignant melodies, sweeping orchestration, and cinematic themes that invite audiences to laugh, cry, dream, and imagine.
Mark Wilhelms, Composer, Pianist
Born and raised in Fond du Lac, Mark Wilhelms is a pianist, composer, film producer, and storyteller whose career has spanned more than four decades. While he has long been recognized as an accomplished performer, he discovered his greatest artistic passion—composing music for film, theater, and contemporary popular music.
Mark credits his love for music to his parents and early Fond du Lac mentors and teachers including Mrs. Hamilton Lewis, Bob Shirek, Cal Moely, renowned wisconsin jazz pianist and composer John Harmon, arranger/teacher Paul Mazzacano, and Nashville composer and arranger Bill Pursell.
Mark believes that the most memorable music doesn't simply fill silence—it tells a story. His compositions are built around poignant melodies, cinematic themes, and rich orchestration that invite listeners to feel something deeply. Whether expressing hope, loss, triumph, or wonder, his goal has always remained the same: to create music that makes people laugh, cry, dream, or create something of their own.
We are pround to perform his wonderful and magical music to Fond du Lac on April 24th, 2027.
Gallery
